USMNT to Take Big Swing With Mauricio Pochettino Hire

Former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to take the helm of the U.S. men’s national soccer team, according to reports including The Athletic and ESPN.

According to ESPN, Chelsea still owes Pochettino money, and until that situation is resolved, he can’t sign with the USMNT. The manager signed a two-year deal with the club and led it to a sixth-place finish this past season, but in May parted ways halfway through his contract due to several disagreements with management.

The USMNT fired its former player-turned-head coach Gregg Berhalter after a meager showing at the Copa América earlier this summer. It was the first time since the group stage was introduced in 1975 that the host country did not advance to the knockout stage. Berhalter had coached the team since 2018, with a brief time off in 2022–2023 after his contract expired. He posted a record of 44-17-13, made it to the knockout round in the 2022 World Cup, and won two Concacaf Nations League titles and one Gold Cup.

With the 2026 World Cup around the corner and being played on American soil, the U.S. was desperate to find a manager who can bring them more success on the international stage.

The USWNT, which just won gold at the Olympics, also tapped Chelsea’s former coach in the hiring of Emma Hayes. The Argentine Pochettino joins the British Hayes as another foreign-born manager of the U.S. teams, a practice far more common for the men’s squad than the women’s.