Pochettino used South Korea's 2002 semifinal run to inspire US team

Mauricio Pochettino, who has guided the United States national team to a strong start at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said he drew on South Korea's semifinal run at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup to motivate his players.

According to ESPN, Pochettino cited South Korea's run at the 2002 tournament and Morocco's semifinal appearance at the 2022 Qatar World Cup as his two primary examples of underdog success when working to reshape his players' mindset after taking charge of the US team.

"In a team meeting in November 2025, I explained how South Korea reached the World Cup semifinals as a co-host, and how Morocco made it to the final four in 2022," Pochettino said.

His message was simple. "I thought, 'Why can't we do the same?'" he said. "That sentence became the team's motto. It means that if we believe we can do it, work hard and change our mindset, it is absolutely possible."

Pochettino also opened up about the shock he experienced when he first took charge of the US team.

"I was too naive when I signed the contract," he said. "After signing, I looked at the reality and realized I had misjudged the situation. It was far more serious than I had imagined."

He added that he had expected everyone to rally behind the national team, only to find the opposite was true.

To change the team's culture, Pochettino said he established a policy of prioritizing competition over reputation, with no guaranteed starting spots.

There were painful moments along the way. The United States suffered consecutive defeats in the CONCACAF Nations League last year, drawing sharp criticism. But Pochettino said he viewed the setbacks as a necessary jolt. "It was painful, but it was a shock we absolutely needed," he said. "The players also had to realize that playing this way would not produce good results at the World Cup."

"When you plant a seed in the soil, you see nothing at first. But with time, the tree begins to grow," he said. Unlike at a club, he noted, a national team coach cannot see players every day and must drive change within short call-up windows, which made the process difficult to explain. "Looking back now, all of those changes were a necessary part of the journey," he said.

Pochettino previously coached Son Heung-min, now at LAFC, and Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich, during his time at Tottenham Hotspur.

The United States have won both of their Group D matches at the tournament, beating Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0. The results secured a first-place finish in the group regardless of the outcome of their final group-stage match against Turkey on Friday.