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ESPN is handing out grades for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup now that it's over.
Spain topped Argentina, 1-0, in the FIFA Men's World Cup Final on Sunday. It was the last game of a month-long tournament, held in North America. The tournament was pretty thrilling, with a ton of huge matches, major upsets, significant goals, star power and more.
ESPN handed out letter grades to every big name and big country involved in the 2026 tournament. The Worldwide Leader in Sports did not go lightly on the U.S. men's national team's head coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
The U.S. men's national team won its group and reached the Round of 16, winning a Round of 32 knockout stage game. However, the U.S. men were thumped by Belgium, 4-1, in the Round of 16.
ESPN has given the U.S. men's national team head coach a "D" grade.
"Along the same lines as Tuchel, U.S. Soccer hired a super coach to elevate a talented but underperforming group of players. Pochettino did enough to get a nation believing in the group stage, but as soon as the USMNT faced a competent team in Belgium, it lost," they wrote.
ESPN also gave USMNT star Christian Pulisic a "D."
"It can't be easy to carry the hopes of a nation as Pulisic does with the USMNT, but the so-called 'Captain America' is 27 now and another World Cup has passed him by. He's a good player, but maybe that's about it. Good, but not great."
The "D" grade for Pochettino feels harsh
Yes, the U.S. men's national team was crushed by Belgium, but prior to that game, the American men were playing as well as perhaps any previous U.S. World Cup squad.
The "D" grade feels pretty harsh. Something in the low B/high C range is probably more appropriate.
