Mauricio Pochettino Becomes Winningest USMNT Manager in FIFA World Cup | OneFootball

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Mauricio Pochettino became the all-time winningest head coach in U.S. Men’s National Team history at the FIFA World Cup with the team’s latest win in the tournament, a gritty 2-0 shutout victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.

The win, the first for the U.S. in the knockout stage since 2002, is the third for Pochettino at FIFA World Cup 2026. His team previously defeated Paraguay and Australia in the group stage to lead to a first-place finish in Group D, the third time in program history the USMNT has won its group.

Charged with leading the USMNT during this significant run on home soil, the manager has earned the respect and admiration of Americans all over the country. Soccer fans at Seattle Stadium boomed his name following the 2-0 victory over Australia, the USA's second of back-to-back wins to open group play. With his coining of inspirational mantras such as “Why Not Us?” and “We want to touch the moon,” Pochettino’s optimism and passion has sparked even more belief for this U.S. Men’s National Team.

And Pochettino has returned the favor, complimenting American fans after every game and acknowledging their support and energy. After the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1, and after congratulating his players, the manager walked around the pitch at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium to praise the fans. In one moment of unbridled joy, he leapt over a barricade to meet supporters, reaching up to high-five them and wearing a radiant smile.

“Thank you to the fans, they were amazing one more time. We are so proud,” Pochettino said in his introductory statement at his post-match press conference.

Although the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach declared himself “200 percent Argentine” – he grew up in Murphy, Argentina as the son of a farmer and earned 20 caps for the Argentina National Team – Pochettino has embraced the culture of the National Team he’s been entrusted to lead. The 54-year-old has raved about cultural touchpoints such as country music and Chick-fil-A. After the most recent match, he sang along to “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” the John Denver track that has become the USMNT’s anthem during this summer’s campaign.

“When that song starts to [play] in the stadium, it's impossible not to sing,” Pochettino said. “It's impossible because it's an amazing song. It's very emotional after winning a game and for one-year-and-a-half preparing to be here. That is why we sang for the country, or for the Federation, because we wanted to feel that emotion… I love to be involved and be part of the party.”

The U.S. Men’s National Team was the first international appointment of Pochettino’s managerial career. He arrived at the U.S. after a seasoned and successful tenure at the club level, leading several top European clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. During that time, he coached some of the best in the world, and some of the Golden Boot leaders in this year’s tournament including Harry Kane of England, Lionel Messi of Argentina and Kylian Mbappe of France.

Less than two years with the National Team, Pochettino is coaching in his first-ever World Cup. And in his World Cup debut, he’s managing a team that won its group, won the most matches it ever has in a single edition of a FIFA World Cup, and has not wavered in belief as the tournament progresses and the stakes become higher.

“There was full belief before the whistle blew,” captain Tim Ream said Wednesday “Everybody can be proud of what we've done today – staff, players, guys who came on, guys who didn't get the minutes that maybe they're wanting. It was a full team effort, as all the games have been, and it's something that we're going to look to continue.”

The win over Bosnia and Herzegovina ushered in history for Pochettino but also the USMNT program. The win was the team’s second overall in a knockout stage match of the FIFA World Cup and first since 2002, a win over Mexico that paved the way for a Quarterfinals appearance, the best finish for the USMNT at a World Cup in the modern era.

This USMNT is making history by getting contributions from a variety of players. The team has scored 10 goals in four games of the tournament, seven more than the team scored four years ago in Qatar in the same span. Six of those 10 goals have come from a different goal scorer and two have been forced own goals. The USMNT has also scored in its last six games at a FIFA World Cup, the longest run since eight between 2006 and 2014.

Pochettino’s squad is not only scoring goals – it is also performing well defensively. Behind goalkeeper Matt Freese, who made three saves during the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and defensive leaders Ream and Chris Richards, the U.S. has earned two clean sheets in the tournament. Only Spain and Mexico have shut out more opponents in this year’s World Cup.

“Anytime you're in a knockout round phase of a big tournament like the World Cup, it's high energy, high emotions,” Freese said. “It was very important for us to control that, ride the waves and stay steady throughout. The guys in front of me did exactly that – kept our energy when we needed it and took our moments when we needed it.”

Pochettino and the USMNT will face its toughest opponent of the tournament when it meets ninth-ranked Belgium in the Round of 16 on Monday, July 6 in Seattle. And the U.S. will do so without the team’s leading scorer in the tournament, Folarin Balogun, who was shown a red card in Wednesday's Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Belgium owns the all-time series with a 6W-1L-0D record and won the most recent meeting between the two countries in March in Atlanta. In the non-official match, the U.S. opened the scoring with a goal from midfielder Weston McKennie, and the two teams went into the halftime break tied, but the Europeans pulled away in the second 45.

With a chance to continue his legacy and continue the USMNT’s inspiring journey at FIFA World Cup 2026, Pochettino will relish the managerial challenge that awaits in the next round.

“I think football is possible if you believe,” Pochettino said. “We are going to respect Belgium. With our fans in Seattle, I think we can be very competitive, and of course try to win the game and go on to the next round. For that to happen, we need to perform well.”