Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino was officially hired on Tuesday to succeed Gregg Berhalter as the U.S. men’s national team coach, 21 months ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will host. The 52-year-old Argentine becomes the 10th coach for the U.S. team in the past 14 years and its first foreign-born leader since Jurgen Klinsmann, who served from 2011-2016.
Pochettino’s managerial career spans across top European leagues, having coached Espanyol in Spain, Southampton and Tottenham in England, Paris Saint-Germain in France, and most recently Chelsea in England. His tenure at PSG included winning a Ligue 1 title.
“It’s about the journey that this team and this country are on,” Pochettino expressed in a statement released by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). “The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me.”
The decision to appoint Pochettino followed an initial meeting with USSF CEO JT Batson and sporting director Matt Crocker in Barcelona. The talks, which extended over five hours, began in mid-August. Notably, Crocker had been Southampton’s academy director when Pochettino first joined the club.
While the exact length of Pochettino’s contract was not disclosed, the USSF confirmed that he will lead the team through the World Cup. “Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams,” said Crocker. “I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad.”
Pochettino was expected to arrive in the U.S. on Wednesday, with a news conference scheduled in New York two days later. His first assignments include friendlies against Panama on October 12 in Austin, Texas, and against Mexico three days later, followed by competitive matches in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals in November.
Former U.S. goalkeeper and current ESPN analyst Kasey Keller provided his perspective on Pochettino’s appointment. “The one thing that I found a little funny was the statement that we were going to get a guy that basically wins everything,” Keller remarked. “It’s not like Pochettino has Jose Mourinho’s track record, but he’s obviously had a good level of success, particularly at places like Southampton and Tottenham, places that didn’t have the largest budget.”
Pochettino inherits a team with high expectations from both management and fans, who believe the roster has the potential to surpass its current No. 16 world ranking.
Berhalter was dismissed on July 10, shortly after the team’s first-round exit in the Copa America. He was originally hired in December 2018, left when his contract expired after the 2022 World Cup, and was rehired in June 2023 for a brief stint before departing again.
The financial backing for Pochettino’s hiring was supported by donations from Kenneth C. Griffin, CEO of Citadel, Scott Goodwin, managing partner of Diameter Capital Partners, and other commercial partners of the USSF.
Mikey Varas, an assistant under Berhalter, temporarily led the team for recent friendlies, which included a 2-1 loss to Canada and a 1-1 draw with New Zealand.
As co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. will be a seeded team, likely avoiding top-nine ranked nations in the first round of the expanded 48-team tournament. A group victory would further minimize the chances of facing top-level opponents until the new round of 32.
Pochettino anticipates having the full player pool available for only eight one-week training sessions before the World Cup preparations. The team faces challenges, including depth issues at goalkeeper and central defense, and maintaining on-field discipline.
“I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of,” Pochettino stated.
Pochettino’s playing career saw him as a central defender for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina, and European clubs Espanyol, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bordeaux. He earned 20 caps for Argentina, featuring in the 1999 Copa América and the 2002 World Cup, where a foul he committed on Michael Owen led to a penalty in Argentina’s 1-0 loss to England.
Transitioning to coaching, Pochettino started at Espanyol, steering the team clear of relegation. He was fired in November 2012 with the team in last place but quickly rebounded, joining Southampton two months later.
In May 2014, he moved to Tottenham, guiding the team to the 2015 League Cup final and the 2019 Champions League final. After his firing in November 2019, PSG hired him in January 2021, accomplishing a French Cup victory and a Ligue 1 title before losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.
Pochettino departed PSG at the end of the 2022-23 season and took over Chelsea in June 2023. Despite a sixth-place Premier League finish and a League Cup final loss to Liverpool, his stint was short-lived, concluding just two days after the season’s final match.
