Pochettino urged the US to believe when unveiled in New York in September 2024; tenure mixed
Mauricio Pochettino asked the United States to believe in his project when he was unveiled as US men's national team coach in New York City in September 2024, with the 2026 home World Cup looming. His spell produced a sequence of notable victories and damaging defeats that left supporters divided.
Pochettino took charge after a disastrous performance at the 2024 Copa América that cost his predecessor his job and was introduced on the 24th floor of a building overlooking the Hudson River. At that unveiling he said: “We need to believe that we can win,” and added, “That we can win not only a game: We can win the World Cup.” He returned frequently to that mantra during his tenure and even told Donald Trump that the US could win it all.
Off-field optics complicated the message of belief. There was a near-constant stream of rumours attaching Pochettino to clubs in England, rumours he did not actively quash, and clips circulated of him praising the Premier League and suggesting a possible return there. Those developments repeatedly fed questions about his full-time commitment to the US program ahead of a home World Cup.
Pochettino also voiced frustrations with aspects of American soccer while in the role. After losing the 2025 Gold Cup final to Mexico in Houston he criticised the idea that the US would play in front of a pro-Mexico crowd on home soil, he questioned the stakes in Major League Soccer and suggested US players are coddled in youth development, and he clashed with media over the group-stage loss to Turkey at the World Cup.
On the field the results swung between highs and lows. The US produced a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay — described in the coverage as far and away their best-ever performance at a World Cup — with Pochettino reportedly nearly in tears and belting out Country Roads while speaking glowingly about America. Weeks later the team suffered a 4-1 drubbing by Belgium in the last 16, a defeat the article describes as among the worst-ever performances by the US at a World Cup.
When asked about his legacy by the Guardian, Pochettino initially demurred and offered a self-assessment: “I am not arrogant,” Pochettino replied with a smile and a laugh. “Well, not arrogant enough. I am a little bit arrogant.” He later framed his lasting impact in personal terms, saying: “The most valuable feeling that we get isn't one victory, or that we helped in the program. It is that relationship in the program – even when you cross the sea, you look and smile because I think you share the values that are very important in life, more important than anything else. That is our principal that we respect always.”
Pochettino arrived with targets that included ensuring a proper showing at a home World Cup, changing public perception of the game and laying down roots for long-term growth; he achieved some of those aims but also left many observers feeling he had not fully bought in. He has now accepted the Manchester United job, bringing his USMNT tenure to an end and leaving American soccer divided over what his time in charge ultimately delivered.