The US took the lead early in the match in Houston, Texas with a goal from Chris RichardsbutMexico equalized through Raul Jimenez and Edson Alvarez to secure their 10th Gold Cup title.

Pochettino told the media that while it was a tough night for his team, the tournament served as excellent preparation for the 2026 World Cup, which the US will co-host with Mexico and Canada.

"It was a significant lesson for us. This tournament was incredible for understanding how we want to develop," he added.

"This is how I believe we will learn to compete better and become very competitive, reaching the position we aspire to.

"Losing a trophy or a match is extremely painful. However, the key is to stay positive because I think the tournament was fantastic, and we will continue moving forward; that is how we intend to shape our journey toward the World Cup."

The US reached the final despite the absence of several key players, as Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah made the controversial decision to opt out, while Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Tim Weah were unavailable due to commitments with the Club World Cup.

However, Pochettino preferred not to comment on how these absences affected the team.

"I believe the squad we assembled was the one that deserved to be here, and now is not the time to discuss which players should or shouldn't have been present," he stated.

The US will next face South Korea and Japan in friendly matches scheduled for September.