Not a cure-all: Why Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT return is a costly gamble U.S. Soccer may regret

Perhaps this would all look a bit different had the USMNT produced a better ending at the World Cup.

To be clear, the Americans earned a program-record six points in the group stage and won three games overall, more than at any previous World Cup. But after the final whistle blew on an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16, bigger questions came into focus.

The reality is that the progress of the national team cannot be separated from the cracks in American soccer’s foundations. The country’s costly youth system continues to deny opportunities to too many prospective players, regardless of their talent.

This generation includes several players performing at major European clubs, some of whom impressed at the World Cup. Behind them, though, there are legitimate questions about whether the pipeline is producing enough elite talent.

Larger structural changes are required at almost every level. The energy surrounding the 2026 World Cup was unique. The challenge now is turning that moment into something sustainable.

That is one reason U.S. Soccer brought in Arsene Wenger as an adviser while seeking to expand its youth-development programs.

“I feel there is a sincere desire to tackle the real problems,” the French icon said. “I would not be here if I didn’t feel that. We cannot guarantee success, but they really want to do something about the situation, and that’s why I am on board. That’s why I believe you have a chance.”

The federation has also launched initiatives designed to expand access to the sport and unveiled a state-of-the-art National Training Center outside Atlanta.

The question is whether those investments - and the opportunity created by the World Cup - will produce lasting change.

The question becomes: Is Pochettino really suited to take on all of those tasks?

U.S. Soccer says his new remit will extend beyond the senior national team, with Pochettino and his staff advising on youth development, coaching education and the wider national-team pathway.

His initial assignment was much narrower. He was the high-profile outsider hired to prepare the USMNT for a home World Cup in less than two years.

Pochettino is Argentine, and his managerial resume before 2024 was built entirely in club soccer. He has always been a boots-on-the-ground coach who loves the bustle of the day-to-day.

Sure, he insisted during his introductory press conference that the USMNT had to “believe” it could win the World Cup. Of course, he started listening to country music and swore by Chick-fil-A - although his insistence that it is “amazing” should raise questions about the quality of Pochettino’s weekly asado.

But embracing parts of American culture and adjusting to the stop-start rhythm of international management are two different things. Pochettino went from working with players every day to managing almost entirely within brief international windows. That could not have been an easy adjustment.

More simply, this job requires total commitment to the cause. It is not necessarily about “knowing” the program or being American, and successful international managers have crossed borders plenty of times.

Still, no foreign manager has ever won the men’s World Cup. At the very least, that history reinforces the importance of becoming entirely embedded in the player pool, the program and the soccer culture of the country being coached.

Pochettino now has to prove he can do that.

So: What is keeping Pochettino here?

The money is certainly good. Tax filings showed that he received just over $5 million - including a $2.5 million bonus - during his first seven months in the job. Pochettino has also made a point of praising the American people, especially during the World Cup.

But he remains based in Europe, and interest from major clubs has never entirely disappeared. He was linked with Brentford less than a year into his USMNT tenure and held talks with Milan before the job went to Ruben Amorim. He has also spoken openly about his affection for Tottenham, the club where he enjoyed his greatest success.

So, let’s create a hypothetical - but entirely plausible - scenario.

At some point over the next 12 months, Michael Carrick struggles at Manchester United or the Tottenham job becomes available. Peer over the market of available managers and put yourself in the shoes of either club’s ownership group. Who do you call?

A smart point of contact might be a former top-level club manager who has made no secret of his desire to return to the Premier League someday. Could Pochettino really turn that down?

In the buildup to the World Cup, he insisted that he planned to honor his contract. But after signing his new deal, he still left the door slightly ajar.

“Four years’ time is a really long period,” Pochettino said. “You never know what can happen in soccer. Today people really love you. In eight weeks’ time, maybe that feeling changes.”

Those are not necessarily the words of a man preparing to leave. But they hardly shut down the possibility, either.

More broadly, the history of second-cycle managers, at least for the USMNT, is bleak.

Bruce Arena oversaw an impressive run to the quarterfinals in 2002 before watching his team crash out in the group stage four years later. Bob Bradley coached the U.S. to the top of its group in 2010 but was binned a year later following a 4-2 Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico.

Jurgen Klinsmann was dismissed during his second cycle after the USMNT opened the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifying with consecutive defeats. Arena returned but could not rescue the campaign, which ended with that infamous 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago.

Gregg Berhalter was surprisingly rehired after the 2022 World Cup, only to be fired following the USMNT’s miserable group-stage exit at the 2024 Copa America.

There is a common theme here. None of those managers recaptured the success of his first World Cup cycle. Each established favorites, built a squad, installed a system and raised expectations. When it came time to go again, each fell short.

Pochettino is not in precisely the same situation. In fact, he benefited significantly from the groundwork laid during Berhalter’s tenure.

Half of Pochettino’s 26-player World Cup squad also went to Qatar, including eight players who started all four games in 2022. Balogun had joined the program before Pochettino arrived, while Tillman had also been on the roster four years earlier. Freeman was the clearest Pochettino-era breakthrough.

Pochettino brought fresh ideas and unquestionably got more from several players. But the overall product was evolutionary, not revolutionary.

It should also not go unnoticed that leading star Christian Pulisic finished the tournament with one assist and no goals. He was also largely anonymous against Belgium before suffering a bone bruise and microfractures in his right tibia and fibula during a 52nd-minute collision with Youri Tielemans, forcing him off shortly afterward.

The encore is here. U.S. Soccer is getting the band back onstage.

This summer was a pretty good one, in truth. The loss to Belgium was embarrassing, but the vibes felt good for much of the tournament. Pochettino looked a bit emotional as “Country Roads” rang out in Seattle. Freeman emerged as a pretty good player at the center back and right back positions. Balogun has been linked with Champions League clubs across Europe.

These are all good things, and Pochettino deserves credit. He was a main character in an important summer.

But perhaps it should have ended there. Pochettino was given less than two years and delivered a respectable World Cup. This is now a completely different remit.

U.S. Soccer is betting that he can resist the allure of club management, embrace a broader developmental role and build another competitive team over four long years.

If any part of that equation falls apart, the federation will have invested significant time, energy and money into a second act that never needed to happen.