United States Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has urged USA fans to recognize how much of an impact their support can have on the national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The USMNT suffered a crushing 2-1 defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup final on Sunday. That result saw Mexico extend their record as the best team in North and Central America with an impressive 10th triumph to their name.
Sunday’s final was played at the NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans and most of the 70,000 fans present at the game backed Mexico, as the Gold Cup continues to struggle for attention among The United States supporters.
Pochettino insists that must change ahead of the World Cup, which kicks off on June 11, 2026, with the USA, who are one of the hosts, set to play all of their matches on home soil.
“I think we need the people. We need the fans. The fans have one year to realise how important they are in soccer,” Pochettino said.
“It’s not only through Instagram, social media or behind the team, it’s important for them to be here and translate the energy.”
Despite seeing his side take the lead through Chris Richard’s header, goals from Raul Jimenez and Edson Alvarez consigned Pochettino to yet another heartbreaking result at a major final.
Addressing his side’s defeat, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager unsurprisingly had mixed feelings after an “amazing” tournament ended in a “painful” final defeat.
“It’s a massive lesson for us, I think it’s priceless,” he said. I think it was an amazing tournament to realise the way that we want to grow.
“It’s also a very, very painful night. When you lose a trophy or lose a game, it’s really, really painful. But the most important thing is to have our heads up.”
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