In a candid podcast appearance released Thursday, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his team's World Cup prospects while offering a blunt assessment of America's soccer culture—or lack thereof. Speaking on Stick To Football, the Argentine manager acknowledged the talent on his roster but questioned whether the United States truly has an "emotional relationship with the game."

"The kids don't develop until they are 11, 12, or 13," Pochettino explained. "The difference within other countries—for me, I know Argentina—the way that I developed my emotional relationship with football is before I started to walk because I started to kick the ball. That is the problem. The relationship is with basketball or American football. They take the ball with their hands, first thing. [Elsewhere] you kick the ball with your feet."

It's a pointed observation from a coach who knows what soccer passion looks like from the ground up. Pochettino, who has managed at the highest levels of European club football, didn't stop at cultural critique. He also called for a fundamental shift in how young players are developed in the U.S., emphasizing the need for more accessible public spaces where kids can play freely—rather than funneling everything through organized clubs and expensive programs.

"Playing with my friends was more foundational to my love of the game than anything I learned in organized play," he said, recalling a recent dinner where wealthy guests asked why a nation of 330 million people "doesn't have our own Messi."

Since taking the USMNT job, Pochettino has made the podcast rounds a regular part of his routine. These interviews, often conducted between international windows, allow him to reflect openly on his club career while preparing for what's next—and many expect him to move on after his contract ends following the World Cup.

Despite his skepticism about America's soccer DNA, Pochettino hasn't wavered in his optimism about the team's chances at a co-hosted World Cup. When former Manchester United star Gary Neville reminded him that reaching the quarterfinals is widely considered a success for the hosts, Pochettino pushed back—sharing an anecdote about meeting President Donald Trump before the draw in Washington.

"When I met Mr. President," he recalled, "he asked..."

The message is clear: Pochettino believes in his squad, but he also believes the U.S. needs to fall in love with soccer the way the rest of the world does—starting long before a kid ever laces up their first pair of cleats.