The U.S. national team has found an established player to lead its 2026 World Cup effort.
Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the next head coach of the United States men’s soccer team. According to multiple reports.
The 52-year-old Pochettino enjoyed a successful playing career, including playing for Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, and has also had coaching roles with Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham, Southampton and Espanyol.
He replaced Gregg Berhalter, who was fired after the U.S. men’s national team’s disastrous Copa America defeat, which ESPN called a “big win” for the U.S.
The Americans scrambled to sign big names in an attempt to secure a manager they could trust, even trying to lure former Tottenham manager Jurgen Klopp, but have found a solid leader in Pochettino.
Pochettino led Chelsea to a sixth-placed finish last season but left the Premier League club after just one season there.
U.S. Soccer technical director Matt Crocker had held extensive discussions with Pochettino with the goal of finding a coach who could lead a team to a strong finish at the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. men’s national team would host and automatically qualify for.
Crocker and Pochettino worked together during the manager’s lone season at Southampton, and Crocker has previously said the U.S. national team has the right financial backing to bring in a high-profile coach.
“It’s a very competitive market salary-wise and you have to be competitive to get a coach at a level that you believe can move your program forward to achieve the results you want on the field,” Crocker said. According to The Athletic“This is a priority, one we’re ready to invest in and will continue to invest in.”
This will be Pochettino’s first time in charge of a national team, and he is expected to be in attendance for the USA men’s match against Canada on September 7, according to ESPN.
According to The Athletic, his team “will look to dominate space using positional play, but also like to press and attack the opposition.”
