NEW YORK — In the 20 months before the 2026 World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino will gather the U.S. men’s national soccer team at training camps to shape the roster, create bonds, implement tactical changes and restore confidence in a program that lost its way this summer.

New US men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday that his aim is nothing short of competing with – and beating – the best teams in the world.

Mauricio Pochettino gave his first press conference as the head coach of the US Men's National Team. The former Spurs manager brings belief and credibility to US Soccer.

Known for nurturing young players and deploying proactive tactics, Pochettino will take over a U.S. team that has less than two years to prepare for the World Cup.

Former head coach Berhalter was rehired by the U.S. last summer after leading them to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A high-profile dispute with midfielder Gio Reyna in Qatar and subsequent revelations about his private life sparked an official investigation before he was cleared to return.

The 52-year-old former Tottenham and Chelsea manager set a high bar during his 48-minute introductory news conference Friday, three days after he agreed to coach the Americans through the 2026 World Cup.

"I'm impressed that you remembered to say 'soccer,'" U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone quipped right after Pochettino's opening remarks. Pochettino slipped back into his default term, "football,

It is perhaps easy to hear Mauricio Pochettino say his new players must “believe” they can win the World Cup and roll your eyes. It’s the sort of flashy soundbite in first press conferences that ambitious managers often produce.