‘It is too expensive,’ the USMNT forward told French outlet Le Dauphiné. ‘Football should still be enjoyed by everyone. It is the most popular sport. This World Cup will be good, but it will be more of a show.’
For Pochettino, Weah’s comments were an unnecessary distraction from on-field matters.
‘First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the (pitch),’ Pochettino said. ‘It is not [Weah’s] duty to evaluate the price of the ticket. And then also my duty is to prepare the team, the U.S. men’s national team, in the best way to perform.
‘We are not politicians. We are sport people that only we can talk about our job. And I think if FIFA does something or takes some decision, they know why, and it is their responsibility to explain why. But it’s not up to us to provide our opinion.’
Pochettino’s comments didn’t go down well with Gomez and his fellow ESPN analyst, former Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.
‘It’s the U.S. men’s national team, the country, whats it’s supposed to represent, land of the free, home of the brave. Except right now [Pochettino] is saying, ‘You don’t get the free speech,” Gomez said on Futbol Americas.
‘And he’s equating [Weah’s comments] to a political statement, which it is not. Timothy Weah expressed what many global citizens today have been expressing, that this World Cup has turned corporate, that … it is no longer the game of the people. It’s the game of the rich. Thousands of dollars for single gameday tickets to the World Cup.
‘And here is one of the few players on your team with World Cup experience — that has scored a goal in a World Cup — voicing their opinion how they’d like their people, their fans in general, people of all races, colors, to enjoy the game — and you’re saying, ‘Shut up and dribble.”
Hislop ehoed Gomez’s words, calling Pochettino ‘tone deaf’ for his remarks.
‘It couldn’t be more tone deaf,’ Hislop said. ‘This is harkening back to 60 or 70 years ago. It’s beyond belief that in 2026 we have somebody like Mauricio Pochettino, given the position he holds in this country with its history of activism, of athlete activism, in this moment making this statement.’
Pochettino made similar comments last year when the USMNT was facing Panama while U.S. President Donald Trump was openly discussing his desire to take back the Panama Canal.
‘I think it’s big mistake if we talk about politics because I think people are not waiting us to talk in this way,’ the coach said.
‘That doesn’t mean that I am not strong and I have my values and my vision about the situation, but I think being respectful and being a very clear and a strong guy is … to say nothing and to be focused only to help players who perform and try to win.’