Former U.S. international Alexi Lalas has delivered a scathing verdict on Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure as USMNT coach, questioning his $6 million salary and insisting he would sack him ahead of the 2026 World Cup after a poor run of results, including a 2-0 loss to South Korea.
Alexi Lalas has reignited the debate surrounding Mauricio Pochettino’s future as U.S. men’s national team head coach following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to South Korea in New Jersey.
The former U.S. international turned FOX Sports analyst argued on his State of the Union podcast that U.S. Soccer cannot afford to risk mediocrity on home soil at the 2026 World Cup. Lalas went as far as to say that, if he were sporting director Matt Crocker, he would part ways with Pochettino immediately.
Yeah, I would,” Lalas admitted. “I’ve spent time with Mauricio Pochettino. I think he’s a quality coach… But this is a home World Cup. The stakes are higher. If it goes badly, everyone should be out. Why the hell are we paying him $6 million if he can’t do anything with these players?
Lalas’ frustration comes after the USMNT’s underwhelming results in the Argentine’s first year in charge. Despite winning nine of his 17 matches, Pochettino has yet to convince critics that the investment in his high-profile appointment has translated into meaningful progress.
While acknowledging that U.S. Soccer is unlikely to make such a drastic move so soon, Lalas believes warning signs are flashing. He argued that Pochettino’s own comments — acknowledging America is “not a soccer-first country” — reflect a mindset ill-suited to the challenge.
In a soccer-first country, this wouldn’t be tolerated,” Lalas added. “It would be on to the next one.
Not all observers agree. Fellow former international Stu Holden urged patience, noting that experimentation before the World Cup is far less important than results during it.
“All that matters is how this team ultimately does in the World Cup next year,” Holden said. “He could lose every game until then, but if he takes this team to a quarterfinal or semifinal, it will be judged a success.”
Still, Lalas is far from convinced. “If you ask me today if I’m confident this team will do great things next summer? Hell no,” he admitted. “And if nothing changes, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
The USMNT’s best-ever World Cup finish remains the 2002 quarterfinal run under Bruce Arena. With the U.S. set to host the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico in 2026, Lalas believes anything short of a breakthrough performance would be a failure that could haunt American soccer for years.
