Jesús Pérez on USMNT’s World Cup Preparations: ‘We Really Believe We Can Win It’
Mauricio Pochettino’s first assistant coach talks philosophy, preparation and belief as USMNT ends 2025 on a roll
Just over a year since U.S. Soccer announced the technical staff additions to complement newly minted head coach Mauricio Pochettino, first assistant coach Jesús Pérez—who’s been alongside Pochettino for nearly two decades—has sky-high expectations for the U.S. Men’s National Team as it prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.
“We really believe that we can win it,” Pérez said of the upcoming tournament. “We know that everything has to be on your side to win it. We have to focus on ourselves, to know how we can be very competitive, that we have to win matches through all the different phases of the game."
As someone who is always by the side of the Argentine manager—whether it's on the sideline, at appearances or at post-match press conferences—Pérez knows firsthand the identity that a Pochettino-led group works to embody.
"We are trying to be very efficient in possession, take advantage of set-pieces, penalties; those things that can define a short tournament,” Pérez added. “The most important thing is to keep alive the wish and the dream that you can win matches. There are different moments and examples of teams that did it, they made it, and then wherever football take us, that will be the final result, but we don't want to set any limit.”
Pérez’s unabashed belief in Pochettino’s coaching philosophies and strategies stems from the pair’s lengthy history together. The 54-year-old Barcelona native has been alongside Pochettino at each stop of the latter’s managerial career, spending time with RCD Espanyol in his native Barcelona, Southampton FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC.
Even before joining forces with Pochettino in 2010, Pérez’s football-first upbringing and desire to understand the athlete, both in and out of their respective element, helped develop his current coaching approach.
Though there's nothing like football for Pérez, he’s valued learning from other sports and especially appreciates watching the Olympics with its four-year cycle similar to the World Cup. He even had a stint as a swim coach, which he credits with shifting his perspective.
“I was curious how to coach just one athlete,” Pérez explained. “I was able to plan a whole season for only one guy with multiple training sessions, power sessions, all those things. That background helped me understand, and that's why I'm a fan of the individual work, because I really believe a player can improve until he retires. There is always something—a topic, an aspect of him as a person and as a player—that can be improved.”
Improvements both individually and collectively have been evident throughout Pochettino’s first full year at the helm. The USMNT shook off a 2W-4L-0D start to 2025 and closed out the year with an impressive 8W-2L-2D stretch, capped off by a five-match unbeaten run against a quintet of opponents ranked in the top 40 of the FIFA World Ranking: Japan, Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Pérez credits the USMNT’s recent run of form to Pochettino’s desire focus less on who they are playing but rather how they are playing.
“We are a coaching staff that represents a coach’s philosophy, and [Mauricio Pochettino] is a guy who wants an energetic game,” Pérez stated. “But when I say energetic, [I mean] a team that cares very little about the opponent, a team that is focused week in, week out to improve ourselves, knowing that in front [of us] we have different types of rivals. We want to be able to compete against another team, sometimes using different approaches, but not because we change the approach but because the opponent forces you. We want to be ready to face those different challenges that a dominant team can give us. A team that is reactive can [challenge] us as well.
“That's why it's important to focus on yourself, to improve, how to press high, yes, but to be resilient and well-organized when the opponent forces you to be low. Transition quickly if you can, but if not, have a good positional game. We have a holistic approach to the game, and obviously the players’ [mental] states and qualities will dictate what we can do more. We are not refusing to try to do things or to be brave, but to try things with responsibility, if possible. That's why we care very little about the opponent. Opponent is important for us on the build-up of the week, the drills we [conduct], but we don't put too many fears in the players’ minds. We want them to be focused on themselves and how we can be better in every single phase of the game.”
With just two international windows and roughly 200 days separating the USMNT from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Pérez, excited for one of the biggest challenges of his coaching career, is confident that the coaching staff’s meticulous preparations will further cultivate belief amongst the players.
“The most important thing is the players’ state of mind, because whatever your mind is able to fight against in a short tournament will be very, very important,” Pérez said. “We want them to be prepared, or at least to believe that they can go through any situation and no excuses. We as a staff, we are going to be prepared to help them in between training sessions, in between matches, during the match, with every single proven strategy. But the key factor will be the belief.”