One year after taking charge of USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t backed away from the ambition he set from day one.

With the 2026 World Cup coming to American soil - co-hosted with Mexico and Canada - the Argentine manager remains focused on one goal: winning it.

When Pochettino first arrived, he said he dreamed of leading the USMNT to a deep run and even lifting the trophy. Twelve months later, nothing has changed. In a conversation with Andrés Cantor on Fútbol de Primera, Pochettino doubled down, calling the home World Cup a once-in-a-generation chance to make history.

“The goal would be to win the World Cup,” Pochettino said. “For me, it’s about winning. If you don’t win, what does it matter? Nobody remembers second place. You have to aim high.”

“If you reach a semifinal or quarterfinal and have a great tournament but just fall short, of course there’s merit in that. But look at Morocco in Qatar - they went as far as they did because they always believed they could win. They eliminated Spain and many others. Playing in our country, it’s important to think big.”

Morocco were one of the big surprises packages of the 2022 tournament, becoming the first African team to make it to the semifinal of a World Cup.

Is Pochettino criticism fair?

Pochettino also used the interview to respond to the criticism he’s faced during his first year in charge. Some coaches and pundits have questioned whether he understands American soccer culture but Pochettino pushed back.

“There are coaches here in the United States who have criticized me completely out of the blue,” he said. “I would never criticize another coach because I know how difficult this job is. I can understand criticism, but to say I don’t understand American culture because we lost two games - that’s taking advantage of the situation and not understanding what this sport is about.”

Despite the noise, Pochettino’s message remains consistent: the U.S. should enter its home World Cup thinking bigger than ever before.

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