Former Tottenham and Chelsea Coach Mauricio Pochettino Becomes New USA Manager

On Tuesday, former Tottenham and Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino was announced as the next manager of the US Men’s National Team. The 52-year-old Argentine replaces Gregg Berhalter, who was fired in July after USMNT’s disappointing performance at the 2024 Copa America.

The news of Pochettino becoming the new head coach of the USMNT came just three days after they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Canada in Kansas City. The USMNT have lost their way in recent years, constantly delivering underwhelming performances in major tournaments. Furthermore, the recent lackluster performances have come at a time when USMNT arguably possesses one of the best crop of players in their history. Players like Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Florian Balogun, Yunus Musah and Malik Tillman play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe. With a squad like this, USMNT should be targeting deep runs in every major tournament. However, that hasn’t happened in recent years. 

Mauricio Pochettino has been brought in to change that. The Argentine head coach has an excellent track record of developing young players. During his time at Tottenham, players like Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son, all established themselves as superstars of the Premier League. At Chelsea, reigning PFA Young Player of the Year Cole Palmer blossomed under his tutelage. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil in the USA, the USMNT is eyeing this tournament as their breakout moment—and with Pochettino at the helm, they might just have the perfect leader to guide them there. 

In an official statement, Pochettino said, “The decision to join U.S. Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on. The energy, the passion and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me.” While the Argentine wasn’t present at USMNT’s recent match against New Zealand, he is expected to attend a press conference in New York on Friday. The first time fans can expect to see Pochettino on the sidelines will be on 12th October against Panama.  

USMNT paid Gregg Berhalter 1.4-million dollars for his services. However, as one of the best coaches in world football, Mauricio Pochettino will demand significantly more salary. His salary at Chelsea netted him approximately 13-million dollars. While the terms of the deal with Pochettino haven’t been disclosed, several reports have stated that US Soccer will supplement his salary through outside sources. The organization stated that it received a “philanthropic leadership gift” from billionaire hedge fund founder Kenneth C. Griffin and “additional support” from financial executive Scott Goodwin and several commercial partners.  

Also Read: Harry Kane Stars on His Special Night as England Ease Past Finland