Everybody loves Poch!
America can’t get enough of USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has become the first in 96 years to lead our national team to two consecutive World Cup wins.
Under the 54-year-old Argentinian, the once-beleaguered US Men’s team is riding high, even as their star Christian Pulisic is sidelined with a calf injury. After decisive wins over Paraguay and Australia, they’ve advanced to the knockout round — and the supporters are effusive in their appreciation.
After the US’s 2-to-0 victory over Australia on June 19, the crowd at Seattle’s Lumen Field erupted into thunderous chants of “Pochettino! Pochettino!”
On X, fans fawned over his game day fit and resemblance to Russell Crowe.
Some have even argued that he should be granted American citizenship.
If the team continues to play at this level, Pochettino, who coached top European clubs Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, seems poised to change the United States’ fortunes in soccer.
And we can thank billionaire Citadel founder Ken Griffin for the consequential hire.
You know — that self-made rich dude singled out by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a creepy video announcing a controversial pied-à-tierre tax. Yeah, that guy.
If he’s not giving oodles of money to hospitals like Sloan Kettering or museums like MOMA, Griffin is helping US Soccer splash out for a world-class manager. What a bastard!
When Pochettino was hired in September of 2024, the US Soccer Federation acknowledged that his “appointment [was] supported in significant part by a philanthropic leadership gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, Founder and CEO of Citadel and Founder of Griffin Catalyst.” They added that “additional support has been provided by Scott Goodwin, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Diameter, and several commercial partners.”
A recent piece in The Athletic dove further into the coaching search, revealing more about the hedge funders’ role in making Poch the highest-paid employee in US soccer history.
While his salary hasn’t been disclosed, it’s reported that the sign-on bonus was $2.5 million. In comparison, predecessor Gregg Berhalter made $1.7 million a year including bonuses.
When the Federation went looking for its new coach, The Athletic reported, they tossed around some top names and Goodwin was on board. Even when informed how costly they would be, Goodwin said, “I’ll pay.”
As for Griffin, his rep told the outlet, “Ken did this out of a deep love for soccer and a commitment to growing the game in the United States. He believes in inspiring more children to play, fostering the joy of competition, and advancing the values that make sports meaningful.”
On top of all that, Home Depot founder and billionaire Arthur Blank pitched in $50 million for a new $250 million training facility.
Look, it would be nice if the world was like a “Rocky” movie, where champions are forged in no-frills gyms or a Siberian cabin with logs for lifting. But in 2026, winning means big-money investments to compete and thrive.
And hooray for billionaires willing to generously dig into their deep pockets.
Ironically, many American soccer fans lean left and like to think of their sport as a niche, elitist pursuit. Not to generalize, but I’d say a hefty part of that base believes billionaires are evil.
It’s also true that the left’s newest sport is vilifying the rich for success and spreading lies that they don’t pay taxes. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is criss-crossing the country in private jets on a seemingly unending tour to “Fight the Oligarchy.”
Mamdani has said, point blank, that billionaires shouldn’t exist. He’s also made his love of soccer — so much of which is funded by the mega-wealthy — central to his political identity.
It’s all a facade. After all, the ultra-progressive socialist left has their own stable of billionaires (Soros, Singham, take your pick) hellbent on destabilizing our country.
In a generation, the United States has rewired the way we develop soccer talent to be in step with the rest of the world. Perhaps the missing piece was a guy like Pochettino, capable of taking all the available parts and creating a symphony.
Back in November, Goodwin told Pochettino to watch the movie “Miracle,” about the 1980 US men’s hockey team that defeated the Russians. The movie brought him to tears. Afterward, according to the Athletic, the Argentinian asked his squad, “Why not us?”
Pochettino has brought a belief to the US team, and its fans, that they can win.
Sure, he still has many more rungs to climb with this promising squad. But his progress so far is a sharp rejoinder to the “billionaires are bad” sentiment.
These monied folks continue to quietly bolster our culture in significant ways. We should be thanking them, not chasing them out of town with pitchforks.