The method with which Mauricio Pochettino informed his players whether they’d made the U.S. World Cup team took on a bit of a life of its own Tuesday, the day his 26-man squad for this summer’s competition was officially named.Whether Pochettino called or emailed the players he selected, or did or didn’t converse with those he left out, wound up as a central theme at the start of his post-roster-reveal press conference. Amid the conversation and the subsequent player press conferences, it became clear that Pochettino had recorded a video to share with the players that he picked to inform them of their good fortune.U.S. Soccer further clarified the timeline of events by relaying the following information: Players and clubs were told they would be notified about Pochettino’s decision last Friday at 1 p.m. At that time, a team manager created a WhatsApp group chat for those who were selected. Pochettino posted his congratulatory video in the chat, in which he asked each player to respond. From there, emails were then sent to players and clubs confirming the decisions.
Later Tuesday, U.S. Soccer shared the video that Pochettino recorded, along with 23 player responses.“Guys, if you are watching that video, it’s because you are in. I am so excited to communicate that you are going to be on the roster for the World Cup 2026 in the World Cup that we are going to host,” Pochettino says in his recording. “It’s so important that you reply that message with another video.“Enjoy guys, and see you in New York.”There was clear joy and emotion among the players, with the overwhelming sentiment in most of the responses being some version of a cathartic “Let’s go, boys!”
