Amid rumored links to the England national team and clubs like Tottenham and Manchester United, Mauricio Pochettino will instead embark on a journey with the United States with the goal of World Cup success on home soil.
Pochettino faced the media as head coach of the USMNT for the first time at a press conference in New York City on Friday – after accepting his first job in international football management.
Answering a question asked by DailyMail.com, Pochettino revealed why he chose the United States over other options presented to him.
‘First of all, because of the people that are here with me,’ Pochettino said – pointing to sporting director Matt Crocker, federation president Cindy Parlow Cone, and CEO JT Batson, who all played starring roles in bringing the Argentine Stateside.
‘Then, because of the challenge and the potential to do many good things that make us think very seriously… It’s too many, many, many things.
Mauricio Pochettino speaks to the media for the first time as head coach of the United States
L to R: US Soccer CEO JT Batson, sporting director Matt Crocker, coach Mauricio Pochettino, MLS commissioner Don Garber, and president Cindy Parlow Cone at a press conference
‘I think it’s so exciting to be here – I think [US Soccer is] maybe the biggest challenge that we are going to [have].
Pochettino admitted that he had other offers on the table, saying, ‘We had another challenge, but this one is amazing.
‘Then to help [the US] to evolve in soccer. I think to be a part of that, I think it’s creating in us the motivation to accept that challenge.’
Pochettino added, ‘If you said to me I need to pick only one sentence or one word, it’s because we believe. It’s [to] believe we can help… to work together, to try to achieve what the people and us all want: to win and to win good games, if not to go for big trophies.
‘To have the possibility to be there competing for the World Cup or the Copa America or the big trophies that all the fans – and of course the players and us – want to be doing.’
Pochettino also told reporters that he hopes to instill the belief in his team that they can win the biggest prize in football.
‘I see the players are intelligent and so talented, and they We have time,’ Pochettino said. ‘We need to really believe in big things. We need to believe that we can win, that we can win all [our] games, we can win the World Cup.
‘Because if not, it’s going to be so difficult to show it. And we want players that arrive day 1 in the training camp and think big. That is the only way to create this philosophy, this idea, altogether to perform and to really put your talent on the service of the team. That is going to be a massive challenge.’
Pochettino pointed to US Soccer executives Matt Crocker (L) and JT Batson (R) as reasons why he was attracted to joining the United States men’s national team
US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said that success under Poch has ‘already started’
Pochettino joins the US men’s national team at a time where morale amongst the fanbase – and belief in the team – is low following a disastrous Copa America campaign under previous coach Gregg Berhalter.
That was followed up by an uninspired September international window under interim coach Mikey Varas that saw the USMNT fall to rivals Canada on home soil for the first time since 1957 and followed that up with a draw to New Zealand. Both matches featured low attendances and sloppy play from the Americans.
Pochettino believes that the team is better than those performances and is open to contributions from anyone trying to make the team.
‘It’s difficult because I think we cannot be unfair in the way we are going to judge,’ Pochettino explained. ‘The circumstances are so special after the Copa America. The situation wasn’t good for the players to manage in the last two games.
‘But the most important thing is to see the potential that we have. We have very good players. I think [we can] send the message to everyone, not only the players that were involved in the last few games – and not only the players that play in Europe or the players that play here in the USA in MLS… every singly player that is around the world, we are going to try to pay attention [to] and from now, they have the door open.
‘It’s all about performance and trying to show that they are capable to join the national team. I think that is one of our first ideas that we want to translate to our players. They need to understand that if they perform, we are going to be there watching.’
Pochettino arrives in the position with high expectations from the outset. He’s by far the most high-profile men’s national team manager that has ever been hired by the federation with a clear mandate for success when the United States hosts the 2026 World Cup.
Within that two year cycle, Pochettino is expected to perform – with reports indicating that a benchmark has been set of making the quarterfinals at that World Cup.
Mauricio Pochettino (R) shakes hands with US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker (L)
Pochettino says he’ll work with the USMNT to ‘recover’ their confidence after a poor summer
In that process, the hope is that the former Chelsea, Tottenham, and Paris Saint-Germain manager will be able to uplift the entire federation – from the level of play at the senior team to developing players and beyond.
It’s something that US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone says is already happening.
When asked by DailyMail.com what success looks like under Pochettino, Cone replied, ‘I think it’s already started… I can point to so many different things but with ’26 on the horizon, Poch is here now, but he’s also future-oriented. He’s very engaged on player development. He wants to see us [not only] succeed here and now, but succeed forever.
‘Bringing him in with his experience in player development, his experience of coaching at the highest levels in the world, I think we’re going to see a lot of changes, not only to ’26, but far beyond ’26.’
In the press conference, Pochettino also made sure to give credit to his friend and fellow former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes, who he called ‘the best women’s coach in the world.’
He also praised the US women’s team – who became Olympic gold medalists in Paris – admitting ‘We need to match you’.
‘She’s amazing,’ Pochettino explained. ‘Before [when we were] together in Chelsea, we already had a relationship, we shared the training ground. She explained a few things that I need to know, but she’s clever.
He continued: ‘What I think is the conversation that we have is always talking [about] how we can improve, how we can add, to help. That is the most important thing – working for the federation together… To come here is not only to spend time and say “Oh, what a nice place to be.” No. It’s to work, to try, to help.
Pochettino also praised Emma Hayes, saying the men’s team needs to ‘match’ their level
Pochettino will coach his first match in charge of the United States in March in Austin, Texas
After everything that’s happened with this team following a summer of disappointment, Pochettino said he’s focused on resuscitating their confidence to perform on the world’s stage.
‘We are always positive. I think we have very talented players. I think, of course, that confidence is a little bit low after the Copa America. I think we are going to work on recovery,’ Pochettino said.
‘We have very good professionals – not only in tactics or in physical fitness – but in psychology that we are going to work to create the right pattern to follow, to recover the confidence and start to perform together.’
Pochettino’s first test will be against Panama – one of the teams the USMNT lost to at the Copa America – in Austin, Texas before flying down to Mexico to take on the Americans’ biggest international rivals.
The hiring of Pochettino is a statement of intent by US Soccer in a year that has been a home run on the women’s side but a strikeout on the men’s side.
Now, they’ll hope to be able to build themselves towards a bigger goal in 2026 – all with the best coach they’ve ever had at the helm.
