The United States Men’s National Team has a chance to make some noise in the World Cup next year while on its home soil.
The team reached the Round of 16 for the third time in its last four World Cups (they did not qualify in 2018), and they’ll be playing as one of three host countries in less than 18 months.
The United States, Canada and Mexico will be hosting, with the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the home of the New York Giants and Jets.
After finishing in third place in the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the farthest that the USA has gone since then is the quarterfinals, a round not reached since 2002.
USA disappointed in Copa América last summer, failing to make it out of the group stage while hosting the tournament.
But USA Soccer manager Mauricio Pochettino recently said there could be some secret sauce next year: President Donald Trump.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Pochettino said Trump could play a role in the USMNT’s fate.
“I will say yes. If he asks me, I say yes. President, with your help, with the fans behind [us] hosting the World Cup, all is possible,” Pochettino said.
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Pochettino recently noted the added pressure on his team for playing host.
“I think the pressure is going to be there, because we are a host. And then it’s a country where the mentality is about winning. You know, in sport, in everything that Americans are involved in, they want to win,” he said, via The Mirror. “That is the culture. It’s cultural. Of course, it’s going to be a pressure, but a welcome one. That means that we are going to feel the adrenaline that we need to feel.”
It’s safe to assume that Trump will make an appearance at the World Cup, which will stretch roughly a month with games at 11 NFL stadiums; nine stadiums played host in 1994, where then-President Bill Clinton officially opened the tournament.
Trump has been spotted at major sporting events since taking office, including Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans and the Daytona 500 on back-to-back Sundays last month.
He’s often attended UFC events, with his last being at Madison Square Garden the week after he won the election. Trump will also be at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships in Philadelphia this week, and he attended the Army-Navy game in December.
Pochettino took over for Gregg Berhalter in September.
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