Pochettino cites USMNT bond and growth potential in decision to stay

Mauricio Pochettino has explained that his decision to continue with the United States men’s national team was shaped by the connection built with supporters and his belief that the programme has further room to grow. The Argentine had been offered a new deal before the World Cup but chose to postpone talks until the tournament was over; after spending time on holiday in Europe, he said he found himself missing life in the United States and the work underway with U.S. Soccer.

Key takeaways

• Pochettino delayed contract discussions until after the World Cup despite receiving an extension offer beforehand.
• He sees a promising group of American teenagers, including Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti, pushing towards the senior set-up.
• The U.S. coach wants his role to help develop players, coaches and teams throughout the federation, not solely the national side.
• He believes American soccer must become more competition-focused if it is to narrow the gap on the country’s major sports.
• Pochettino identified the absence of promotion and relegation in MLS as one factor that can soften the consequences of losing.

Building towards 2030

Pochettino said a strong World Cup performance had been essential before any decision on his future could be made. Once the competition ended, however, he felt the pull of the project he had started in the United States, pointing to the bond formed with fans as a major part of his thinking.

His longer-term assessment also includes a younger generation that could develop into serious options before the 2030 World Cup. Sullivan, Hall and Mehmeti were among the names highlighted as players entering the national-team frame.

The coach believes the emerging pool can raise standards among established players. He said there are prospects aged between 16 and 19 who have the potential to challenge those already ahead of them, while stressing that their development must be assessed carefully and supported with the right tools.

Pochettino praised the courage, energy and technical ability he sees in young American players. In his view, talent and character are both required to perform at a high level, and the task for the system is to identify what each player needs in order to keep progressing.

When his new contract was announced on August 3, Pochettino said he hoped to apply his experience across more areas of U.S. Soccer. His stated aim is to reinforce development routes for players, coaches and teams across the federation.

Competition, MLS and the American game

The former Argentina international has made growing the sport in the United States part of his broader mission. He wants the federation, clubs and MLS to work together to make soccer more competitive and to reduce its distance from American football, baseball and basketball.

Pochettino argued that a shift in mentality is needed from childhood onwards. He was careful not to dismiss other American sports, but said the education of young soccer players does not always prepare them for elite-level competition. For him, soccer is defined by competitive stakes rather than entertainment, with losing carrying significant consequences.

He singled out MLS’s closed structure as an issue in that debate. Pochettino said a team at the bottom of the table can already turn its attention to the following campaign because relegation is not a threat, a situation he believes can make defeat feel less damaging and create unhealthy habits.

He did not present an immediate solution, instead calling for cooperation between clubs, the federation and league organisers to alter aspects of how competitions operate and give players better preparation for demanding matches.

Pochettino also reflected on football’s wider generational change. Having played professionally from 1989 until 2006 and represented Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, he said he strongly preferred the game of his own era. He believes modern football, influenced by technology, risks losing some of its instinctive qualities.

That view helps explain his enthusiasm for the United States’ friendlies this week being played without VAR. Pochettino said the absence of video review can put players into situations they no longer regularly encounter, where they must manage physical contact and decisions without assuming every moment will be reviewed.