U.S. men’s national soccer team coach Mauricio Pochettino shared an intriguing conversation he had with Donald Trump regarding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
During an appearance on the “Stick To Football” podcast, Pochettino, an Argentine coach, recounted a memorable interaction with Trump. This took place in December in Washington, D.C., just before the World Cup draw, a period when Trump received FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize amid controversy.
Trump asked Pochettino, “Do you think, coach, that we can win?”
Pochettino confidently responded, “Of course.”
To hear more about this exchange, watch from the 34-minute mark on YouTube.
Podcast host Gary Neville, a former Manchester United and England national team defender, asked Pochettino if he genuinely believed the U.S. could win the tournament. Pochettino replied, “Why not? Why not?”
He further explained, “Because it’s all about belief. Look at Morocco in Qatar. No one believed, yet they reached the semi-final, or South Korea in Japan, and I think the semi-final too.”
Currently, the U.S. men’s team ranks 16th in the world and has consistently reached the round of 16 in the 2010, 2014, and 2022 World Cups.
