Mauricio Pochettino outlines plan for Christian Pulisic and USMNT stars to reach 2026 World Cup ‘dream’ in top form
Mauricio Pochettino has raised expectations around the US men’s national team after the November international break, despite the absence of several key players. While setting the bar high, the Argentine head coach outlined his plan for Christian Pulisic and the rest of the USMNT stars to reach the 2026 World Cup “dream” in the best possible shape.
During November, the USMNT stunned many inside and outside the program with a 2-1 win over Paraguay followed by a dominant 5-1 victory against Uruguay, two major sides in South American qualifying. The results came at a crucial time, as multiple stars were left off the roster, sparking questions about how clubs and national teams should balance player availability.
In a conversation with Andrés Cantor on the Fútbol de Primera YouTube channel, Pochettino was asked about the federation’s involvement in the latest call-up, and he was blunt: “Those were our decisions. We have never had any interference from the United States federation in our decisions — never. As we already said before the previous match, not calling up Pulisic, who was coming back from an injury, was our choice. It was too risky to bring him in now. We allowed him to skip the Gold Cup because he needed rest, and we gave him that rest.“
The manager then referenced Chris Richards’ situation, another player who missed the November fixtures. “Chris Richards played with us in the Gold Cup. The problem is that Crystal Palace didn’t give him any vacation time because they needed him to play. What did we do when we were at Tottenham, Chelsea, or Paris? If the players had international commitments, many times we went against our own interests to give the player the benefit of recovering, resting, and being able to be in top condition again,” he stated.
Pochettino wrapped up by outlining his stance on these club-versus-country dilemmas: “I think there needs to be balance, and the balance is this: he played last month, and this month we let him rest because he came off a run of many international matches and UEFA Conference League games, also with his club. And we felt we could let him rest so he can return in the best condition in March and for the World Cup.”
Mauricio Pochettino has sat on both sides of the table, first as a club coach and now as the USMNT boss, navigating both perspectives. Still, the Argentine remains firm in his belief that providing rest when clubs need their players is essential to avoid setbacks and ensure the team has its full roster available for the World Cup.
Pochettino sets the bar high for the World Cup
Pochettino has already tested 71 different players during his tenure as USMNT head coach, and with his approach of resting stars when necessary, only two friendly windows remain before the World Cup begins. Still, the Argentine envisions the national team entering the tournament with massive expectations.
When he was first introduced as head coach, Pochettino told Cantor that the USMNT’s World Cup goal should be the quarterfinals, but that target has shifted. “I always said for me is winning it. If you don’t win, what does it matter? Nobody remembers who finished second. And I believe we should aspire to win it.”
His optimism, bolstered by home-field support and recent performances, also stems from what happened in the last edition. “If you look at Morocco in Qatar, I think they got to where they did because they always had the mentality of saying I’m going to win. They eliminated Spain and many national teams, no? I think that’s fundamental especially playing in this country, it’s important to think big,” he concluded.