Salah & Szoboszlai run rings around City in champion display

Culture Axis: New Preds, Messi answers 'Stoke' question & more

The Curious Case of Marcelo

Magical Modric inspires Madrid on Mbappe off-day

KDB looks done! Captain leads City flops in Liverpool loss

Editors' Picks

INEOS to distance Man Utd from past as Ferguson blamed for struggles

Rashford's impact at Villa hailed by Asensio & Tielemans

Young quotes Mourinho as he reacts to overturned penalty decision

Man City, Barca & football's most dramatic falls from grace

'You are crazy!' - Amorim can't believe he's only won four games

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><ul><li>Argentine coach now in the United States</li><li>Worked with iconic superstars in France</li><li>Italian midfielder impressed South American</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table>

VIDEO: Mauricio Pochettino surprisingly snubs Lionel Messi for another ex-PSG star as USMNT boss names 'greatest player that I saw in my life'

<p>Argentine tactician Pochettino spent one season working with fellow countryman Messi at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2021-22. He was the man in charge at Parc des Princes <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/pochettino-never-expected-sign-messi-psg/enst8zxs9jxu10e89epsldxnu" target="_blank">when the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner completed a shock switch</a> from Barcelona as a free agent.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>That stint also gave Pochettino the chance to <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/usmnt-told-how-lionel-messi-harry-kane-neymar-gave-mauricio-pochettino-biggest-strength-anada-boss-jesse-marsch/blte88dd80350a876ae" target="_blank">coach the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar</a>. Spells in charge of Tottenham and Chelsea saw him manage a number of other superstar performers – including <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/is-harry-kane-the-best-no-9-of-his-generation-bayern-munich-star-ranked-against-robert-lewandowski-l/bltfbcefdb11f4d3752" target="_blank">Spurs and England’s all-time leading goalscorer, Harry Kane</a>.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>It is, however, another talented former PSG star that Pochettino has billed as “the greatest”. The man <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/number-one-mauricio-pochettino-lofty-ambitions-usmnt-overall-objective-world-best/blt87b617f51835bb98" target="_blank">guiding the United States towards a home World Cup in 2026</a> made that admission when speaking to <strong>GOAL</strong> in a quickfire quiz.</p>

DID YOU KNOW?

<p>Asked to describe some of those that he has coached, Pochettino called Thiago Silva a “leader”,  Kane “top scorer”, Neymar a “magician”, Mbappe a “killer” and Messi a “genius”. It was, however, Italian midfielder Marco Verratti that earned his “greatest player” billing.</p>

WHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID

<center><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@goalglobal/video/7471318386522230038" data-video-id="7471318386522230038" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@goalglobal" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@goalglobal?refer=embed">@goalglobal</a> <p>The way Mauricio Pochettino described Marco Veratti 😮‍💨 @Match for Hope <a title="football" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/football?refer=embed">#football</a> <a title="soccer" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/soccer?refer=embed">#soccer</a> <a title="matchforhope" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/matchforhope?refer=embed">#MatchForHope</a> <a title="messi" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/messi?refer=embed">#messi</a> <a title="psg" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/psg?refer=embed">#psg</a> <a title="spurs" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/spurs?refer=embed">#spurs</a> <a title="premierleague" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/premierleague?refer=embed">#premierleague</a> </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - GOAL" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7471318393753275158?refer=embed">♬ original sound - GOAL</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script></center>

WATCH THE CLIP

<p>Euro 2020 winner <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/kylian-mbappe-zlatan-ibrahimovic-and-the-25-best-psg-players-of-the-21st-century-so-far-ranked/bltb1d271952f7ea8eb" target="_blank">Verratti made over 400 appearances for PSG</a> between 2012 and 2023. He won two titles alongside all-time great Messi, but is now plying his trade in Qatar for Al-Arabi at 32 years of age – with there still a little under 18 months left to run on his contract there.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

VIDEO: Mauricio Pochettino surprisingly snubs Lionel Messi for another ex-PSG star as USMNT boss names 'greatest player that I saw in my life' | Goal.com

Mauricio Pochettino, who is now in charge of the USMNT, has surprisingly snubbed Lionel Messi when naming the “greatest player that I saw in my life”.

VIDEO: Mauricio Pochettino surprisingly snubs Lionel Messi for another ex-PSG star as USMNT boss names &apos;greatest player that I saw in my life&apos;