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Country roads, take him to Old Trafford.
Mauricio Pochettino is leaving the U.S. Men’s National Team to become head coach at Manchester United, the federation and club confirmed on Friday.
The Premier League club will pay U.S. Soccer $10 million for Pochettino’s release clause, and about $2 million for his assistants.
Pochettino will still coach the USMNT for its Saturday and Tuesday matches against Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals. The Premier League returns from an international break on Nov. 21, with Manchester United heading to an away match against Liverpool at Anfield on Nov. 22.
U.S. Soccer hired the Argentine in 2024 after stops at Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. He won a French title with PSG and took Tottenham to a Champions League final.
Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin covered a large portion of his first $6 million annual salary. Griffin, ironically, helped the Glazer family take over United in 2005; the Glazers also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pochettino led the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2026 World Cup on home soil, breathing new life into the young squad and its style of play. Yet the U.S. saw another Round of 16 exit following an embarrassing 4–1 loss to Belgium in Seattle.
The federation and Pochettino announced they had agreed to a contract extension for another World Cup cycle in August, with a contract again primarily funded by Griffin.
U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said in a statement that Pochettino “left a lasting mark” on the federation.
“He and his staff raised standards, strengthened our culture and created clearer connections from the Youth National Teams to the senior team,” Batson said. “Those changes are now embedded in how we operate, and we will keep building on them as we pursue sustained success on the world stage.”
United fired head coach Michael Carrick on Thursday, a club legend who came back to coach in January. He led United to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season to earn Champions League qualification.
This season, United has taken a nosedive. The club is the league’s only team with one win through 10 matches, and entered the relegation zone last weekend at 18th place in the table.
Pochettino emerged as the potential favorite for the United job even before Carrick’s firing, and United made contact with U.S. Soccer about the coach on Wednesday.
The Argentine said in a statement: “The opportunity to represent the USA crest was one of the greatest honors of my career.” He is set to face the media on Friday morning.
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