The 2026 FIFA World Cup has concluded, and several countries are now facing major questions about the future. One of those nations is the United States.
The host nation reached the Round of 16 under Mauricio Pochettino before being eliminated by Belgium.
Before their exit, the USMNT had enjoyed a good run of form in the tournament. They topped Group D with wins against Paraguay and Australia before losing their final group-stage match to Turkey. They then defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32.
Heading into the tournament, expectations were high for Pochettino and his squad. After a strong start to the World Cup, many believed the USMNT were set to beat their previous best run. However, their Round of 16 exit has now led many to question the future of the head coach.
One of the voices to weigh in on the situation was USMNT legend Marcelo Balboa.
Balboa Raises Concern on Pochettino's Future
Balboa urged patience when speaking about whether the U.S. Soccer should stick with Pochettino as it plans for the future.
"I would sit back for about a month," Balboa said.
"I would process a lot of stuff. I would talk to some key individuals, do my due diligence, and then I would make an informed decision.”
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Although Balboa felt that the former Tottenham Hotspur manager had done a great job, he said Pochettino's own plans should also be taken into account when making a decision.
"I think Pochettino did a great job. But does Pochettino want to coach this team for the next four years, or does he want to coach every day?
"I would not want to hire Pochettino if there's a chance he may leave within next four years. That would be a very tough one.”
The 58-year-old also already had a name in mind as a future USMNT head coach if the team was to depart with Pochettino.
"So I would probably have done what we've asked a long time ago and they finally did it. I would have hired Steve Cherundolo to do what he's doing now. So if Pochettino does leave, you have Steve Cherundolo to come in.”
Cherundolo, who currently coaches the U.S. Under-23 men's national team, is tasked with leading the squad at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
"If Pochettino decides to leave tomorrow, you can slide Steve Cherundolo right into the U.S. national team and have him take over.
"So, would I re-sign Pochettino? I think I would have to really sit down and make sure that he understands this project that he started.
"Because listen, I never lost faith in him, but a lot of people lost faith in him. You know, because of the results, the players, this and that….and he gave us what we wanted, his heart, a team that was united, a team that was going to fight and press and do everything.”
Balboa also recalled the overwhelming support the USMNT received during the tournament.
"Listen, for two and a half weeks, this country was on fire supporting this team all over the world.
"We went to a watch party in Nashville. 6,000 people showed up. People were watching the game in Times Square. 10,000 people showed up at a watch party in Houston.
"So they did everything we wanted them to do.” he added.
