Speaking exclusively with Ozoon, Newcastle and Spurs hero Chris Waddle has given his thoughts on the USMNT, 2026 World Cup , Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham and more.
Waddle, who helped England to the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup, has explained why Mauricio Pochettino’s side are not in the top 20 international sides.
The Three Lions icon has also praised Heung-min Son’s impact on MLS as the league continues to grow.
Is the USMNT a Top 20 Team?
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, the hype surrounding the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) is reaching a fever pitch. However, England legend and Newcastle/Spurs hero Chris Waddle is here to pour some cold water on those expectations. With global attention building ahead of the tournament, fans are also looking beyond the pitch, like who will perform the 2026 World Cup Halftime Show?
In an exclusive interview with Ozoon, Waddle didn’t hold back on his assessment of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad before the World Cup, the growth of MLS, and the limitations of America’s biggest stars.
Despite the “Golden Generation” labels often thrown around in US soccer circles, Waddle believes the team is nowhere near the world’s elite.
“I look at the American team, and you could name probably 20 teams who are far better than the USA,” Waddle stated. “If people expect Pochettino to take America to the quarter-finals or wherever, dream on.”
While he praised their fitness – calling it their “biggest asset” – he was unsure about their star power. “They haven’t got world-class players. If you ask a guy in the street to name five American footballers, they’ll find it hard.”
The “Sonny” Side of MLS
It’s not all doom and gloom for soccer in the States. Waddle highlighted Heung-min Son’s move to MLS as a massive catalyst for growth. While he admitted MLS isn’t at the level of the Premier League, he sees Son as the perfect ambassador.
- Star Power: Son’s massive fan base is helping promote the league globally.
- Longevity: Waddle believes Son can play “two or three years quite comfortably” due to his fitness.
- Youth Development: Having experienced pros like Son and Messi helps American kids reach a better level through exposure and coaching.
Pulisic to Liverpool? Not for Waddle
With rumours swirling about Christian Pulisic potentially replacing Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, Waddle issued a firm “no.”
“Not for me,” Waddle said. “I thought he was an honest player, a grafter, but he didn’t set the place alight at Chelsea. Liverpool should be looking for a lot better than that.”
For more insight, read the full transcript below.
Q: What would be a success for Mauricio Pochettino at the World Cup?
“I look at the American team, and you could name probably 20 teams who are far better than the USA. So, for me, all Pochettino can do is organise them and get them out there.
“I’ve always said the American team are very fit. They’ve got to use the fitness if they’re playing in the heat, which a lot of teams will find it hard, as us Brits know. So they’ve got to use the fitness.
“The biggest asset America has got for me is fitness. And organisation goes a long way. But you can’t put it into a team which you haven’t got. It’s as simple as that.
“They haven’t got world-class players, if you ask a guy in the street to name three, four, five American footballers, they’ll find it hard, let’s be perfectly honest.
“This is what you’re looking at. And if people expect Pochettino to take America to the quarter-finals or wherever, dream on.
Q: Could any manager in world football have glory with this Spurs team?
“If Mauricio Pochettino goes in, Pep Guardiola goes in, or Jurgen Klopp goes in, you want somebody who’s going to go in there and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll come in, but where’s the money? Who can I buy? Because I want to buy A, B, C and D.’
“And if they say that they are too old, or too expensive. I felt for Thomas Frank, I felt for others. Listen, they’re not buying top-quality players, they’re buying possibilities.
“When Pochettino was here last time. You had Harry Kane, Harry Kane shouldn’t have been allowed to leave the club.
“Pochettino got the sack because the team was struggling and they weren’t doing what they thought they were going to do. You can bring anybody into this football club, and we’ll talk about anybody. They’ve had Jose Mourinho, they’ve had Antonio Conte, who’s gone on and won leagues. They’ve left Tottenham and gone and won things. So it’s the club.
“It doesn’t matter. You can get the best manager, whoever we think is the best manager in the world, you can put him in that hot seat and then they say, ‘No, not buying him. He’s too expensive. Not buying him too old.’
“So at the end of the day, it’s not about the manager. And I always say this, people who’ve lost their job in the last five, ten years with Tottenham, they’re not bad managers by the way.
“It’s not about the manager, it’s about the club. If the people who own the club don’t want to take it forward and be a massive football club and go win trophies, sell it.”
“They’ll compete. They’ll have a go, but even if they had all the best managers in the world, you can only deal with the tools you’ve got. If he’s told to get out of the group stage, I think that would be job done. Thank you, Mr. Pochettino.”
Q: Can Heung-min Son compete with Lionel Messi’s MLS star power?
“Heung-min Son, he’s got a big fan club. He has to do videos every day to send them off to his fans. And he was a great servant at Spurs; he’s a really good player as well.
“He’s a fit lad, so he can play in the MLS because it’s not as strong as the Premier League, let’s be honest. He could have another two or three years in that league quite comfortably. It’s a great move for players who are good players, really good players.
“It’s a hype league. It’s popular. The league is getting bigger. There are a lot more players going there, which you would never have thought.
“Top players can play two or three years there very, very comfortably with a good lifestyle and they want you to promote the MLS. They want you to promote it, and then they’ll be on here saying, ‘Look what we’ve seen, look how massive. Look who’s come to this league.’ They want to promote that league and make it bigger.
“It will get bigger over the years, there’s no doubt about that. The more players that get in like Son and people like that will help the American kids and help the American players coming through, the younger ones, and they’ll get to a better level.
“So the more experienced footballers are getting in there and who want to do a bit of coaching and helping. These young players who are five, six, seven, eight onwards will play and learn and the national team will improve from that.”
Q: Could Christian Pulisic be the man to replace Mohamed Salah?
“Could Christian Pulisic be the man to replace Mohamed Salah? Not for me. I thought he was an honest player, a grafter. A lot of American players are fit.
“I think most American footballers are, but I don’t think he set the place alight at Chelsea. A club the size of Liverpool. Not for me.
“He’s not a great player for me. He’s a player who floats around, he grafts, he relies on his fitness, and he plays on percentages. I think Liverpool should be looking for a lot better than that.”