Mauricio Pochettino Highlights Key Flaw in USMNT’s World Cup Preparations

Mauricio Pochettino said not having any qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup turned out to be a major “problem” for the U.S. men’s national team.

The Stars and Stripes automatically qualified for this summer’s showpiece event as a host nation, along with Canada and Mexico, and therefore largely only had a run of international friendlies in the buildup to the tournament, whereas the 45 other participating countries had to play competitive matches to secure their place at the World Cup.

Pochettino cited the “non-official games” as reason for the USMNT’s inconsistent form. Most recently, his men lost friendlies to Belgium and Portugal by an aggregate score of 7–2 during the March international break.

“We knew it would be a problem, how to approach the games, because we have already qualified,” Pochettino said on the Stick to Football podcast. “Friendly games is what you play with your friends.

“We are fighting to change that mindset. [We] need to create that habit that we are fighting.”

The Stars and Stripes have constantly come under fire for their lack of pride, effort and commitment on the pitch. Too often the men in red, white and blue seem disinterested in representing the team or showing any tenacity in matches, something that must change this summer if they want to make a deep run on home soil.

USMNT’s Inconsistency Raises Alarm Bells Ahead of World Cup

Christian Pulisic has underwhelmed for the USMNT as of late. | Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Perhaps Pochettino is correct in saying that the team would show up with more fight and spirit if they were playing competitive qualifiers as opposed to international friendlies. Yet the evidence hardly supports his theory.

Since Pochettino took over the USMNT in September 2024, the team has played in two tournaments—the Concacaf Nations League and the Concacaf Gold Cup—between a slew of friendlies, and the results were no different.

The Stars and Stripes put in poor efforts against Panama and Canada in the 2024 Concacaf Nations League to finish fourth in a tournament they previously only ever won. Then when it came time for the 2025 Gold Cup, most of the USMNT’s best players, including Christian Pulisic, opted against competing in the tournament, leaving Pochettino with a squad largely of MLS players that lost in the final to Mexico.

The team seemingly turned things around to close out last year, going on a five-game unbeaten run that included impressive wins over Japan, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay, but then returned in 2026 with two defeats to Belgium and Portugal.

Competitive matches or not, the USMNT has a habit of failing to show up when it matters most, which does not bode well for its World Cup chances.

Pochettino Draws World Cup Inspiration From Past Underdogs

Mauricio Pochettino has full belief in his squad. | Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

Even at its best, the USMNT is not built to hang around with the best national teams in the world, like reigning world champions Argentina and defending European champions Spain. Yet Pochettino is still backing his men to make a statement this summer.

When asked if the USMNT could win the World Cup, he replied, “Why not? It is all about belief. Look at Morocco in Qatar—I think anything is possible in football.”

Morocco reached the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a finish no one expected from the African nation. With the backing of a home crowd, Pochettino believes his side could could possibly achieve a similar result.

To do so, the Stars and Stripes will need Pulisic to rediscover his form. The forward is in the middle of a career-worst slump, having not found the back of the net for club or country in 2026. The USMNT often goes the way Pulisic goes, putting the pressure on the AC Milan star to extinguish his demons in front of goal before he must lead the line at the World Cup.

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