The USMNT have made improvements under Mauricio Pochettino, with the USA recording a victory over Venezuela and now the head coach is setting his sights on a good run at the next World Cup

For the USMNT, these January friendlies are a chance to prove that players based in MLS can be just as good as those plying their trade in Europe.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino humorously yet thoughtfully addressed the possibility of Lionel Messi's sons playing for the American national team.

Right from the jump, Mauricio Pochettino made clear to the players he convened for the US men’s national team’s January 2025 camp that their quality and productivity on the pitch, not the league or continent where they ply their club ball,

Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine coach tasked with leading the U.S. national team through the 2026 World Cup, said he and his staff have been quite impressed with the level of play from the MLS players at camp in Fort Lauderdale this week.

MLS has definitely grown in popularity, but the league still has a ways to go to be considered one of the best in the world.

The arrival of Lionel Messi has changed the game in the United States and Pochettino is eager to capitalise on the boost in publicity for soccer.

Getting an extended look at depth options during January camp, Mauricio Pochettino named his youngest ever squad as manager of the United States men's national team and they rolled to a 3-1 victory over Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.

Now, playing Venezuela and Costa Rica in January friendlies is one thing. Taking on top-tier teams in serious competition is a whole other animal. Let’s not kid ourselves, the Costa Rica squad we saw looked more like a shadow of the team that made noise in past World Cups.

Two years ago, he was drafted in the MLS SuperDraft. A year later, he was in MLS NEXT Pro, with one MLS start to his name. Now he is a starting striker for a good MLS team and he just lit up the USMNT January camp.

The U.S. men's national team won their second international friendly of January dispatching Costa Rica at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, FL.