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NEW YORK – United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) head coach Mauricio Pochettino strongly defended his choice not to personally contact players who were left out of his World Cup squad during a press conference held on Tuesday evening. Instead, the coach sent emails to more than 20 players who did not make the final list, explaining that he himself would not appreciate hearing from a coach after such a decision.

‘We are not going to change’

Although Pochettino has faced sharp criticism for his firm approach to communication, he stressed that his policy regarding player treatment has remained consistent since he assumed the role in August 2024. According to him, the World Cup should not be treated differently from any other player selection process.

“What’s important is how we establish communication with players from the very first day. Once that line is set clearly, we stick to it. We are not going to change it, because for us, being included in any squad is already a major event,” Pochettino stated during the USMNT roster announcement event.

‘I didn’t want the coach to call me’

The Argentine coach also shared his personal experience of being left out of Argentina’s national squad on two occasions, in 1994 and 1998, saying he could relate to the disappointment players feel.

“I was a player once. When I didn’t make the roster, I didn’t want the coach to call me. If I asked, ‘Why am I not in the roster?’ what could they say? They would lie. If I call, it becomes about me – and that’s nonsense,” he remarked candidly.

Pochettino further compared the situation to his own experiences of being dismissed as a manager, notably from Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.

“I’ve been sacked more than once – one of those times was at Tottenham. When the decision is made, there’s nothing left to say. I don’t want to hear anything. The same applies to players who miss out – they don’t want to hear me say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’” he added.

Leaving some names out

The coach’s comments came amid intense scrutiny over his refusal to personally notify players who were excluded from the squad. After announcing the final 26-man roster on Friday afternoon through a video shared in a WhatsApp group, Pochettino followed up with emails to those who were not selected.

Among the notable absentees was Diego Luna, who had been a regular in Pochettino’s previous selections, featured prominently in the Gold Cup, and appeared in several promotional campaigns for this summer’s tournament.

The squad starts to form

Twenty-five of the 26 U.S. players were officially presented during a rooftop event in New York City on Tuesday, though the roster had already leaked online over the weekend. Chris Richards was the only absentee, as his club Crystal Palace are set to face Rayo Vallecano in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday. The USMNT will play two warm-up friendlies before beginning their group stage campaign against Paraguay on June 12.