U.S. men’s soccer team plays Sunday in Charlotte ahead of World Cup: What to know

The U.S. Men’s National Team takes the pitch at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday for a World Cup send-off friendly against Senegal. The match has drawn attention beyond soccer, with Charlotte FC’s veteran defender Tim Ream preparing for his final World Cup and local advocacy groups pushing back on potential immigration enforcement at the stadium.

Here are key takeaways:

• The USMNT will play Senegal at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. as a friendly ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
• Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream, 38, will captain the U.S. squad in what he says will be his final World Cup, telling The Charlotte Observer there’s “no bone or brain cell in my body that says I will play in another World Cup.”
• The Charlotte match is one of four send-off friendlies the USMNT will play across the country and will be the team’s first competition after releasing its official World Cup roster.
• A coalition including Action NC, Carolina Migrant Network and Jewish Voice for Peace CLT is urging local leaders, FIFA and Tepper Sports to ban immigration agents from the game and create “immigration enforcement-free zones.”
• The advocacy push follows U.S. Border Patrol’s “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in November, which led to hundreds of arrests, business closures and a surge in school absences across the city.
• Ream transferred to Charlotte FC in 2024 and has anchored the defense as the club sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with six wins, six losses and three draws.
• The USMNT previously played at Bank of America Stadium on July 2, 2023, drawing more than 40,000 fans for a CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.