Clint Dempsey on USMNT’s 2026 World Cup Potential & Why Soccer Could Come Home Under Pochettino

SUBSCRIBE TO MEN IN BLAZERS ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWgXewMHxlPkP5FkxoZvKQ?sub_confirmation=1 Clint Dempsey joins Rog for a wide-ranging, honest conversation about the state of the USMNT as the road to the 2026 World Cup continues. From the Nations League exit to squad building at the Gold Cup, Clint breaks down where this team stands, what still needs to click, and whether the U.S. is truly ready to compete on the world stage. They dig into Clint’s mindset heading into the 2006 World Cup, how tournament pressure changes everything, and what lessons this current group can take from past generations. The conversation also covers Mauricio Pochettino’s influence, Christian Pulisic’s leadership, the search for a true No. 9, and key questions around Gio Reyna, Chris Richards, Diego Luna, and potential surprise omissions. Rog and Clint debate goalkeeper choices, depth across the squad, and how the U.S. stacks up globally—before making predictions and defining what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup. 00:00 -- Summing up 2025 for USMNT 02:36 -- Nations League Exit 06:17 -- Squad Building at Gold Cup 11:35 -- Clint's Mindset at 2006 World Cup 13:22 -- Mauricio Pochettino 16:23 -- Are USMNT World Cup Ready? 18:21 -- Christian Pulisic and Building Chemistry 20:32 -- Who will play #9? 21:39 -- Gio Reyna, Chris Richards, Diego Luna 24:47 -- Surprise Squad Omissions? 26:16 -- Starting Goalkeeper? 27:57 -- USMNT Strength in Depth and World Standing 32:35 -- Predictions 34:00 -- Success at World Cup 2026? Check out the Men in Blazers Shop: https://mibcourage.co/4qIb2L1 Sign up for our newsletters: https://mibcourage.co/4nyEGQ1 Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/9dUpP2pHHU Listen to all our Men in Blazers podcasts: Wondery | https://mibcourage.co/43QaCW3 iTunes | https://apple.co/3oxDKj3 Spotify | https://spoti.fi/3B4eCpe and all major podcasting apps. Connect with us on social Twitter | https://twitter.com/MenInBlazers Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/meninblazers/ Tik Tok | https://www.tiktok.com/@meninblazers Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/MenInBlazers Threads | https://www.threads.net/@meninblazers Rog on Twitter | https://twitter.com/rogbennett Still want to know more about Men in Blazers? Right this way → https://meninblazers.com/