Mauricio Pochettino has set an ambitious target for the USMNT, openly admitting that his goal is nothing short of winning the 2026 World Cup on home soil. Underlining that bold declaration, Chicago Fire head coach and former USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter identified squad experience as one of the most critical factors in turning that dream into reality.
Speaking on The High Performance Podcast, Pochettino revealed that he told U.S. President Donald Trump he believes the USMNT can win the World Cup. “When we accepted the challenge to go there, it was because we really believe that we can win it. After a year and a half working there, people start to feel that we can win. The last few camps in October and November… we competed against very good teams and we started to show that possibility to perform well,” he stated.
The comments quickly made the rounds across media outlets and among prominent voices in the sport, generating considerable excitement with the tournament fewer than 100 days away. One of those who weighed in was Berhalter, who did not hesitate to throw his support behind the Argentine when asked about Pochettino’s World Cup ambitions by Bolavip‘s Martín O’Donnell at Thursday’s press conference ahead of the Fire’s Matchday 3 clash against Columbus Crew.
“I love it. I mean, that’s the mentality we need, right? We go into any tournament, and you believe you can win. And I think that’s the most important thing for the mindset of any group entering a tournament,” Berhalter said.
Timmy Tillman #14 of the United States speaks to head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
The Chicago boss echoed Pochettino’s confidence, going as far as to say the USMNT “can beat any team in the world,” while expressing genuine enthusiasm about the direction of the program. “I think it shows intention,” Berhalter added, signaling his belief in the squad’s untapped potential.
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The former national team coach also stressed the value of the experience accumulated during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he guided the side to the Round of 16. “The group has had World Cup experience, the majority of that group. So they understand what a World Cup is like. We’ll have the home fans behind us, and I think it’s a great mindset to go into the World Cup with,” Berhalter concluded.
World Cup-proven stars and fresh legs, the bet of Pochettino
One of the moments that best illustrated the USMNT’s ceiling came during that 2022 World Cup, when Berhalter’s side held England to a 0-0 draw in the Group B clash, competing on equal terms with one of the tournament’s top contenders and the reigning European champions at the time.
That squad carried genuine quality, with the vast majority of players plying their trade in European clubs from the top five leagues. Berhalter’s starting lineup against England featured Matt Turner, Tim Ream, Walker Zimmerman, Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Timothy Weah, Haji Wright and Christian Pulisic.
Since then, the talent pool has grown considerably. New additions with European pedigree such as Mark McKenzie, Malik Tillman and Chris Richards have entered the picture, while Pochettino has also opened the door to MLS-based players including Matt Freese, Diego Luna and Gregg’s son Sebastian Berhalter, among others. The blueprint is clear: pair the World Cup-tested core from 2022 with a wave of hungry newcomers, and send a confident, well-rounded USMNT into battle in front of its home fans.
