Pochettino 'happy' with USA progress ahead of 2026 World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino said he is "happy" with how the United States are progressing ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The USA recently lost the Gold Cup final to Mexico, but were missing the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson.

Although Pochettino's side were expected to reach the latter stages of the competition, there were some doubts they would after entering the tournament on the back of four consecutive defeats.

The World Cup, which is hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, is less than a year away, but Pochettino is not worried about how his team are progressing.

"We're in a process, it's still one year from the World Cup and in a very good process, and we're happy in the way things are going," Pochettino told the U.S. Soccer podcast.

"We need to compete and create a team that can compete in the level that we expect.

"But I think, little by little, we're trying to evolve together and trying to understand what it means to defend and to play for a national team like the USA, that always requires from everyone the best.

"We're representing a country that always wants to be the best in every single thing that they are doing, and that is why, in soccer, we are responsible to create that mentality.

"We want to build until the World Cup and after the World Cup, that is going to be the best reward for everyone here in the federation. Because I think the sport, for me, it's everything.

"And I'm hoping that we say that football is a contest of emotion, and to create emotion, you need to come to the stadium. To see the player and the team, how trust meets emotion, and every single tackle, dribble, every single shot and save and when you score. We need to, I think, translate to the fans the emotion that we feel when we play."