Pochettino dismisses USA favourites tag ahead of must-win Bosnia clash at World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino has urged caution over the United States being cast as favourites for their World Cup round-of-32 meeting with Bosnia, insisting recent upsets have shown no side is safe at the 2026 tournament.

Speaking at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Tuesday, the USA head coach pointed to Germany’s penalty shootout exit against Paraguay and Morocco’s elimination of the Netherlands as evidence that form counts for little once the knockout rounds begin. “I don’t believe that we are the favourite team because the last few days [we have seen] how difficult it is for everyone,” Pochettino told reporters.

“Everyone said the favourite is Germany but Paraguay beat them and Morocco against Netherlands. In this World Cup, there are many things, factors that can influence the performance. We need to be careful when we say one is favourite over another.”

The USA topped Group D by winning their first two matches against Paraguay and Australia, while Bosnia advanced as group-stage third-place finishers. Pochettino framed Wednesday’s tie in the starkest possible terms: “For us, this is the final of the World Cup tomorrow.”

He was equally emphatic about the respect Bosnia deserve. “They have quality, not only that they are aggressive and have good organisation. They have players with quality and a coach that provides the platform to perform. They deserve that respect.”

On the injury front, talisman Christian Pulisic declared himself fit to start after coming off the bench in the 3-2 defeat by Turkey. Centre-back Mark McKenzie was all but ruled out with a foot problem, while left-back Auston Trusty — who was stretchered off late in the Turkey match after rolling an ankle — offered more encouraging news. “Auston is much better than we expected. We’ll make one final assessment but hopefully he’ll be available on the bench,” Pochettino said.

The USA coach also took the opportunity to apologise for his demeanour at the post-Turkey press conference, where his frustration at the defeat had been evident despite the result carrying no consequence for the Americans’ group standing. “I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference. I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat.”

The winners of the USA–Bosnia tie will face either Senegal or Belgium in the next round.