Pochettino adds a baseball cameo to USMNT’s World Cup summer

Mauricio Pochettino took part in an MLB ceremonial first pitch at T-Mobile Park before the Seattle Mariners hosted the Toronto Blue Jays, and his throw made it safely to the catcher. The appearance came while the USMNT coach was preparing for a World Cup round-of-16 meeting with Belgium after guiding the United States through as group winners and past Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0.

The crossover moment was not an isolated one. Matt Turner warmed up with Pochettino earlier in the day and is among the soccer names to have thrown first pitches this summer, alongside Thomas Tuchel, Billy Gilmour, Trinity Rodman, Aitana Bonmatí and Mario Balotelli.

The appeal is easy to understand: World Cup attention has brought soccer personalities into wider U.S. sports culture, and MLB’s first-pitch tradition gives clubs a quick way to turn visiting football figures into local talking points. Turner was described in the source as having the strongest-looking throw of the group, while others ranged from composed to more casual efforts.

For Pochettino, the light-hearted outing sits beside a more serious football question. With Folarin Balogun suspended for the Belgium match, the USMNT’s next challenge will matter far more than any ceremonial pitch.