The immediate task for current boss Mauricio Pochettino is to impress at World Cup 2026 and be remembered by a nation.

JARED C. TILTON

World Cup 2026

Not Klinsmann or Milutinovic: this is the USMNT coach with the most matches and the highest winning percentage

Managing Editor AS USA

Sports-lover turned journalist, born and bred in Scotland, with a passion for football (soccer). He’s also a keen follower of NFL, NBA, golf and tennis, among others, and always has an eye on the latest in science, tech and current affairs. As Managing Editor at AS USA, uses background in operations and marketing to drive improvements for reader satisfaction.

Update: May 19th, 2026 08:43 EDT

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It’s fair to say that Mauricio Pochettino is entering the most intense stretch of his tenure as head coach of the United States men’s national team. With the 2026 World Cup now just weeks away, the Argentine manager is juggling injuries and doubts over his roster choices. Then there’s that fan expectation in the country as the hype around a home tournament grows towards the mid-June kick off.

Johnny Cardoso has already been ruled out, while Chris Richards and Brenden Aaronson are dealing with fitness concerns ahead of the reduced squad announcement on May 26. (We created this mock selector if you fancy trying for yourself)

Fans of the Stars and Stripes clearly want Pochettino to do well, not only in FIFA’s showpiece tournament but also for years to come, and that would allow better comparisons to those who have gone before him. So how does he fare against them now?

Who has coached the most games for the USMNT?

When looking back at previous national team coaches, thoughts often turn to the likes of Bora Milutinovic and Jürgen Klinsmann, but others can sometimes be forgotten.

Bruce Arena, for example, remains the king of longevity with 148 games in charge, far ahead of Klinsmann’s 98 and Milutinovic’s 96. Arena, clearly aided by his time there, also owns the most wins in history with 81.

Top five USMNT head coaches by total matches:

Bruce Arena – 148 matches
Jürgen Klinsmann – 98 matches
Bora Milutinović – 96 matches
Bob Bradley – 80 matches
Gregg Berhalter – 74 matches

Not Klinsmann or Milutinovic: this is the USMNT coach with the most matches and the highest winning percentage — Former US national coach coach Bruce Arena.ROBYN BECK

Who has the best win ratio for the USMNT?

When we look at results percentage – and only taking into account those with at least 18 games under their belt, as per US Soccer Media Guidelines – it is Gregg Berhalter who sits at the top of the pile with 68.24%.

Note that the formula for this is wins + 0.5 draws, divided by total matches.

Top five USMNT head coaches by result %:

Gregg Berhalter — 68.24%
Bruce Arena — 66.55%
Jürgen Klinsmann — 64.29%
Bob Bradley — 61.25%
Steve Sampson — 53.23%

How does Pochettino compare?

Pochettino still has a long way to go before threatening those records, but the upcoming World Cup group stage gives him some opportunity.

The Argentine is up to 16 games in charge and has picked up 10 wins and a single tie. That ratio leaves him at 55.55%, meaning a positive couple if results to take him to the threshold will see him join the top five.

The United States opens against Paraguay before facing Australia and Turkey in Group D.