Mauricio Pochettino says US can win World Cup: 'Why not us? ... We need to dream'

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — Mauricio Pochettino told American soccer players they can achieve what almost no one thinks is possible: win the World Cup.

“Why not us? Why not us? Why not us?" he said Friday. “We need to really believe that we can be there. We need to dream.”

Ahead of friendlies against Belgium on Saturday and Portugal on Tuesday, Pochettino publicly repeated a message he delivered directly to players when they reported to camp this week.

“Dreams,” he added, “inspire reality.”

The U.S. hasn't reached the World Cup semifinals since the initial tournament in 1930 and hasn't advanced to the quarterfinals since 2002. Since then, the Americans were knocked out in the round of 16 in 2010, 2014 and 2022, were eliminated in the group stage in 2006 and failed to qualify in 2018.

Only eight nations have won a World Cup: Brazil (five titles), Germany and Italy (four each), Argentina (three), France and Uruguay (two apiece), and England and Spain (one each).

Pochettino, a former Argentina national team defender who replaced Gregg Berhalter as U.S. coach in late 2024, cited American mentality as cause for optimism.

“I hear another day a press conference from some coaching staff in another national team and (they) say, `OK, if we say we are going to win, we are showing too much arrogance,'" he explained. “If we say, well, it is going to be difficult to win. It’s negative. It’s not optimistic. It's creating negative things. What I am saying: I am here because I believe that we can win and what I can tell to the people is really believe.”

At the World Cup, the 15th-ranked U.S. opens against No. 41 Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California, faces 27th-ranked Australia one week later at Seattle and closes the group stage against No. 23 Turkey or No. 78 Kosovo in Inglewood on June 25. As co-hosts, the U.S., Mexico and Canada are seeded and avoid facing top nations in the first round.

With the expansion of the World Cup to 48 nations from 32, the top two teams in each of 12 groups advance to a new round of 32 along with the best eight third-place teams.

The last time third-place teams reached the knockout round was the also the last time the United States hosted the World Cup, a 24-team tournament in 1994. And the Americans advanced as one of them, but then lost to eventual champion Brazil in the round of 16.

“We need to send the right energy and good emotion to the people, for the people to really believe in us and to support us, for sure,” Pochettino said.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Unites States coach Mauricio Pochettino and Atlanta United coach Tara Martino pose with jerseys during a news conference before the men's national soccer team training, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ronald Blum

JUPITER ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods was involved in a rollover car crash on Friday, the Martin County Sheriff's Office told media outlets.

Authorities said the crash occurred just after 2 p.m. not far from where Woods lives in Jupiter Island. Martin County Fire Rescue said there were no serious injuries, CBS 12 reported.

Woods' manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a text message seeking information.

It was the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash, most recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed that led to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later doctors considered amputation.

He also was arrested on a DUI charge in 2017 when south Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car that was parked awkwardly with damage to the driver's side. Woods said later he had taken a bad mix of painkillers.

Woods had been working his way back to golf from a seventh back surgery last September. He had not decided whether he could play in the Masters on April 9-12.

His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024. Woods ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025 and that kept him off the course all season, and then he had another back surgery in September. He managed to play in his indoor TGL golf league on Tuesday night.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Tiger Woods of the Jupiter Links Golf Club plays a shot from a bunker on the eighth hole, during final day of TGL golf tournament, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens Fla. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)