Overview
As one of the three co-host countries of the 2026 World Cup, the US team does not have to go through the qualifying campaign. However, not participating in the qualifiers also makes coach Mauricio Pochettino lack the opportunity to clearly define the tactical identity of the team.
In nearly two years of leading the US team, the Argentine strategist has continuously tested many different options. Despite significant changes in the playing system, the overarching goal is still to control the game and maintain a balanced ball possession ratio against all opponents.
Against teams that are rated lower such as Paraguay, Australia or Ecuador, the US usually controls the ball about 60%. Meanwhile, when facing strong opponents such as Uruguay, Japan or Belgium, the ball possession rate is almost balanced.
Unlike the high-pressing style that made his name at Tottenham, Pochettino prioritizes building a mid-range defense to limit the opponent's ability to deploy the ball in the baseline area.
When having the ball, the US mainly deploys attack along the two wing corridors, using two attacking midfielders and a pair of central midfielders behind to control the midfield area. The role of creating width is mostly assigned to full-backs or wingers.
Pochettino once achieved success with a 3-center-back system in the late last year, especially when defeating Uruguay 5-1. However, after the 2-5 defeat to Belgium in March, he was forced to return to the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.
Although different in terms of personnel arrangement, both systems operate according to the same principle. When attacking, the US often switches to a 3-2-5 structure to control the ball. When defending, they retreat to 4-4-2 or 5-3-2.
Pochettino's biggest problem lies in choosing between the optimal system in tactics or the strongest squad in personnel. The US's goal is not only to go deep in the tournament, but also to prove that they can play proactive football instead of just relying on counter-attacks as in the past.
Coach
Pochettino is one of the most prominent names on the coaching bench at the 2026 World Cup. After a period of not being very successful at Chelsea, he decided to try his hand in the international football environment and accepted to lead the US team in 2024, after the team was eliminated from the group stage of the Copa America at home under Gregg Berhalter.
In his playing career, Pochettino played for Argentina at the 2002 World Cup and is famous for his strong playing style and excellent match reading ability.
He is still loved by many Tottenham fans thanks to the club's most successful period in the modern era. The 2026 World Cup is considered Pochettino's biggest task with the US team before he can return to the club-level football environment.
Star
Christian Pulisic is still the biggest symbol of American football today. Since the failure in the race to win a ticket to the 2018 World Cup, the AC Milan player has almost become the representative face of the national team, carrying pressure and expectations of the entire American football.
At the age of 27, Pulisic is not only a spiritual leader but also the most experienced player in attack. Despite experiencing a difficult period in terms of scoring and not scoring since December last year, he still possesses the ability to dribble, create breakthroughs and create top chances in the squad.
Pulisic's penetration ability makes him always a name that the opponent's defenses pay special attention to.
Notable faces
After the time of Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, the US team spent many years struggling to find a world-class center forward. Therefore, Folarin Balogun's decision to wear the US national team jersey instead of England or Nigeria is considered an important boost.
The striker who grew up from the Arsenal academy possesses diverse finishing ability, intelligent movement and always knows how to appear at the right time in the penalty area.
Balogun's form at Monaco is sometimes unstable, but he has shown a clear improvement in the final stage of the season. If he maintains the feeling of scoring, Balogun can completely become the biggest hope of the US in attack.
The silent hero
Besides captain Tyler Adams, Chris Richards is probably the most difficult player to replace in Pochettino's system.
The center-back of Crystal Palace, the 2025 FA Cup champion, is a solid support in the defense thanks to his modern ability to compete, read situations and distribute the ball.
For many years, Richards' stable performances have often been overshadowed by more famous teammates. However, he has always been a factor that brings balance to the US team.
If he continues to maintain his form at the 2026 World Cup, Richards can completely become one of the most noticed center-backs of the tournament.
