Mauricio Pochettino outlines plan for Christian Pulisic and USMNT stars to achieve 2026 World Cup ‘dream’ in top form

Mauricio Pochettino has raised expectations around the U.S. Men’s National Team following the November international break, despite the absence of several key players. Setting the bar high, the Argentine head coach outlined his plan for Christian Pulisic and the rest of the USMNT stars to reach the 2026 World Cup”dream‘in the best possible shape.

In November the USMNT stunned many inside and outside the program with a 2-1 win over Paraguay, followed by a dominant 5-1 win against Uruguay, two key sides in South American qualifying. The results came at a crucial time: because several stars were left out of the selectionwhich raises questions about how clubs and national teams should balance player availability.

Speaking to Andrés Cantor on the Fútbol de Primera YouTube channel, Pochettino was asked about the federation’s involvement in the final call, and he was blunt: “Those were our decisions. We have never had any interference from the American Federation in our decisions – never. As we said before the previous match, it was our choice not to call up Pulisic, who returned from injury. It was too risky to bring him in now. We let him skip the Gold Cup because he needed restand we gave him that peace.“

The manager then referred to the situation of Chris Richards, another player who missed the November games. “Chris Richards played with us in the Gold Cup. The problem is that Crystal Palace didn’t give him any vacation time because they needed him to play. What did we do when we were at Tottenham, Chelsea or Paris? When the players had international commitments, we often went against our own interests to give the player the benefit of being able to recover, rest and be back in top condition.”, he stated.

Pochettino concluded by setting out his position on these club-versus-country dilemmas: “I think there has to be balance, and the balance is this: he played last month, and this month we rested him because he has completed many international matches and UEFA Conference League matches, including with his club. And we felt we could let him rest like that he can return in March in the best condition and for the World Cup.”

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Mauricio Pochettino has been on both sides of the table, first as club coach and now as USMNT boss, navigating both perspectives. Yet the Argentinian remains firm in his convictions Providing respite when clubs need their players is essential to avoid setbacks and ensuring the team has its full squad available for the World Cup.

Pochettino sets the bar high for the World Cup

Pochettino has already tested 71 different players during his tenure as USMNT head coach, and with his approach to resting stars when necessary, there are only two friendly windows left before the World Cup begins. Still, the Argentinian sees the national team entering the tournament with enormous expectations.

When he was first introduced as head coach, Pochettino told Cantor that the USMNT’s World Cup target should be the quarter-finals, but that target has shifted. “I’ve always said: for me it’s winning. If you don’t win, who cares? No one remembers who finished second. And I believe we should strive to win it.”

His optimism, boosted by the support from home ground and recent performances, also stems from what happened in the last edition. “If If you look at Morocco in Qatar, I think they got there because they always had the mentality of saying I’m going to win. They knocked out Spain and a lot of national teams, didn’t they? I think that’s fundamental, especially when you play in this country. It’s important to think big.he concluded.