USMNT’s Humiliating World Cup Exit Wasn’t Pochettino’s Fault—He Deserves to Stay - Sports Illustrated
Following the USMNT's exit from the 2026 World Cup, sports analysts are debating the future of head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Despite the disappointing loss to Belgium, there is strong support for his continued leadership through the 2030 cycle.
Why it matters
The performance of the national soccer team is a major cultural and sporting touchstone in the United States, impacting the growth of the sport domestically.
In the weeks before the 2026 World Cup kicked off, U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino gathered his players and gave an impassioned speech.
“Why not us?” Pochettino said. “If I don’t believe in you, it’s difficult, and if you don’t believe in you, it’s difficult to go and compete. Why not us?”
It was a simple, yet brazenly American question coming from the Argentine manager. The fervent words, resembling those of Herb Brooks before the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” captured the courage to believe in oneself and relentless determination that defines the “American dream.”
Pochettino’s “Why not us?” was a mantra the USMNT players continually came back to en route to the round of 16 and still rely on even now in the wake of their shocking 4–1 defeat to Belgium and subsequent tournament exit.
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