US Soccer faces questions over Mauricio Pochettino after World Cup exit

U.S. Soccer faces a broader test than Mauricio Pochettino’s job security after the men’s national team was beaten 4-1 by ninth-ranked Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 at Seattle Stadium, ending the Americans’ tournament before the quarterfinals. The 66,925 in attendance saw a result that reopened questions about whether the federation’s problems run deeper than one coach and whether the program has ever clearly defined what success at a home World Cup should look like.

Malik Tillman gave the United States a brief lift with a direct free kick in the 31st minute, but Belgium responded with the control and finishing that decided the match. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, Hans Vanaken added another, and Romelu Lukaku finished the game in stoppage time. Folarin Balogun came off the bench and was denied twice late by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, a sequence that summed up how little margin the Americans had once Belgium settled the game.

Pochettino’s position is tied to a timeline that was built for this tournament. U.S. Soccer appointed him on Sept. 10, 2024, after its bio said he had been hired in August 2024 to prepare for the 2026 World Cup in the United States. The federation also described him as a former manager of Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and said he is fluent in Spanish, French and English. After the Belgium match, U.S. Soccer noted that Pochettino’s three World Cup wins are the most ever by a U.S. men’s manager in FIFA World Cup history.

The body of work is harder to reduce to one result. The Americans finished the tournament with 11 goals, their most in a single World Cup, and recorded their first knockout-stage World Cup win since 2002 by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 after topping Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia. Belgium, meanwhile, advanced to face Spain in the quarterfinals on July 10 in Los Angeles. That leaves U.S. Soccer with a more complicated decision than a coaching verdict: whether a round-of-16 exit, even with a record goal total and a breakthrough knockout win, is acceptable for a program that had two full years to prepare for a home World Cup.