Mauricio Pochettino has admitted discussions over his future as United States head coach will take place after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting now is the time to reflect on the team’s progress rather than rush into decisions following their Round of 16 exit.
The USMNT’s campaign ended with a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Belgium, but the Argentine manager maintained that one poor performance should not overshadow the strides made since he took charge.
Pochettino revealed that both he and the United States Soccer Federation will evaluate the World Cup campaign before deciding what comes next.
“I think now is about to rest a little bit, to think, to have conversation and then see what the decision is from the Federation and from us,” Pochettino said.
“But now is not the moment to talk about that. Now is a moment to assess the tournament, and for sure in the next weeks we can start to talk if the Federation wants to talk.”
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager refused to speculate further, choosing instead to focus on what he believes has been a successful rebuilding process despite falling short against Belgium.
Pochettino argued that few expected the United States to reach the knockout stages when he accepted the role less than two years ago, pointing to the team’s rapid development under his leadership.
“One year ago, before the start of the World Cup, I think no one believed that we were going to arrive today and play Belgium, one of the contenders to win the World Cup,” he said.
“I think in one year we improved a lot. But the problem is you improve little by little. It’s not linear that you’re going to grow so quickly.”
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The 54-year-old described the current squad as one with significant long term potential, highlighting both the young players already in the senior team and another promising generation emerging behind them.
“I see a generation of young kids that are coming behind. I think it’s only about keeping believing in that process.”
Pochettino also suggested the tournament had finally given his coaching staff the opportunity to fully evaluate the player pool under competitive pressure after a year dominated by friendlies and limited preparation time.
“I think today we closed the chapter about assessing players,” he explained.
“Now we have a complete assessment from a lot of players. Before it was very difficult because we didn’t have enough official games.”
Despite the painful defeat, the Argentine said he was proud of the culture established within the national team during his tenure, describing the unity between players and staff as one of the tournament’s lasting positives.
“We feel very proud of all this period that we have been together,” Pochettino said.
“I think we created something that is going to stay in this federation and in this country.”
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Whether Pochettino remains in charge for the next World Cup cycle will now depend on discussions with the federation.
