New USA men's soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his ambition to win the World Cup and has highlighted the influence of the country’s women's team and “best coach in the world,” Emma Hayes.
Pochettino, who was appointed the head coach of the men’s team on Tuesday, aims to lead the USA to World Cup success. The team’s best World Cup performance was reaching the quarter-finals in 2002, but they have yet to secure a title.
With the USA set to co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, Pochettino believes this presents a prime opportunity for his players to strive for victory. He emphasized the importance of aiming high, stating, “We need to believe in big things that we can win, not only a game, but the World Cup. If we don’t the journey will be difficult. We have to think big. That is the only way to put your talent in the service of the team. It is a massive challenge.”
The USA women’s national team, which has won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019, recently appointed Hayes as their manager. Hayes, who took the role following a successful tenure at Chelsea, where she won the Women’s Super League seven times starting in 2015, led the USA to a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris last month.
Pochettino, who was at Chelsea during the 2023-24 season while Hayes was in charge, praised her coaching skills, saying, “In Emma we have the best coach in the world.” He added, “The women’s team has won everything. We need to match them. They need to be our inspiration, not only with results but in the way they create the philosophy to defend the country, the badge and the culture. We want to create something special.”
