US coach Mauricio Pochettino on Tuesday dismissed the co-host status as favorite to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying he was wary after seeing a number of upsets during the tournament.
Germany exited the tournament on Monday with a shootout defeat to Paraguay, and Morocco also sent the Netherlands into action on penalties.
“First of all, I don’t believe we are the favorite team because… in recent days (we have seen) how difficult it is for everyone,” Pochettino told reporters at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Tuesday.
«I think favorite is (something) to talk about, no? Everyone said the favorite is Germany, but Paraguay beat (them) and Morocco beat the Netherlands. In this World Cup, there are many factors that can influence performance. We have to be careful when we say: OK, one is favorite (over) the other,» he added.
While Bosnia finished third in its group, the US topped Group D by winning its first two matches against Paraguay and Australia, reaching the knockout stages early.
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Talisman Christian Pulisic has declared himself fit to start against the Bosnians after playing from the bench in the 3-2 defeat to Turkey, but Pochettino all but ruled out centre-back Mark McKenzie, who has been struggling with a foot problem.
There was a better prognosis for left back Auston Trusty, who came off the field on a stretcher near the final whistle against Turkey after spraining an ankle.
«Auston is much better than we expected. We will make one final assessment, but hopefully he will be available on the bench,» Pochettino said.
The winner will play against Senegal or Belgium, who meet earlier on Wednesday. Pochettino said the US should treat the match against Bosnia as a final and respect the quality of their opponent.
“They deserve that respect,” he said.
«You can see that they have quality, not just that they are aggressive and have a good organization. They have players with quality and a coach who provides the platform to perform. That is a good thing. That is why for us this is the World Cup final tomorrow,» he added.
Published on July 1, 2026
