An Annual January Tradition for the U.S. Men’s Team is Now on Hold

The U.S. men’s national team’s annual January training camp will not take place in 2026, U.S. Soccer vice president Oguchi Onyewu confirmed on Friday. 

Affectionately — or derisively, depending on your point of view — known as “Camp Cupcake,” by U.S. fans, the traditional beginning-of-the-year get-together mostly for MLS-based members of the USMNT has been a staple on the domestic soccer calendar for more than a quarter-century.

It’s also been an invaluable resource for the program: While players who represent clubs in Europe’s top leagues usually can’t participate because the event falls outside FIFA’s official windows for international games, many of the program’s all-time greats — including joint-top scorers Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan — earned either his first or second cap during the January camp.

True to form, this year’s edition yielded several players — Max Arfsten, Diego Luna and Jack McGlynn among them — who have since gone on to become serious contenders to make coach Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for the 2026 World Cup next summer. 

Still, the 2025 January camp will be the last for the foreseeable future. Beginning in 2026, the camp will move to the month December, according to Onyewu. 

“The January camp has long been an important platform for player evaluation and integration, with many current and former U.S. men’s national team players earning their first international experiences during this period,” the former USMNT defender said in a statement. “Its impact on our program’s growth and player pathway has been significant and enduring.

“However, with the modern game presenting increasingly condensed and overlapping calendars, U.S. Soccer, in partnership with MLS, has undertaken a holistic review of where this camp best fits within the current structure. After careful analysis and consultation, the decision has been made to shift the camp beginning this upcoming cycle.”

The January camp began in 1997, following MLS’s inaugural 1996 season. Back then, when the league’s championship match was held in October and didn’t kick off again until the following April, it was vital for MLS-based national team players to stay in shape during a too-long offseason.

But as the domestic circuit has evolved over the last three decades, filling that gap has become less and less necessary. This season’s MLS Cup falls on Dec. 6. Training camps for all 30 franchises begin in early January, and teams have become less willing to release key players for national team duty. Like their European counterparts, MLS clubs aren’t required to accommodate national teams outside of FIFA’s designated dates. Multiple clubs denied their players the chance to participate this year, according to multiple sources.

“The December period offers a more balanced window that minimizes conflicts with pre-season preparation, aligns more effectively with player recovery cycles, and continues to provide our national team coaches a valuable opportunity to assess and integrate domestic-based talent,” Onyewu said. 

“A core pillar of The U.S. Way emphasizes two key priorities: expanding opportunities for both youth and senior national team players and maintaining deep, cooperative relationships with our domestic leagues and clubs,” he added.

“Moving [the January Camp] to December represents the natural next step in our shared commitment to collaboration, player welfare, and the continued advancement of soccer in the United States.”

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!