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Mauricio Pochettino Makes Statement After USMNT Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 9:00 AM ET

On Saturday, the United States Men's National Team lost its third straight match in all competitions under head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Seeking to bounce back from embarrassing defeats to Panama and Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League, Pochettino's team threw away a 1-0 lead against Turkiye to lose 2-1.

It was the first of two warm-up international friendly matches ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup — the last major tournament before United States co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With a little more than a year remaining until the World Cup kicks off on June 11, 2026, Pochettino directly addressed a major rumor surrounding his future on the touchline.

The Argentinian rose to managerial stardom through his success at English Premier League club Tottenham from 2014-2019. He led Spurs to their highest Premier League points total in 2016-2017 before taking them all the way to the UEFA Champions League final in 2019.

Despite winning the UEFA Europa League, Tottenham finished 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League in the 2024-2025 season. Manager Ange Postecoglu was fired immediately after the season, sparking rumors of a potential return to the club for Pochettino amid USA's international woes.

Mauricio Pochettino becomes first USMNT coach to drop three in a row since Jürgen Klinsmann in 2015 ❌ pic.twitter.com/IwrYvsT9JC
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) June 7, 2025

"Since I left in 2019, my name has always been on the list," Pochettino said after USMNT's loss on Saturday. "I've seen the rumors."

"Today it's not realistic," he stated. "Look where I am, look where we are. The answer is so clear, but we are talking about it because it's my club."

️ Pochettino was asked the possibility of returning to #THFC following the departure of Postecoglou:

“It’s not realistic.”

️ Pochettino said the rumors are only there because, “it’s my club.”

He said so while touching his chest. pic.twitter.com/WGkM3TVS8O
— SpursOTM (@SpurOTM) June 8, 2025

Pochettino's two-year contract with U.S. Soccer, reportedly worth $6 million per year, takes him through the 2026 World Cup.

With his focus solely on the USMNT, he still has plenty to figure out in the meantime. The Yanks will play Switzerland on Tuesday before beginning the Gold Cup on Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago without star forward and captain Christian Pulisic.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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