Pochettino: 75 to 80 players believe they can make USMNT World Cup roster

Mauricio Pochettino says between 75 and 80 players believe they can make the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup roster. One of his main priorities has been building out and empowering the player pool, not just the top players, and he believes that has made the competition for places more fierce.

Since taking over in the fall of 2024, Pochettino has expanded the pool and offered opportunities to different players so he can see who might contribute to the squad while also putting pressure on more-established players. Heading into the World Cup, 56 players earned USMNT caps during the 2025 calendar year, with 17 different goal scorers and 11 players netting their first international goal.

“Before we arrived, it was easy to guess the roster,” Pochettino said. “What we create is the competition between them, between 75-80 players, with the possibility to feel that they can get on the roster for the World Cup.

United States

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