The US Men’s National Team just did something it hasn’t done since Ronaldo was wearing a questionable haircut at the 2002 World Cup: win a knockout-round match. Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT ground out a victory despite being reduced to ten men, ending one of the longest droughts in American soccer history.
For a country that will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, the timing couldn’t be better. And for the crypto industry, which is embedding itself deeper into global soccer than ever before, the implications stretch well beyond the pitch.
Pochettino’s turnaround and what it took
Pochettino was appointed as USMNT head coach in August 2024, inheriting a squad that had been stuck in a frustrating cycle of early tournament exits. His contract runs through the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, giving him a clear mandate: make the US competitive on home soil.
The knockout-round win is the first tangible proof that mandate is being met. The team didn’t just win — they won while playing a man down, the kind of gritty, tactically disciplined result that Pochettino built his reputation on during stints at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain.
