Mauricio Pochettino, the new manager of the United States men’s national team, has begun his tenure with a bold statement about winning the World Cup, despite the limited time before the competition in 2026. Even without a tournament for preparation, Pochettino insists that time isn’t an obstacle; the team should be thinking about big goals, including winning the World Cup. The players he inherits are largely smart and realistic, and they’re used to hearing and answering questions about what constitutes advancement for the team. Many of them, such as Tyler Adams, set expectations at winning a knockout game for the upcoming World Cup.
Despite the team’s past difficulties, including a group stage exit in the Copa America after a loss to Panama and insufficient quality to prevent such defeats, Pochettino still thinks big. He has publicly challenged his players to stop making excuses and to going against the narrative that there isn’t enough time to prepare for the World Cup. His strategy is high-risk as it might be his downfall later, especially in light of recent disappointments against Canada and New Zealand. Yet, Pochettino knows that building confidence among his squad is a necessary first step towards achieving their goals.
The expectation of Pochettino’s team to emulate the serial success of the U.S. women’s national team may sound unlikely, but it’s part of his plan to instigate substantial change among his players. Part of the challenge for Pochettino is transforming his team into one that will fight tirelessly for victory as his former teams, like Southampton and Tottenham, did. He said in his Friday press conference: “Every time we have the facility to be with them, we will be very clinical in giving them the information. We need to be clever enough in the way we approach training to get the best from them.”
Simultaneously, Pochettino faces the task of assembling a reliable squad within a short timeframe. He needs to find top-tier talent in several positions, such as the goalkeeper and defensive roles. Moreover, he also must strike a balance in the midfield, currently skewed towards holding midfielders and lacking consistent creativity. Uncovering a solution to the team’s striking problem, evident during the Copa, is another critical task. The potential of young players from the recent Paris Olympics also presents an opportunity for him.
Apart from assembling a strong team, Pochettino also needs to win the trust of the skeptical U.S. fanbase. He must achieve these objectives while ensuring positive game outcomes to build faith among a largely skeptical crowd. Pochettino acknowledges that these are massive challenges, but he remains resolute in his belief in the team’s capability to succeed.
Instead of dismissing Pochettino’s audacious ambition for the U.S. men’s team to win the World Cup, fans should give him a chance to achieve his goals. It’s evident that he will need all the help he can get, given the significant hurdles he must overcome within the next two years. Pochettino’s appointment might just be the kind of betting the U.S. Soccer Federation needs to restore faith in the national team.
