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U.S. men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino watched the 2004 Disney movie Miracle just before the 2026 World Cup Final Draw, becoming captivated by the legendary underdog tale of the 1980 U.S. men's hockey team and its path to Olympic gold.
"I was watching, and I was nearly crying," Pochettino said in December. "No, I was crying because it was very emotional ... We [as U.S. soccer] identified with many things in the movie ... It's really amazing how a group of 20 players really believed in an idea."
It was evident as Pochettino addressed his players during Tuesday's training session ahead of the team's March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal that the Argentine coach was aiming for a tone reminiscent of legendary USA hockey coach Herb Brooks.
Brooks guided an amateur-laden U.S. squad to a stunning "Miracle on Ice" semifinal victory over the four-time defending gold medalists, the Soviet Union, on the way to claiming gold. He cemented his legacy with the "Miracle" pre-game speech, later immortalized in the Disney production.
"One game. If we played them ten times, they might win nine," Brooks' character declared in the film, drawing from a similar speech delivered at the Olympics. "But not this game, not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them, and we shut them down because we can. Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world."
The great Team USA hockey coach Herb Brooks would have turned 82 today. His character in "Miracle" gives some legendary speeches. What's your favorite sports movie speech ever? pic.twitter.com/cVlD2IQxZ7
With the Stars and Stripes entering the World Cup as heavy underdogs, the Argentine manager posed a straightforward question to his squad: "Why not us?" His passionate address closely echoed the spirit of Brooks' iconic words.
"It's not that we need to perform now, it's that we need to perform always," Pochettino said. "Every time we are in the national team camp, we need to perform... Why not us? If I don't believe in you, it's difficult, and if we don't believe in you, it's difficult to compete. Why not us?"
Emotional Advantage at Home
While the USMNT's player quality falls short of some of the stronger contenders at the World Cup, Pochettino believes that the emotional dimension of the game and the benefit of playing on home soil will be crucial factors.
The USMNT will also bring a well-crafted tactical identity capable of catching opponents off guard. This week, they'll put themselves to the test against two UEFA heavyweights, buoyed by a strong recent run that includes wins over Uruguay, Paraguay, Japan and Australia, along with a draw against Ecuador across their last five matches.
Why not us? pic.twitter.com/BNGnWKfRer
Unlike the 1980 hockey squad composed entirely of amateurs, USMNT stars Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Chris Richards, among others, possess the talent and track records to stun the world. In many respects, they bear a closer resemblance to the dominant U.S. hockey team that claimed gold at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics than to that 1980 group.
"This is an unbelievable country, unbelievable people," Pochettino said on the Pat McAfee Show after attending a New York Rangers' NHL game in the fall. "When you are [invested], it's possible that you can achieve everything that you want. You arrived on the moon; you were the first. It's the most powerful country in every single area. Why not in soccer?"
A Battle Against the Odds
The USMNT, whose deepest run in the World Cup's modern era has been a quarterfinal appearance, faces a steep challenge ahead, even with a favorable group-stage draw and the advantage of playing at home.
According to Opta's supercomputer, which released its initial projections prior to December's World Cup draw, the USMNT was given just a 0.9% chance of winning the tournament, ranking below Morocco, Ecuador and Japan.
While Opta has yet to publish updated analysis, various betting and prediction markets point to similarly slim odds. Polymarket gives the USMNT a 2% chance of glory, while MGM Sportsbook lists them at +5000 to win, tied for 13th-best alongside Mexico. FanDuel Sportsbook has the USMNT at +4000 to win, also 13th-highest, though still trailing a yet-to-qualify Italy.
Sports Illustrated FC writer Grey Whitbloom projected the USMNT to advance as far as the quarterfinal stage, using a methodology grounded in the FIFA World Rankings.
"This team can beat any team in the world," USMNT icon Landon Donovan said this month. "It doesn't mean we're going to be better than every team we play in the World Cup, but we have the ability to beat every team. The challenge so far is that this team has not shown that they can do that yet, but we all know they are capable."