FIFA World Cup 2026: Mauricio Pochettino says rebuilding US team is harder than he thought

Mauricio Pochettino says he and his coaching team expected to find a country that shared his desperate hunger for success ahead of the home World Cup but was stunned to hear otherwise.

“We were so naive when we signed our contract,” Pochettino said during a media roundtable in his office on Tuesday evening. «I think what we find out after we sign is that we misjudged the situation. It was worse than we really believed.»

Pochettino had never coached a national team before taking over the US. While he understood the obstacles inherent in a job with limited contact with his players, he did not anticipate the extent of rebuilding that would be required in a program that had had only mixed success on the international stage.

The Americans were recently eliminated from the 2024 Copa America in the group stages despite playing on home turf, leading to the dismissal of coach Gregg Berhalter. Pochettino says he inherited a program steeped in complacency and one that did not match his urgency.

“When we arrived here we took a big hit and were out for a while,” Pochettino said. «Because we were so excited about that. It’s so close, the World Cup. Everyone will want to be involved and come to the national team, and the opposite was the case.»

But after Pochettino understood the full scope of the job he had taken on, he set about creating the culture he needed. He identified the players who would be most important to the Americans’ success, and he sold them on giving everything to the project that is finally paying off in this World Cup.

Pochettino’s team have opened the tournament with back-to-back wins over Paraguay and Australia by a combined 6-1 scoreline. That’s a historic achievement for the US, which had never started 2-0 and has won just one knockout match in its entire World Cup history.

The US wraps up group play against Turkey in Southern California on Thursday evening before hosting a round of 32 match in Northern California next week. The tactical skill they have shown under Pochettino, together with a theoretically manageable draw, clearly indicates that the Americans have a golden opportunity to achieve their most impressive World Cup finish since reaching the semi-finals at the inaugural tournament in 1930.

But it has worked hard over the past 20 months to achieve this, says Pochettino. The US lost twice in the CONCACAF Nations League in March 2025, but Pochettino saw progress in building the culture and style needed for the Americans to thrive on a bigger stage.

He pushed ahead with his plans after the US failed to win the Gold Cup in the summer of 2025 without Christian Pulisic, and agrees with his players who have cited the fall of 2025 as a turning point for the US squad.

That stretch included a famously combative friendly with Australia, in which Pochettino challenged his players at half-time to increase their competitiveness. Last November there was also a team discussion in which he used for the first time the phrase that has become one of the team’s slogans: “Why not us?”

“And then they were…” says Pochettino, making a shocked face. ‘Why not us?’ It was like a motto for us to say, ‘We can do it. If we believe we can do it, we can do it. If we work hard, we can do it. If we change our mindset, we can do that. »

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“Why not us?” reads the back wall of Pochettino’s office, along with numerous additional quotes and sayings handwritten on the wall by the coach: «The heart turns effort into faith, and when everything hurts, the heart keeps us fighting together,» and «When people believe in each other, impossible dreams become possible.»

Pochettino’s American chapter has changed him in small ways. He has been surprised by both sides of the American palate, from Chick-Fil-A to Whole Foods supermarkets, and he has developed an appreciation for country and soul music – everyone from Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley to Teddy Swims.

The football world does not expect Pochettino to stay with the US team forever, and he has already been linked with jobs at European clubs ahead of this tournament. Pochettino says his coaching team has not ruled out staying with the US after the World Cup, but talks will wait until they see how far this team can go.

«It’s difficult to describe or know your future,» Pochettino said. “But when you’re here, I think it’s hard to see yourself living in another place now because we’ll definitely miss it if one day we don’t stay here in this country.”

Published on June 25, 2026