The 2026 World Cup is less than four months away and U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has one simple question regarding his team’s tournament objectives: “Why not win it all?”
When asked if the USMNT making the quarterfinals would be considered a successful 2026 World Cup campaign during a radio interview with Spain’s Radiogaceta de los Deportes, Pochettino had an eyebrow-raising response.
“To me it wouldn’t ... because we want to win [the World Cup], we are winners” Pochettino said. “It’s complicated for every team to win the World Cup, it won’t be easy. It’s also a different experience with different circumstances, we’ll see, surprises can always happen.
“It’s true that nobody in the world puts the USMNT among the favorites to win the World Cup, I’m conscious of that. But internally, when we took on the challenge of going to the World Cup, we considered: ‘Why not? Why not win it? Why not make it to the final stages of the World Cup?’
“We know we have a lot of work to do and that we’ve been working now for a year and a half to achieve being at the level that a World Cup—the most important event—will demand.”
Pochettino Aiming to Leave a Mark on U.S. Soccer
Pochettino also spoke on the growth of soccer in the U.S., crediting Lionel Messi particularly for the sport’s rapid rise in popularity in recent years. That rise, in his eyes, will only intensify when the country co-hosts the World Cup this summer, in what he views as a golden opportunity.
"The World Cup is a massive motivation for everyone,” Pochettino said. “Internally [as a staff] we always felt that pressure to compete and to win. We’re trying to transfer that culture and philosophy to the organization [U.S. Soccer], of course, but also to the players, about the way we must prepare to compete.
“The pressure is there because we are one of the World Cup organizing nations and also because the U.S. always wants to be first, in everything it wants to be first and that idea is there.
“It’s true that the sport [soccer] isn’t the first like in other countries, but I think it’s up to us to handle it in the best way and transform that pressure into energy, to then compete in the best way we can.”
The Argentine’s full focus is placed on trying to lead the USMNT to a historic summer. What comes next for him is more uncertain.
What The Future Looks Like For Pochettino After 2026 World Cup
Reports surfaced in recent weeks suggesting Tottenham Hotspur were keen on a reunion with former boss Pochettino in the aftermath of Thomas Frank’s dismissal. Pochettino denied having any contact with Spurs recently, but refused to close the door to a summer return.
“They’re rumors,” Pochettino said, denying any contact. “The always associate me with Tottenham, like they did at a certain time with Espanyol or other clubs. In the end, especially because I have a past with these teams, when things aren’t going well, people fall back on emotions.
“But no, we’re focused on the World Cup, on the USMNT. My contract expires after the World Cup, so from then, we’ll see what might happen, [I am] open to everything.”
If Pochettino manages to get even close to reaching his lofty World Cup ambitions this summer, then the last thing he’ll be lacking will be alternatives and interested suitors following the tournament’s conclusion.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mauricio Pochettino Reveals Ambitious USMNT World Cup Objective, Thoughts on Tottenham Return.
