Mauricio Pochettino isn’t too worried about Tottenham Hotspur, even as his former Premier League club dances along the precipice of relegation heading into the final seven matches of the season.
Tottenham’s former manager for parts of six seasons—and now the U.S. men’s national team boss —addressed any concerns around the European club ahead of his new side’s matchup against Portugal on Tuesday night, one of the U.S.’s final games in preparation for the 2026 World Cup on home soil this summer.
“With my connections to Tottenham, it’s impossible to feel nothing wrong about the club or the people or the fans. It was one of the best experiences in my life,” he told reporters in Atlanta, with Tottenham sitting in 17th, one point ahead of the relegation zone.
“I am sure they’re going to stay up with a coach or without a coach, because of the players … with the fans that they’re going to create the energy to win, of course, it will be tough, that synergy and the dynamic is difficult.”
Pochettino’s comments came just a day after Spurs moved on from their second manager of the season, mutually parting ways with Igor Tudor after a seven-game spell.
Previously, Tudor had taken over for Thomas Frank, who began the campaign after named as Ange Postecoglou’s successor following a 17th-place Premier League finish in 2024–25, 13 points safe from the drop. No new manager has been named as of Monday.
“I think [Tottenham] is going to have the capacity to win, and I really believe in that,” Pochettino added.
“We are going to be here, with full focus on the World Cup, but if you ask me about that club, it is a club that I really care about, and for sure, I really trust that it is going to stay in the Premier League, because they deserve to be in the Premier League.”
Pochettino’s Future Looms
With Pochettino’s U.S. Soccer contract expiring after the World Cup, rumors have swirled about a potential return to the Premier League—or even to the now-vacant Tottenham seat. Pochettino recently said he “misses” the English top flight.
Pochettino, however, is not a top candidate to replace Tudor, nor is he looking at any options right now. Instead, he is fully focusing on the World Cup, with upcoming friendlies against Portugal, Germany and Senegal, before kicking off Group D action against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles. After the World Cup opener, the USMNT will face Australia in Seattle on June 19 and one of Türkiye or Kosovo in the Group D finale on June 25 in Los Angeles.
“We are very here at the World Cup, and I think everyone knows that I’m committed to the national team here, so I think it’s not a point to talk about the future at the moment,” he said.
Nevertheless, Pochettino has left the door slightly ajar to a potential return to European soccer after the summer if unhappy with U.S. Soccer.
“Who knows what is going to happen,” he aded. “We are open. We don’t have a contract for the future, but why not? If we are happy and the U.S. Soccer Federation is happy, then we will see. I think the most important thing now is to focus tomorrow on the World Cup.”
Currently ranked No. 16 in the FIFA World Ranking, Pochettino will hope to lead the USMNT to a quick bounce-back against Portugal, after seeing a five-match unbeaten streak evaporate with an embarrassing 5–2 thrashing to Belgium over the weekend.
