Overview
- The United States men's national team was knocked out of the 2026 World Cup by Belgium in a 4-1 defeat in Seattle on Monday that ended the home tournament run.
- U.S. Soccer confirmed it is continuing conversations with Mauricio Pochettino about a possible contract extension into the 2030 cycle and said discussions would resume after rest and reflection.
- Pochettino publicly took primary responsibility for the loss, saying he is the principal person responsible and that the team must review what went wrong.
- Opinion in the media is split: some commentators say an extension would be indefensible after the quarterfinal collapse, while others argue keeping Pochettino preserves continuity for upcoming Nations League, Gold Cup, and World Cup qualifying fixtures.
- Federation timing complicates the choice because the sporting director role is vacant and the international calendar is compressed, which could make a drawn-out coach search disruptive to player preparation and tournament planning.