INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States delivered one of the most memorable performances in its World Cup history Friday night, overwhelming Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in a statement victory to open the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
But as jubilant American fans celebrated a historic result, U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino made sure the focus remained firmly on what comes next.
"The performance was really good. I think we really played well. We are so happy," Pochettino said afterward. "But that is only the start. There are still two games to play. We need to enjoy this start of the tournament, but knowing that we need to keep going and trying to improve."
For a program that has spent much of its World Cup history grinding out results, Friday's performance felt different.
The Americans attacked with confidence, created chances throughout the match and scored four goals — the most the United States has ever scored in a World Cup match. The victory immediately sparked discussion about whether this could become a breakthrough tournament for a nation hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994.
Pochettino wasn't interested in getting ahead of himself.
The 52-year-old Argentine, hired in September 2024 after managing some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, said one result does not define a tournament.
"To be a surprise would be a team that reaches at least the quarterfinals or semifinals," Pochettino said. "For now, we have played well and won a very important match against a team like Paraguay, which is always difficult to compete against. It is nothing more than three points."
While many observers highlighted standout performances from stars such as Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun, Pochettino repeatedly redirected praise toward the entire squad.
"You want to push me to talk about names," Pochettino said with a smile. "The collective approach was amazing. We have talented players, of course, but today we need to praise the collective effort and the approach to the game."
Pochettino also reserved special praise for the crowd of more than 70,000 supporters who turned SoFi Stadium into a sea of red, white and blue.
"The fans were amazing," he said. "The energy that they transferred to the team was amazing. We can do amazing things if the fans are in this way."
Friday's victory was also validation of the work Pochettino and his staff have put in during the weeks leading up to the tournament. Unlike most international windows, where coaches have only a few days with their players, the World Cup allowed the U.S. coaching staff nearly a month to prepare.
"Normally you only select players, but you cannot coach players," Pochettino said. "Only in this type of tournament, when you have three or four weeks together, can you really coach. I think all the things we were working on today were fantastic to see."
Tactically, Pochettino said the Americans executed a balanced game plan that combined vertical attacking play with patient possession and aggressive movement in the final third. He credited his players for embracing the identity the coaching staff has tried to establish over the past year.
Perhaps most importantly, the coach believes his team handled the immense pressure that comes with opening a home World Cup.
"The key was to transform all that expectation and pressure into energy," Pochettino said. "The players approached it really, really well."
The result immediately lifted expectations around the Americans, who now sit atop their group heading into a matchup against Australia.
Yet even after one of the most impressive victories in U.S. World Cup history, Pochettino's message remained consistent.
Nothing has been won yet.
"We need to keep growing," he said. "The next game will be difficult. We need to recover, improve and continue working. This is only one game."