Former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly agreed on a deal to become the new head coach of the United States men’s national team (USMNT).
The Argentine, who left his role at Stamford Bridge at the end of last season, will succeed former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter after the American was sacked following a poor showing at the Copa America tournament, where they suffered a disappointing group stage exit.
The 52-year-old has always been high on the list of managers wanted by the USA to lead the team into the 2026 World Cup, which they will co-host alongside Mexico and Canada.
Across his 16-year managerial career, Pochettino has never overseen a national team. He started his promising career at Espanyol before securing a move to coach Southampton, guiding them to an eighth-place finish in 2013. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur a year later, leading them to a record league finish as well as the final of the Champions League in 2019 within a five-year period.
Pochettino then took a two-year break before bagging the head coach role at PSG, where he won the three titles, including the Ligue 1. He most recently was the head coach of Chelsea, where he led them to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League and the final of the English Football League (EFL) Cup, as well as European qualification to the Conference League.
The former Argentina international is expected to reunite with Matt Crocker, the U.S. Soccer sporting director, whom he had a great relationship with during their time together at Southampton, where Crocker was in charge of the Saints’ academy.
