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USMNT’s Mauricio Pochettino Gets College Football Gameday Experience Ahead of September Friendlies

Pochettino made a pit stop at the highly-anticipated Texas vs. Ohio State college football opener.

Ben Steiner

The 53-year-old head coach of the USMNT was on hand for Ohio State’s win over Texas.
The 53-year-old head coach of the USMNT was on hand for Ohio State’s win over Texas. / Jason Mowry/Getty Images

U.S. men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has managed in some of the loudest atmospheres in the world. Still, he had never experienced the chaos that is an American college football gameday. 

That is, until Saturday, when the 53-year-old attended the highly anticipated matchup between the No. 1 University of Texas Longhorns and No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes appearing on Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff show. 

Before kickoff, Pochettino met with Austin FC co-owner Matthew McConaughey and was shown on the big screen at Ohio Stadium, before appearing on the network that will also show the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Alongside Pochettino were Rob Stone, who has hosted soccer coverage on Fox for several years, and former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas. 

Pochettino confirmed on air that it was his first football game, and went on to lead the Buckeye faithful in an “OH-IO” chant outside the stadium, before Lalas followed up by starting a U-S-A chant. 

“The most important is to arrive in a very good condition and be competitive and to let these (fans) be very proud of the team and be excited,” Pochettino said on-air. “I think it’s going to be an unbelievable event and I think it’s going to be (vital) for USA and soccer and the future of soccer. And only what we want is our fans to enjoy, like they will today.”

While the appearance may not be expected for many soccer head coaches, Pochettino finds himself in a unique time with the USMNT, as the team and sport attempt to develop further focus ahead of next summer’s tournament. 

Meanwhile, getting in front of cameras on some of the most-watched sporting events of the weekend brings the USMNT to the forefront of people’s minds, despite the lackluster play on the pitch through the Copa América, Concacaf Nations League and Concacaf Gold Cup. 

It won’t take his focus off the USMNT, though, as he gets set to welcome a controversial roster for friendly matches against South Korea in Harrison, N.J., and Japan in Columbus, Ohio, even without highly-regarded players Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and others. 

After the September friendlies, the USMNT will have only four international windows before opening the 2026 World Cup in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026.

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Ben Steiner
BEN STEINER

Ben Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer.

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