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USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino outlines ‘Project Messi’ hopes

The arrival of Lionel Messi has changed the game in the United States and Pochettino is eager to capitalise on the boost in publicity for soccer.

Lionel Messi goal to start 2025
David BeckerEFE

When Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, it was clear that his arrival had the potential to be a landmark moment for soccer in the United States.

The deal was helped along by Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham - who made his own momentous move to MLS in 2007 - and has sparked a huge up-tick in interest for US soccer. Messi’s arrival came ahead of a key period for the sport with the United States set to host the World Cup in 2026.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino was brought in with the explicit goal of preparing a team to compete with the best in the world in the summer of 2026 and he has made clear that the Messi ‘project’ can help to give the game a boost heading into the tournament.

Speaking after a recent 3-1 victory over Venezuela, Pochettino said: “It’s an incredible project. How lucky Miami and the MLS are to have Leo Messi. He’s the best player in the world, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, and watching him play is a spectacle. Having him here is a privilege for the United States.”

Can Lionel Messi change the game in the United States?

For all the progress made in recent years there remains a long way to go before the United States can count itself among the world’s top nations when it comes to soccer. The national team suffered an embarrassing group stage exit at last year’s Copa América and MLS is still a rung or two down from the top European leagues.

But there has been a notable rise in standards, particularly in the level of play in the MLS. American teams have won the last two editions of the MLS-Liga MX Leagues Cup and have reached the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in four of the last five seasons. Pochettino will hope that Messi’s arrival can help to lift the level of competition in the US and, in the long term, increase interest in the sport across the country.

“The work Inter Miami has done to bring him here deserves recognition,” Pochettino explained. “In other countries, we don’t face this kind of competition, but here, with 300 million inhabitants, there’s a huge opportunity for soccer to grow and attract more people. We’re working to speed up that process.”

The much-changed USMNT will finish the January camp with a friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday. The next competitive game for Pochettino’s side comes in the March international break when USMNT take on Panama in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League.

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