U.S. Soccer announced earlier this week that Mauricio Pochettino has signed a new contract to remain USMNT head coach through the 2030 World Cup. Pochettino chose to stay despite discussions involving AC Milan earlier this summer and his stated desire to return to the Premier League eventually. The agreement means the USMNT will begin a new World Cup cycle with a full-time manager in place for the first time in 12 years. Previous second cycles have gone poorly for USMNT coaches. Jurgen Klinsmann was fired during the following World Cup qualification campaign, while Bruce Arena could not rescue the team. Gregg Berhalter lasted seven competitive matches after returning and lost his job when the Americans exited the 2024 Copa America in the group stage. Pochettino has a longer and more impressive managerial résumé than either coach. He took charge in September 2024, less than two years before the 2026 World Cup, during a cycle without qualifying matches or a full-strength Gold Cup squad. Pochettino's central task remains making the team demonstrably better. The Elo rating system, which considers the opponent's quality, scoreline, venue and importance of each match, currently places the USMNT 31st—one position below Algeria and one above Scotland. Since Pochettino arrived, the team has climbed six places and gained 21 rating points. All 21 points were earned during this summer's World Cup, where the Americans peaked at 23rd after beating Australia. The World Cup offered the strongest evidence of progress under Pochettino. The U.S. scored 11 goals, surpassing its previous tournament record of seven, and won three matches—the same number it had won across the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups combined. Its midfield rotations, wingback movement and high press reflected a clear coaching plan. A heavily rotated lineup's 3-2 loss to Turkey cost the team 39 Elo points. The campaign ultimately ended against Belgium in the round of 16, but the performances before that elimination were markedly better than in previous tournaments. The broader record is less convincing. Four full-strength Nations League matches cost the USMNT 21 Elo points. A weakened squad lost seven more during the 2025 Gold Cup after a shootout victory over Costa Rica counted as a draw and Mexico won the final 2-1. The Americans beat Senegal, Uruguay and Japan in friendlies but lost to every European team they faced. Their overall Elo ranking is consequently back at 31st, exactly where it stood when Berhalter was dismissed. One route to improvement is playing more competitive matches. The USMNT is likely to appear in the 2028 Copa America and will have to qualify for the 2030 World Cup. CONCACAF qualification is not expected to be especially difficult, particularly if the World Cup expands to as many as 64 teams. An away qualifier against a side such as Honduras creates a different test from facing Portugal or the Netherlands, but still places valuable pressure on the lineup and tactical plan. Friendlies provide rare opportunities to experiment, although frequent changes also reduce the time available for leading players to build relationships in their best positions. The other major challenge is improving against stronger opponents. During Pochettino's tenure, the USMNT has played 13 matches against teams inside FIFA's top 25 and 18 against teams outside it. A high press and midfield runners suit matches in which the U.S. has more talent, but can expose the defense against better teams. Pochettino previously used a physical press to help Southampton and Tottenham outperform expectations, yet today's stronger opponents are more accustomed to countering that approach. Somali followers of U.S. soccer will now have a full cycle in which to assess Pochettino, with competitive fixtures and matches against stronger teams determining whether the World Cup improvement can endure.