Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar Jr. are among the many iconic names in the world of soccer. What binds them together is despite hailing from different continents, they spent the majority of their careers in the heart of European football. Now with the 2026 World Cup set to take place in North America, all eyes are on Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT, who believes the MLS is just as competitive as its European counterparts. While he believes the MLS is a very physical league, current USMNT no.1 goalkeeper, Matt Turner has a different take on the matter. 

Speaking at a pre-match conference ahead of his side’s Nations League quarterfinal match with Jamaica, the USMNT coach stated that players playing in the MLS would have the same chance to play for the Stars and Stripes as those playing their club football in Europe. 

During a recent press conference, Turner, who has over 100 appearances for the New England Revolution, mentioned that he still follows the MLS. “Not sure about this three-game playoff series [format], I can’t lie, but otherwise, I think things are pretty exciting, and it’s been fun to see some upsets and things like that,” said Turner, who was part of the New England side that broke the regular season record with 73 points but got knocked out in the playoffs. 

Looking at it from a European perspective, the format is a bit absurd. Imagine playing your best football all season, finishing on top of the domestic table, only for a team that finished below you on points to win the title, simply because another team, who also finished below you in the standings, managed to knock you out in a playoff. That’s what happened to Inter Miami this season. 

Mauricio’s Pochettino statement has raised many eyebrows, with former USMNT player Alexi Lalas warning him to change his naive stance. Considering how USMNT has never made it past the quarterfinals in the World Cup, Pochettino has a major task at hand but soccer and MLS legend Landon Donovan warns the Argentine of another prominent issue. 

Is the MLS simply not good enough?

In the current roster, only four MLS players are listed for the national team, of which, Tim Ream from Charlotte FC was the only one to feature in their 5-2 aggregate win over Jamaica. Another factor that contributed to this is because first-choice defender, Chris Richards, is out injured. However, league standards are far from Pochettino’s worries for March. With a squad of either aging players or inexperienced ones, the gaffer faces some tough decisions ahead. 

Apart from Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream, the rest of the defenders are under 25 years old, with many of them not getting regular club action at the top level. Recently, Ricardo Pepi of PSV shined in the absence of the injured Folarin Balogun, so that is another decision Pochettino will have to take when the AS Monaco striker returns. 

With none of the current goalkeepers playing week in and week out, Pochettino hopes that by the time the World Cup arrives, his players will have plenty of time to hone their skills. With thousands of supporters at home, it will be interesting to see if the Stars and Stripes make it past the cursed round of 16, not having done so since 2002.