USMNT Explained: Christian Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino and why the 2026 World Cup matters

While he might not quite be a household name like LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes, most sports fans have heard of Christian Pulisic, and for good reason. The USMNT winger is perhaps the most famous male American player yet, having earned that right with his exploits with the Americans and in Europe. Now with legendary AC Milan, Pulisic is one of the best players in Serie A, one of the world's top leagues. He has over 40 goals in all competitions with the Rossoneri, and he's just in his third year with the club. 

He's not the only player thriving at the highest level, though. Longtime teammates and friends Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams have been key figures for Juventus and Bournemouth, respectively. Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards have blossomed into standout Premier League defenders, too, while strikers Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi go goal-for-goal for Champions League-level clubs.

The whole player pool isn't European-based, though. Veteran Tim Ream plies his trade for Charlotte FC, and he's been joined in the USMNT by a number of young MLS standouts, headlined by Diego Luna, Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter, Matt Freese, and Max Arfsten, all of whom had breakout years in 2025.

After falling short at the Copa America in the summer of 2024, the USMNT needed a major shake-up. That came in the form of Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine was hired as Gregg Berhalter’s successor that fall, handing the U.S. one of the most recognizable figures in world coaching to guide the program on the road to 2026. Pochettino arrived with an elite European résumé, having transformed Tottenham into a Champions League finalist before taking charge of global powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. At PSG, he managed a star-studded squad featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and several of the game’s biggest names. Few coaches in USMNT history - perhaps only Jurgen Klinsmann - have arrived with comparable pedigree or fanfare.

Pochettino's job is clear: guide the U.S. through this World Cup. It's his first crack at international management, and it's no surprise that he decided now was the right time to wade into these waters. The prospect of coaching a World Cup host is always alluring, and now it's Pochettino's job to ensure that the hosts show up ready to play in the summer.

For much of the team's history, the USMNT was guided by several key principles. It was a team constructed on grit, heart and effort, one that could always punch up by ensuring that their mentality could overcome any gaps in talent.

Critics said that particular mentality was lost over the last few years. Pochettino spent much of 2025 rebuilding it.

Throughout last year, Pochettino made it clear that no one was safe. He also proved that no one was written off. Over 50 players appeared for the USMNT throughout the 2025 calendar year, with Pochettino making a point to foster competitiveness in the player pool. The idea is simple: if guys are battling each other every day for spots, imagine what they'll do to the other team. That manifested itself metaphorically throughout the fall. It also popped up quite literally as the team got into several scraps with the opposition.

The hope is, then, that the mentality pairs itself with the team's clear talent. This is a group featuring individuals who have played at a higher level than any of its predecessors. The only question is whether they can achieve, or surpass, what their predecessors did when the lights are bright at the World Cup.

Throughout much of 2025, the vibes were low. In March, the U.S. lost to both Panama and Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League, failing to win the competition for the first time and prompting real questions about where the program was headed. It felt, in many ways, like rock bottom.

In hindsight, though, it proved to be a turning point. Pochettino used that low moment as a foundation, gradually building the team back up over the rest of the year. There were still bumps along the way - including a loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup final and a September defeat to South Korea - but the overall trajectory was clear. The U.S. closed the year by winning four of their final five matches, beating Japan, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay, the latter in a stunning 5-1 rout of the same side that had knocked them out of Copa América earlier in the summer.

As a result, there's plenty of reason for optimism, particularly after the U.S. defeated two of the three teams they'll face in the group stage next year: Australia and Paraguay.

Even now, nearly a quarter-century later, the USMNT is still chasing the standard set in 2002. That tournament remains the high-water mark of modern American soccer, when the U.S. reached the World Cup quarterfinals, punctuated by the now-iconic Dos a Cero victory over Mexico.

What followed was a winding, uneven road. The 2006 campaign fizzled out early. The teams of 2010 and 2014 delivered unforgettable moments but fell short in the round of 16. Then came 2018, when the unthinkable happened, and the U.S. failed to qualify altogether. The fallout forced a long-overdue reckoning - one that ultimately reset the program and laid the groundwork for its return to the world stage in 2022.

While in Qatar, the U.S. played some good soccer. They gave up a late goal to draw Wales, had a real shot against England and beat Iran in the group stage finale to advance to the knockouts. Once again, though, they fell at a familiar hurdle: the Round of 16. Facing a talented Netherlands team, the U.S. fell short.

The hope is, then, that maybe this time will be different as the U.S. look to use the 2026 tournament's home-field advantage to go further than ever before.

The pathway is there. December's World Cup group stage draw was relatively kind to the USMNT, giving them the right sort of opportunity to really have a go at this thing in the summer.

Up first for the U.S. will be Paraguay, a team that they just beat, 2-1, in November. Emotions will no doubt be high when the U.S. opens the tournament on home soil as they look to get the tournament going on a high against a familiar foe.

The second opponent? Also familiar. The U.S. will then face an Australia team that they defeated in October by the same 2-1 scoreline. That game, too, was tense, and Australia had already begun rallying around the opportunity to humble the U.S. in their home World Cup.

As for the third game, that could be another rematch, too. We'll find out in March if the U.S. are to play Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo, who will face off in a mini-tournament to decide that final spot in the group. Turkey, of course, played the U.S. just last summer, earning a 2-1 win in East Hartford, Conn.

The path is manageable, and the U.S. may well be favored in all three matches. But none will be straightforward, and the Americans will need to raise their level again if they are to meet their ambitions at the World Cup.