Mauricio Pochettino has been named head coach of the United States Men’s National Team.
The 52-year-old replaces Gregg Berhalter, who was sacked following the team’s exit from the group stage of this summer’s Copa America. As reported by The Athletic in August, Pochettino’s appointment marks the former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager’s first time in charge of the national team.
Pochettino will lead the United States at the 2026 World Cup, which they will co-host with Canada and Mexico, and his first match as manager is expected to be a friendly against Panama on Oct. 12 in Austin.
“My decision to join the U.S. Soccer Team wasn’t just about soccer for me, it was about the team and the path this country is on,” Pochettino said. “I was inspired by the energy of this team, the passion and the desire to accomplish something truly historic.”
The announcement came after the U.S. men’s national team lost to Canada in a friendly match in Kansas City on Saturday. The team will play New Zealand in Cincinnati on Tuesday.
“Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive, competitive teams,” said U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker. “His track record speaks for itself and I am confident he is the perfect choice to unlock the tremendous potential of our talented team.”
Pochettino led Chelsea to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League but left the club by mutual consent (Photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent in May, less than 11 months into the job, having guided the team to a top six finish in the Premier League, the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup semi-final.
Pochettino began his managerial career with Spain’s Espanyol, spending nine years as a player across two spells at the club, and his first Premier League job was as manager of Southampton for 16 months, during which he overlapped with Crocker, who was then in charge of Southampton’s academy.
Pochettino took over as Tottenham manager in 2019, leading the team to the Champions League final, but that was his final full season as manager. He was sacked by the club after a disappointing start to the 2019-20 season.
Pochettino took a break from management after his time at Spurs before taking over from Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain in January 2021. The French club finished second in Ligue 1 at the end of the 2020-21 season but won the Coupe de France and Trophée des Champions, while Pochettino led PSG to the Ligue 1 title in 2021-22.
However, he was unable to find success on the European stage with PSG and left the club in June 2022, after which he spent a year away from football before joining Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
Pochettino will travel to the US with former Chelsea manager and current US women’s national team coach Emma Hayes, who won gold with the US at this summer’s Paris Olympics.
“Mauricio’s hiring is another step forward in our mission to compete at the highest level and leave a lasting mark on global soccer,” said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson. “This announcement is part of a historic era for U.S. Soccer, following the groundbreaking of the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center, the launch of the Soccer Forward Foundation, the hiring of Emma Hayes to lead our women’s national team and winning an Olympic gold medal. We’re building a program that will not only win on the world stage, but also inspire the next generation of U.S. Soccer players and fans, and we’re thrilled that Mauricio will play a key role in that journey.”
Former head coach Berhalter was rehired by the U.S. last summer after leading the team to the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A bitter dispute with midfielder Gio Reyna in Qatar and subsequent revelations about his personal life led to an official investigation before he was allowed back.
Under Berhalter, the U.S. won two CONCACAF Nations League finals and one Gold Cup, compiling a record of 44 wins, 17 losses and 13 draws in his five years as coach.
“A new level of hope”
Pochettino’s arrival came too soon for the U.S., which is recovering from a major disappointment that ended with its elimination in the Copa America group stage and a miserable 2-1 loss to Canada on Saturday.
This seems to be a team that needs a reset.
Pochettino immediately becomes the highest-profile manager in the program’s history, an experienced voice tasked with getting the team back on track and maximizing a talent pool that is lauded for its potential but has yet to live up to expectations.
Known as a first-rate people manager, Pochettino will have to get the best out of a core squad that was one of the youngest in both this summer’s Copa de France and European Championships.
His arrival will undoubtedly bring a new level of hope to the entire program as we prepare to jointly host the 2026 World Cup.
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(Top photo: Henry Brown/Getty Images)
