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Pochettino urged US belief in World Cup dream amid commitment doubts
Mauricio Pochettino’s US men’s national team tenure mixed ambitious talk with doubts about his commitment to the project. He repeatedly urged the United States to believe it could win the 2026 World Cup, but his eventual move to Manchester United and public openness to returning to English football left some fans feeling his actions did not match his message.
The article says Pochettino arrived after the US’s poor 2024 Copa América, with the country preparing to host its first men’s World Cup in three decades. He also criticised aspects of US soccer, including the lack of stakes in Major League Soccer and the youth system, and objected to questions about a group-stage defeat to Turkey. His tenure included a loss to Mexico in the 2025 Gold Cup final, while the article argues he faced less pressure than the national team’s significance might suggest.
In short
- Pochettino urged the US to believe it could win the 2026 World Cup.
- His move to Manchester United raised doubts about his commitment.
- He criticised several features of American soccer during his tenure.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Mauricio Pochettino asked the US to believe in his project. Did he believe in it himself?”.