How USMNT players Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah reacted to Mauricio Pochettino’s impending arrival

Several players on the U.S. men’s national team have praised U.S. Soccer’s move to hire Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach, particularly ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil that many hope will feature a statement-making performance from the co-hosts.

Pochettino reportedly agreed to take the job in mid-August, though the deal has yet to be finalized. He is expected to be present when the USMNT return to action in September with friendlies against Canada in Kansas City and New Zealand in Cincinnati, but whether or not he will formally coach the team during that window is yet to be determined.

News of Pochettino’s impending hire comes weeks after the USMNT crashed out of the Copa America group stages, demonstrating that the team has work to do before putting together a strong showing at the World Cup in two years’ time. The earlier-than-expected Copa America exit led U.S. Soccer to fire then-head coach Gregg Berhalter in July, a move many hoped would lead to U.S. Soccer selecting a high-profile successor with the World Cup in mind.

By landing on Pochettino, U.S. Soccer looks set to do just that. The Argentina native is one of the most respected coaches currently working in the sport and has experience at the top level. Pochettino has mostly coached in the Premier League through stints with Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea but also worked at Paris Saint-Germain when Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar were on the squad. His hire is a natural signal that the USMNT intends to level up, something that the players seem to be aligned on as the wait to work with a new coach continues.

Here’s what the USMNT players have had to say since news broke that Pochettino agreed to fill the vacancy.

Antonee Robinson

USMNT defender Antonee Robinson was amongst the first players to comment on the potential hire, calling the move a “fresh start” ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“He’s a very good manager so I’ll be interested to see how he comes in, how he gets used to the boys, how we get used to him,” he told NBC after Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Aug. 16. “It’s a fresh start now. Obviously, eyes are going to be on the World Cup and he’s got two years to get the best out of us that we can and we’ve got to give everything for him so that he can be successful with us.”

Yunus Musah

The midfielder came out with his support for the hire a few days later, reflecting that Pochettino’s experience at the top levels of the game could help a group of U.S. players who have similar ambitions.

“Honestly, when I saw the news, it was nice to see that a manager like Pochettino, [who’s] coached a lot of top teams, agreed to coach for us,” Musah told CBS Sports Golazo Network‘s Morning Footy this month. “I don’t think it’s official yet or whatever but if he becomes our manager, I feel like he’ll be able to help a lot. He’s a manager that’s worked with top players so he definitely has a lot of things he trusts.”

Musah also pivoted some of the responsibility to the players to perform, especially after the Copa America disappointment.

“We need to also take accountability,” he added. “At the end of the day, we have a manager that comes in, we have to also push on, you know?”

Christian Pulisic

The USMNT captain is the most high-profile player to back Pochettino’s hire, echoing Robinson’s statement that the team was in need of a change as they focus on the 2026 World Cup.

“I think it’s good news,” Pulisic told CBS ahead of AC Milan’s 2-1 loss at Parma on Aug. 24. “I think it’s time for a change. It’s time for us to take another step and really improve as a team and leading up to this World Cup, we need to find some good results and build some momentum leading up to that moment.”