Pochettino believes the United States no longer needs verbal encouragement to participate in the World Cup.

The first round of Group D matches in the 2026 World Cup will begin, with one of the hosts, the United States, hosting Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium. At a press conference, Pochettino stated that his team needs no further verbal encouragement to make their World Cup journey.

Teams in Group D alongside the United States include Australia and Turkey. U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino stated, "I think the players need to develop their own methods, learn how to prepare emotionally and mentally, and I believe everyone knows how to get into the zone."

"I don't think they need external motivation or any inspiring speeches right now. If you understand the players and their mentality, you'll know that this work should have been done long ago to bring out their best performance."

Pochettino emphasized, "They need to be motivated by words during their regular training and when they are improving their abilities in all aspects, because by the time the game is over, it's too late. If the players aren't prepared, even if I'm the best person at motivating players through speeches, it won't help. So I'm sorry, but without preparation, it's impossible to deliver a good performance."

“I think the most celebratory thing is that we are able to start this tournament with all 26 players available. Chris Richards is ready for the match, and we will decide whether he will start or sit on the bench first, but I think this also reflects the tremendous efforts of the medical and fitness teams.”

Speaking about their upcoming match against Paraguay, Pochettino said, "I expect it to be a very tough game. This is our World Cup opener, and Paraguay is a very competitive and tough team. They have a very good coach, Gustavo Alfaro, who is doing an excellent job. I have great respect for and admire him."

“We must play with passion, and that passion is contagious. Winning is of course very important, but at the same time we must also show passion and make the fans proud of everything they see on the field.”

In addition, Pochettino said, "I think the key is to build a bond with the fans. Once you do that, you'll naturally get more people to celebrate. But ultimately, we still have to win."

"If we want to win, we need the support of the fans. I know that the fans stood with the team during the preseason games in Charlotte and Chicago."

Image source: Internet