USMNT to play Venezuela in opening match of 2025 at Fort Lauderdale's Chase Stadium in January

The U.S. men's national team will kick off their 2025 campaign on Jan. 18, facing Venezuela at Fort Lauderdale's Chase Stadium, home of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, the team announced Monday.

January camp is an annual tradition for the USMNT and with the match being played outside of a FIFA window, the roster tends to have a heavy MLS presence. Venezuela are currently ranked 44th in the most recent FIFA rankings.

January camp is typically an opportunity for MLS players to showcase their talents, as the league is in its offseason while European counterparts are in full swing.

Several players have used January friendlies to carve out larger roles with the U.S. team. Current rotation player Brendan Aaronson earned his first cap against Costa Rica on Feb. 1, 2020, following that year's January camp. Similarly, goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, now competing for the No. 1 spot, made his debut on Jan. 20, 2024, after the 2024 camp.

With only the Nations League and Gold Cup remaining before the 2026 World Cup - and limited international windows in between - this January camp takes on added significance.

“We are looking forward to the camp in January and the opportunity to get to know many of the MLS players and see all the potential talent we have here in the United States,” USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said in a statement. “We are happy to bring the national team back to South Florida and utilize the great facilities of Inter Miami for this important moment as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

Aside from January camp, the U.S. will await their opponent for the semifinal of the CONCACAF Nations League, which will be played in March.