2026 World Cup: Mauricio Pochettino urges United States to stay humble

The American coach also sounds a warning

World Cup 2026 01 July 2026 at 09:44

Add Foot Africa on Google

2026 World Cup: Mauricio Pochettino urges United States to stay humble

01.07.26 FT World Cup

USA

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite the strong start by the United States in this 2026 World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino is refusing to let confidence turn into complacency.

Ahead of the round of 16 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the American manager is demanding the same intensity as if it were a final.

"We have to play as if it’s a World Cup final. If we don’t approach it that way, we’re going to struggle. We can’t let our egos take over. Just because people are praising us doesn’t mean we’re much better than before. We need to stay calm and humble," the former Paris Saint-Germain coach told the press.

🚨🇦🇷🇺🇸 USA manager Mauricio Pochettino: "If you don’t know your level and live in a bubble, you can crash for sure. If you believe you are a big horse that can win the race at Ascot but in reality you are a donkey and you want to jump, you crash. For us it’s more about knowing… pic.twitter.com/biG2TzQrF7
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 30, 2026

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.