It’s July 2026 and the USMNT just won the World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino is the winningest coach in tournament history now. And somewhere out there, someone is already writing a screenplay. But fans know who has to play the lead.
Russell Crowe.
It started on X when one fan put it bluntly: “If we end up winning and they make a movie about it, Russell Crowe has to be casted as Poch, right?” Another user doubled down, saying the biopic is already set for 2028 with Crowe in the role. Somebody even photoshopped Crowe’s face onto Pochettino’s body. It’s weirdly perfect. The guy who fought in the Colosseum now managing Christian Pulisic and company in a World Cup final.
Casting aside, Pochettino has quietly turned the U.S. men’s national team into something serious. He took over in 2024 after stints at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea. Before that, he was a center-back for Argentina and Newell’s Old Boys, where he won a league title and finished runner-up in the Copa Libertadores. He also played in the World Cup for Argentina. So yeah, he knows what it’s like to carry a nation’s expectations.
Crowe has history with biopics. He won an Oscar for Gladiator and knocked it out of the park playing John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. He also did The Insider and Cinderella Man. The man disappears into roles. Playing an intense Argentine manager with a track record of turning struggling teams into contenders? That’s not a stretch. That’s a par 3 with a 7 iron.
The USMNT just beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to advance in the tournament. If they keep winning, a biopic becomes inevitable. And if it happens, Crowe is the obvious choice. Fans have already spoken. The only question left is whether the movie gets greenlit before the next World Cup or after.
Leave a Comment