Mauricio Pochettino is all too cognizant of the magnitude of the task that he has taken on as USMNT head coach at a pivotal moment. With the 2026 World Cup being hosted on American shores, expectations are skyrocketing to dizzying levels. It's not necessarily a matter of constructing a competitive side, but one that can stun the world.
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The road forward, however, is long and treacherous with obstacles and nagging questions. Can the USMNT truly join the world's top teams? The answer is uncertain, but if there is one believer in that destiny, it is Pochettino.
Converting talent into competitiveness
The Argentine coach was straightforward: there is not only talent. If the United States is going to be a world power, the mentality must change.
"It's not as much about player characteristics, but about discipline and the type of environment we wish to establish," Pochettino said to The Telegraph. He knows full well that the USMNT must look beyond talent. It requires a unit, a dedicated squad, which will compete against the largest teams in world soccer fearlessly.
Constructing the national squad of players who are genuinely willing to be there and who know what the project entails is imperative. It is simple to possess high-performing players in Europe, but if they fail to deliver the same for the national team when they put on the national jersey, it does not matter. Establishing a winning culture in the background could be the decider in defining the future of the team.
A rosy future or blind optimism?
Pochettino was not afraid to declare that the United States can become the world's top national side in five years to a decade. Ambitious dream, perhaps. Is there, however, a reality to such thought?
American soccer is growing at an exponential rate, both in infrastructure and in players. Lionel Messi's move to MLS has added to the sport's popularity, but as Pochettino himself pointed out, what really will be the game-changer will be the construction of the USMNT's new training facility in Atlanta.
The coach pointed out how the lack of a permanent base has been a hindrance to the growth of the team: "Right now, the team is training in various locations, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, or St. Louis. But where is the actual soccer hub?"
This inconsistency affects team identity and stability, which might be alleviated with an up-to-date training facility, copying the NFL and MLB models.
Yet Pochettino's ambition is not merely to construct a competitive side for 2026. He wishes to leave a legacy. He hopes to set the groundwork for the U.S. to truly compete with Brazil, Argentina, France, and Germany down the line.
Political pressure and the burden of a whole country
As if regular pressure of leading a World Cup host country wasn't sufficient, Pochettino has had even more pressure piled onto him in recent weeks. During an event, United States President Donald Trump questioned FIFA President Gianni Infantino about whether the United States had a legitimate possibility of hosting the 2026 World Cup. Infantino's response? A definitive yes.
Pochettino laughed off the moment, joking that Infantino had not allowed him to respond to the question. However, the reality is that the single question heaped even more pressure on Pochettino's shoulders.
The USMNT has never won a World Cup and third place in 1930 as its best finish. In the modern era, its best run was in 2002 when it reached as far as the quarterfinals where they lost to Germany. Any serious discussion of winning the 2026 tournament must be done with caution. Optimism is necessary, but reality with respect to international soccer still does not place the U.S. in the midst of the genuine contenders.
The initial tests and the demand for instant outcomes
Up to now, Pochettino has had a good beginning. He has lost only one of six matches as USMNT coach, the loss to Mexico in Guadalajara, and that was against the nation's top squad. A good beginning, but one that still needs to be proven at the high-pressure tournaments.
Now the challenge grows. The Concacaf Nations League is entering its final stage, and the U.S. must show that Pochettino's ambitious words can be translated into concrete actions.
Their first semifinal match is against Panama. Should the USMNT move on, they would play either Mexico or Canada in the final. Though this tournament does not have the gravitas of a World Cup or Copa América, it can serve as a valuable barometer of just how competitive this team is under Pochettino.
To win a trophy early in his tenure would solidify his project and provide confidence for the player group. Failure, on the other hand, would cause serious scrutiny and place the evolution of the team under the microscope.
What to expect from the USMNT before 2026?
The job for the USMNT is huge, and Pochettino knows it. However, building a competitive team at the world level is not achieved overnight.
The talent exists in the United States, as players vie for European first-division leagues and a domestic league that is in its developing phases. What is missing is a style of play, exposure to competing in high-pressure games, and a culture of winning.
The USMNT won't be a title favorite in 2026, but that doesn't mean it can't surprise the world. Pochettino is right to believe that there is the possibility of the country becoming a global power, but that goal will take time, patience, and hard work.
For the time being, however, the hope is that this side is capable of competing at a high level, making a deep World Cup run, and potentially even changing history. Soccer in the United States is growing, but now it's on Pochettino to try and speed that along and ensure his optimism is less hot air and more actual roadmap for the future of American soccer.