Pochettino’s USMNT Faces Growing Doubts Ahead of 2026

The United States men’s national team is in trouble. According to Sports Illustrated, Mauricio Pochettino’s side has struggled to produce results with the 2026 World Cup on home soil fast approaching. Their latest setback, a 2-0 loss to South Korea at Sports Illustrated Stadium with Heung-Min Son leading the charge, highlighted the team’s ongoing struggles.

Despite having players like Christian Pulisic, Sergiño Dest and Tyler Adams, the USMNT has endured a rough 2025. In 11 games, the team has managed four wins, one draw and six defeats. The draw came in the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Costa Rica, which the Americans survived only through penalties. Losses included the Nations League semifinal against Panama, the third-place match versus Canada, friendlies with Turkey and Switzerland, the Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico and the recent loss to South Korea.

The victories tell another story. They came against Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, Haiti and Guatemala — all in the Gold Cup and all opponents outside FIFA’s top tier. Against stronger competition, the record has been bleak. Since Pochettino’s debut win over Panama, the Americans have fallen to Mexico twice, Panama, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland and South Korea.

The numbers point to a clear problem. The USMNT has not been able to compete with higher-ranked opponents, raising concerns about its readiness for a tournament where expectations will be sky-high.

Pochettino took over in October 2024 with hopes of elevating American soccer. He opened with encouraging wins over Jamaica in Nations League play, but since then results in decisive matches have slipped away. The mounting pressure is undeniable, and the window to adjust is closing fast.

With less than a year to go, the United States heads toward the 2026 World Cup surrounded by uncertainty. Pochettino’s project is under scrutiny, and the challenge is no longer long-term development but delivering immediate results against top-level competition.