Sourya Sur Roy

Fans Think Mauricio Pochettino Has Gone Full Russell Crowe Now

2026 FIFA World Cup, Body Talk, Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT

The US Men’s National Soccer Team started the World Cup 2026 at home in a convincing manner, defeating Paraguay 4-1.

Paraguayan defender Damian Bobadilla helped the USA open their account with an unfortunate own goal, before a brace from Folarin Balogun, and then a Giovanni Reyna screamer sealed the deal for the home nation.

Reyna was brought in as a tactical substitution by Pochettino in the 82nd minute, replacing Malik Tillman, and the change had an immediate effect on the match.

Another significant substitution that the manager made was to replace Christian Pulisic at half time with Sebastian Berhalter. Pulisic suffered a knock to the calf during a tackle, and Pochettino had to take avoiding action to keep the winger out of any serious injury trouble.

But the decision did not have any negative impact on the team’s overall performance, as Pochettino’s high-pressing attacking style of football was on full display at the Los Angeles Stadium. The USMNT held 65% possession and played a total of 510 accurate passes. The team made 16 total shots, out of which 6 were on target, and 4 ended up in the back of the net.

While the strong performance came as a surprise, another thing fans noted was the appearance of USA manager Mauricio Pochettino, particularly his resemblance to New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe.

During Friday’s match, Pochettino was seen by the sideline wearing a blue collared shirt and matching pants. 

It is particularly Pochettino’s hair, with short crops and rugged mid-length shags, or locks, in the front, and his white beard, that has been drawing the comparisons with the Hollywood actor. In recent times, the football manager has also gained weight, which has him genuinely looking like Crowe.

Users on X have been quick to notice the USMNT manager’s look and draw comparisons to Crowe’s looks in movies, directly Photoshopping him into the fictional scenarios. In a hilarious edit, Pochettino’s face has been put in place of Crowe’s in a scene from the 2003 epic period war film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, in which Crowe played the character of Jack Aubrey. 

One of the most iconic roles in Russell Crowe’s illustrious career has been as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 epic drama film Gladiator. Following the trend, a user Photoshopped Pochettino into a scene from Gladiator as well.

Another user commented how the USMNT coach looks like he is “about to tell Prisoner 24601 not to forget him”, referencing a scene from the 2012 period musical film Les Miserables, in which Crowe played the main antagonist, Inspector Javert.

After a strong start, the USMNT will be looking to continue their form and go deep into the tournament. They play Australia next on June 19th at Lumen Field in Seattle, before finishing the group stage against Turkey on June 25th at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood.

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