Mauricio Pochettino talks USA's World Cup objective plus Donald Trump

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 24 Mar 2026 06:06 CDT
• 4 min read

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United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino insists that the objective for the USMNT at the World Cup is to win the entire tournament.

The USA will host the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada and the pressure is on for the team to perform, not necessarily to win the famous gold trophy but to at least reach the latter stages.

The appointment of Pochettino as head coach displays the ambition of the country and with partisan home crowds behind them, they could spring a surprise and go further than people may think.

The last time the USA hosted the World Cup in 1994, they reached the Round of 16 stage, while their best overall finish at a World Cup came in Japan and South Korea in 2002 when they reached the quarter-finals.

When asked by L'Equipe what the country's objective was for the World Cup, Pochettino responded:

"To win! Because the USA is a country where, regardless of the athlete, regardless of

the sport, at the start of a competition, the objective is to win. Soccer is no exception to the rule."

Does the Argentine realistically believe the USA can win?

"In soccer, logic plays a limited role," he explains.

"There are no mathematical equations to predict the outcome. That's also why it's the most beautiful sport in the world, because it's sometimes unfair. It's about being competitive, but also about managing emotions. It's a good mix of logic and illogic, rationality and irrationality. Assuming we have a quality squad with a good mentality and the support of the fans, everything is in place to generate positive energy and attempt what South Korea and Morocco achieved in 2002 and 2022 (both teams reached the semis)."

Pochettino has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world including Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, while his most memorable spell came with Tottenham, whom he guided to the Champions League final, which they lost versus Liverpool.

How does being a national team coach compare to club management?

"It’s a different job," he says.

"We’re a staff that needs to work every day. We’re used to living together and, above all, we need to see the players every day because we have this ability to understand their world in order to help them. Now, our methodology has to change. But it allows us to grow. The difficulty for any staff lies in conveying our vision, adapting it to players with different philosophies, getting each player on board, and then disseminating it throughout the group so that all 26 share the same vision.”

Pochettino not interested in talking politics

In the lead-up to the World Cup, Pochettino will have to answer plenty of questions regarding USA president Donald Trump, who at the moment is authorising a bombing campaign of Iran alongside Israel.

Iran are due to play in the World Cup and it's likely they will either pull out of the tournament or have to have their matches moved to Mexico. Trump said he could not guarantee the safety of the squad if they travelled to the US.

Pochettino dodged speaking about the actions of the government when asked about Trump, however.

"I am prepared to listen to them, but it is not my duty to talk about politics," he responded when asked if he was prepared to ask questions about Trump.

"I can say, as a human being, that I am against all forms of injustice. But there must be neither hypocrisy nor demagoguery. So, how can I, as a public figure, contribute to a better world? Not by being a demagogue or by only speaking out when the media gives me the opportunity.

"But if I can act behind the scenes, if I have access to influential people capable of improving the world, I do it; it's in my nature. However, using a public platform, in this case the one provided by the organisation that pays me, like the US Soccer Federation, to spread my ideas is not the right approach."

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