NEW YORK -- New United States men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has officially been unveiled as of Friday and he has issued quite a challenge out of the gate. "We need to believe we can win. Not win just a game, but to win the World Cup," Pochettino said during his introductory press conference.
For a nation whose only win over a top 20 FIFA side outside of Concancaf was squeaking by Iran at the 2022 World Cup, instilling belief and providing the USMNT with the tactics to succeed will be important for Pochettino. He spoke about playing a high-intensity press but also making sure that creative players are in the best position possible to succeed by making good runs. Despite the lack of competitive games, and only having two years to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, the Argentine won't be discouraged.
"Everyone thinks that there is no time to prepare. I'm on the opposite side, I believe there is time enough. I don't want to create an excuse for players to think there isn't enough time and have reasons not to perform," Pochettino said.
He seems to be fully bought into the role and also spoke about having a fire to succeed with the USMNT. Having already been successful in previous roles with top clubs around the world, Pochettino believes that he will be able to push this team forward and there's no reason to doubt him. Pochettino will need more from the player pool but that's where him being in Europe for the time being comes into play.
"I need to create links with the team but for now, it requires to be there with the coaching staff working around the world. The plan is to build relationships with the clubs and show players that we support them," Pochettino said.
Once he establishes relationships with key figures in the USMNT, that's where the next steps can begin on pushing them to reach their potential and figuring out what roles are best within the USMNT setup. Looking forward, Pochettino's plan is clear and while it's ambitious, it can be accomplished.
The work begins today for setting things up as sporting director Matt Crocker spoke about a six week crash course to get Pochettino ready for the October international break where he'll face Panama and Mexico. With the match against El Tri taking place in Mexico, it will be. perfect welcome to Concacaf moment for Pochettino.
Pochettino has now discussed that he's picked up on idioms as his family is "over the moon" with his decision to take over the USMNT. It's a challenge that he's passionate about and looking forward to.
Due to being a host nation for the 2026 World Cup, the United States won't have competitive matches outside of Concacaf Nations League later this year. His priority is to arrive in the best condition for the World Cup and the only way to do that is by providing the team with ways to improve.
He started off by making fun of the leaks that made this process seem longer than it was on his end before getting down to how positive the interactions between U.S. Soccer and him were.
"It was a really tough process. Always difficult but the most important thing from day one was that we wanted to show him the federation. They were always open and were always positive during the entire process," Pochettino said. "When you start conversations, you want to finish quickly so that you know what you're going to do tomorrow. I am happy, I hope that you are happy too."
"The idea is to live here in the United States but we'll be in between Europe and the United States," Pochettino said. "I need to create links with the ream but for now, it requires to be there with the coaching staff working around the world. The plan is to build relationships with the clubs and show players that we support them."
"Everyone thinks that there is no time to prepare. I'm on the opposite side, I believe there is time enough. I don't want to create an excuse for players to think there isn't enough time and have reasons not to perform," Pochettino said. "For sure we have time, we need to believe in big things and we need to believe that we can win. Not just win a game, but to win the World Cup."
Pochettino is already clear about his tactical identity out of the gate. He has brought up wanting the team to press but fitness levels will also be important. "We need to run, we need to move and we need have options and create good angles," Pochettino said. The comment on angles is important because there's a difference between pressing and coordinated attacks. Pochettino attacks have been hard to adjust to but there's no reason why this team can't reach their potential under him.
"We want to create the best platform for them to express themselves," Pochettino added.
When it comes to creativity and a place for the USMNT to succeed, the Argentine will be sure to setup a full platform for the players.
Losing to Canada and drawing to New Zealand wasn't the best result but it doesn't mean that Pochettino is discouraged about the new team that he'll be taking over.
"Of course, we were watching the games but it's difficult to judge because I cannot be unfair. The most important thing is to see the potential in the players which we have."
New USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said he's happy to be here in his first remarks in the job, added that the objective is to win. He said he watched the games this month and added that it's hard to judge because the situation was "difficult" after the Copa America and emphasized the group's potential. He told every player in Europe and in MLS that he and his staff are going to "pay attention" and that the "door is open."
President Cindy Parlow Cone also commended Pochettino on remembering to say "soccer" rather than "football."
"I'm confident that we've not only secured the best head coach but also the best person and the best leader to take this program forward."
Andreas Cantor will be the host for Mauricio Pochettino's unveiling as a new era begins for U.S. Soccer.
Hello from New York City, where Mauricio Pochettino is about to take a seat for his first duties as the USMNT head coach. He will be joined by USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone, CEO JT Batson and sporting director Matt Crocker as they kick off an ambitious new chapter for the men's national team.
Mauricio Pochettino offers a fresh set of eyes for the USMNT, something that has been welcomed by a handful of players. That includes captain Christian Pulisic, who hailed the hire shortly after Tuesday's 1-1 draw with New Zealand.
Coaching at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, Pochettino will bring an impressive amount of experience and a flexible style to the USMNT. His base formation may be a 4-2-3-1 but depending on needs, he has used a 4-3-3 or even formations based on a back three. Friday will be a big day as he's able to begin to craft his vision for what the next few years will look like.
Crocker has spoken about how there's an accelerated plan to get Pochettino up to speed on the USMNT and soccer in the United States over the next six weeks and he'll get to quickly put that to the test. In the October international window, Pochettino will face Panama and then travel to Guadalajara to face Mexico in a true welcome to Concacaf gauntlet.
Mauricio Pochettino was perhaps the most high profile manager available to hire and his résumé speaks for itself -- the highlights include a Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain where he coached Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar, a second-place Premier League finish and a run to the Champions League final with Tottenham Hotspur and a promising first season at Chelsea. His experience with talented young players also inspires confidence for a young USMNT -- at Spurs, Pochettino helped Harry Kane and Son Heung-min blossom while at Chelsea, he fostered the growth of Cole Palmer.
Here's a quick glance at his coaching record.
CLUB | WIN PERCENTAGE | BEST LEAGUE FINISH | |
|---|---|---|---|
2009-2013 | Espanyol | 32.92% | 8th |
2013-2014 | Southampton | 38.33% | 8th |
2014-2019 | Tottenham | 54.27% | 2nd |
2021-2022 | PSG | 65.48% | 1st |
2023-2024 | Chelsea | 48.69% | 6th |
Hiring Pochettino, as a result, would be expensive but U.S. Soccer were willing to meet his price. He is reportedly the highest-paid coach in the federation's history, making $6 million thanks to help from federation donors Kenneth C. Griffin and Scott Goodwin, as well as contributions from commercial partners.
A new chapter for the USMNT officially begins today, when Mauricio Pochettino sits down for his first press conference as the team's new head coach. As the team's most high-profile and accomplished coach in quite some time, today's remarks will be seen as a tone-setter for the next two years as the team builds towards an impressive showing at the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Among the questions many hope to have answered today are why Pochettino made the surprising move, and his vision to get the best out of a group with promise and reverse course in time for the World Cup in two years' time.
