There has been a long list of heroes throughout the USMNT's perfect start to the 2026 World Cup, but one stands above the rest, according to USA legend Carli Lloyd.

Following the U.S. 2-0 win over Australia, which helped clinch the program's first group win since 2010, Lloyd named head coach Mauricio Pochettino as the source that has helped fuel the USA's winning mentality.

"I gotta give Pochettino some credit here," said Lloyd. "Because I think what he's done in the last year and a half or so, with a group that really hasn't been together that much, he's made them believe."

The USMNT burst out of the gates with a 4-1 win over Paraguay in the team's opener before following it up by blanking the Australians on Friday. It's the best start for the Americans in recent memory and perhaps in the program's history, which has not featured many two-game stretches as dominant as what we've seen these past two weeks. Through the team's first two games of the tournament, the U.S. has led for 173 minutes.

"I haven't seen this team play this well with the willingness, the mentality and just the shear desire to believe that they can actually go on and win," added Lloyd. "And I think it's been spectacular. Credit to everybody today who stepped up and got the job done."

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This is Pochettino's first World Cup as USMNT head coach after he was hired in August of 2024. The 52-year-old Argentinian has previously coached Tottenham and Chelsea in the English Premier League, helping power Spurs to the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final. He has also previously guided Paris Saint-Germain, a member of France's Ligue 1.

Using his many years of experience, he has helped propel the USA to the precipice of something truly special at this year's World Cup. With its final match of the group stage coming up on Thursday against Turkiye, the USMNT is looking forward to making some noise in the knockout round on July 1.

The U.S. has never won the World Cup, with its best finish coming in 1930, when it finished third. We'll see if the Americans can make history with their fierce leader at the helm.

Source: Newsweek