'I don't think it's saying what you think!' - Megan Rapinoe ridicules USMNT's new slogan ahead of 2026 World Cup

The USMNT are gearing up for co-hosting duties at World Cup 2026 under the slogan 'Never Chase Reality'. The slogan was unveiled alongside a brief film narrated by American comedian and actor Marcello Hernandez, who shared his thoughts on the sentiment behind the words. He said: "Never chasing reality means ignoring the odds and daring to dream. This campaign isn't just about soccer; it's about the American dream. Never chasing reality means ignoring the odds and daring to dream. I played soccer since I was four years old until college and have been a fan of the Men's and Women's U.S. National Team since I was a kid, so it's an honor to bring my passion and enthusiasm for the game to U.S. soccer."

Yet the new slogan has not done down well with Rapinoe. The USWNT legend lifted the World Cup twice during her legendary career but has been critical of the slogan and revealed why she does not think it's a good look for the men's team ahead of the tournament. Speaking on her podcast 'A Touch More,' she said: "The team's slogan going into the World Cup, this was like their drop, and their slogan is 'Never chase reality.' I was like, guys, I don't think it's saying what you think it's saying. I'm kinda like, why didn't we just stick with, 'Dream big?' To me, it said like you already think you're not good. So, I didn't like that."

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Pochettino's USMNT side will take on Australia, Paraguay and one of Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo in the group phase of next summer's competition. The coach spoke about his team's chances after the draw and urged his team to respect all of their opponents. He told reporters:  "I think in the next six months, we need to update everything. We know them, but they know us. The most important [thing] is the evolution, and keep improving, in all the areas, for us, like a team. To be sure that in our [play] I think we will be stronger than today. That, for me, is the objective, [be] better and show full respect to Paraguay and Australia and the fourth [team] that we are going to find out about in March. Yeah, I'm looking forward. I am optimistic. Before, after I think looking forward, the World Cup, the most exciting moment for us is to arrive in our best condition. Always when you walk in the door, you wait and see what's going on, [see] what happened, be optimistic and really trust your qualities and our players, in our capacity to compete."

Pochettino's side have already lined up several pre-World Cup friendlies as the coach aims to fine-tune his team's preparations for the tournament. The Stars and Stripes are due to play Belgium and Portugal in March at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Those two games look set to present players with one final chance to convince Pochettino of their worth before he finalises his squad. Two more friendlies are scheduled for just before the tournament, with Senegal and Germany lined up as opponents. The USMNT's first game of World Cup 2026 is due to take place at the SoFi Stadium in California against Paraguay on June 12th.