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Mauricio Pochettino's U.S. Men's National Team will open their FIFA World Cup against Paraguay on Friday -Credit:John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images
The long wait for the FIFA World Cup to return to American soil is finally almost over, with Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. Men’s National Team set to host Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Friday at 9pm ET.
With the USMNT ranked 17th as of June 11 and Paraguay up one spot to 40, Pochettino’s side is heavily favored, especially following his team’s 2-1 friendly win over their South American rivals in November, in what proved a chippy affair.
Pochettino’s side heads to the home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers fresh off two solid performances, beating recently dethroned Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal 3-2 in Charlotte, after which they fell 2-1 to four-time World Cup winners Germany in Chicago.
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Pochettino has so far taken charge of 26 USMNT games since taking over in September 2024 -Credit:Alex Livesey - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
These marked Pochettino’s 25th and 26th games in charge of the USMNT, having taken charge back in September 2024, mere months after leaving Chelsea.
Asked to reflect on his team’s progression since then, the Argentine said, “I think from the last September, October, and November 2025, and I think in March and now, I think the evolution was when we were close to the World Cup, I think we started to evolve and do better and better and better.
“I think the last two games allowed us to think and to feel that it is possible to do whatever we want and compete in our best, and to compete with big teams.
“But I think the evolution when the competition is close, I think helping to the player to realize that we needed to improve our standards and to start to be more serious in the way that we take playing for your national team.”
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Pochettino went on to highlight how, when he and his staff arrived, as far as they were concerned, they wanted each game to be treated as if it were a World Cup game from the get-go.
And while he admitted this was tough for the players to adapt to at first, he is confident that they are now exactly where he wanted them to be from a mental perspective. Pochettino said, “I think that is why we can say that we arrived in a very good condition and so proud of the players.
“All the players that were involved in that process in one year and a half until today, I think they are much better players.
“Their mindset started to change, and I think we embraced the culture of that country that is being the number one and competitive, and not to play friendly games or play non-official games or official games, and I think that is a massive step and is going to be a massive legacy for the future.”
The USMNT heads to California with a fully fit squad, following confirmation that Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards will be able to participate, although Pochettino wasn’t yet certain exactly how much he would play against Paraguay.
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