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Mauricio Pochettino isn't losing sleep over Tottenham Hotspur, despite his former Premier League club teetering on the edge of relegation with just seven matches remaining in the season.
The Argentine, who managed Spurs for nearly six seasons and now leads the U.S. men's national team, spoke about the struggling English club ahead of his side's friendly against Portugal on Tuesday evening—one of the USMNT's final preparatory fixtures before the 2026 World Cup kicks off on home soil this summer.
"With my connections to Tottenham, it's impossible to feel nothing wrong about the club or the people or the fans. It was one of the best experiences in my life," he told reporters in Atlanta, with Tottenham sitting in 17th, one point ahead of the relegation zone.
"I am sure they're going to stay up with a coach or without a coach, because of the players ... with the fans that they're going to create the energy to win, of course, it will be tough, that synergy and the dynamic is difficult."
Pochettino's remarks came just one day after Spurs parted ways with their second manager of the campaign, reaching a mutual agreement to terminate Igor Tudor's tenure following just seven matches in charge.
We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for Head Coach Igor Tudor to leave the Club with immediate effect.
Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci have also left their respective roles of Goalkeeping Coach and Physical Coach.
We thank Igor, Tomislav and Riccardo for their… pic.twitter.com/I6HUdLdewL
Tudor had previously stepped in for Thomas Frank, who took charge at the start of the season after being appointed as Ange Postecoglou's replacement following a 17th-place Premier League finish in 2024–25, finishing 13 points clear of the drop. No successor has been announced as of Monday.
"I think [Tottenham] is going to have the capacity to win, and I really believe in that," Pochettino added.
"We are going to be here, with full focus on the World Cup, but if you ask me about that club, it is a club that I really care about, and for sure, I really trust that it is going to stay in the Premier League, because they deserve to be in the Premier League."
Pochettino's Future Looms
With Pochettino's contract with U.S. Soccer set to expire after the World Cup, speculation has mounted over a possible return to the Premier League—or even to the now-vacant managerial post at Tottenham. Pochettino recently admitted he "misses" England's top division.
That said, Pochettino is not considered a frontrunner to succeed Tudor, nor is he entertaining other options at this stage. His attention is firmly fixed on the World Cup, with friendlies against Portugal, Germany, and Senegal on the horizon before the USMNT opens Group D play against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles. Following that opener, the U.S. will take on Australia in Seattle on June 19 and either Türkiye or Kosovo in the Group D finale on June 25 in Los Angeles.
"We are very here at the World Cup, and I think everyone knows that I'm committed to the national team here, so I think it's not a point to talk about the future at the moment," he said.
Still, Pochettino has left the door slightly open to a return to European football after the summer, should things not work out with U.S. Soccer.
"Who knows what is going to happen," he added. "We are open. We don't have a contract for the future, but why not? If we are happy and the U.S. Soccer Federation is happy, then we will see. I think the most important thing now is to focus tomorrow on the World Cup."
Currently sitting at No. 16 in the FIFA World Rankings, Pochettino will be eager to guide the USMNT to a swift response against Portugal, after their five-game unbeaten run was brought to an abrupt end by a humbling 5–2 defeat to Belgium over the weekend.