US Soccer ‘makes contact with Jurgen Klopp to replace fired Gregg Berhalter’ as they hope to lure former Liverpool boss back into management

According to reports, U.S. Soccer coaches have held talks with Jurgen Klopp about the possibility of him taking charge of the USMNT.

The United States is looking for a new coach after Gregg Berhalter was fired on Wednesday following the country’s disappointing performance in the Copa America on home soil.

Klopp is currently out of work after leaving Liverpool earlier this year, with the German planning to take a break from management.

But according to The independentThe US Soccer Federation has made Klopp its top target ahead of a home World Cup in 2026.

The 57-year-old insisted he had ‘no energy left’ after almost a decade at Liverpool, but recently ruled out retiring.

Gregg Berhalter was fired as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team on Wednesday

“It’s out of the question that I’ll stop working completely,” Klopp said. “But I don’t see myself continuing at the same pace as before at the moment.”

The German, one of the most acclaimed coaches in the sport, won the Premier League and Champions League during his nine illustrious years in charge of Anfield.

After the US national team was eliminated in the group stage of the Copa America, DailyMail.com columnist Tim Howard promised to fly to Spain to convince Klopp to lead the US to its own World Cup in 2026.

The German has not directly responded to calls for him to take charge so far, but he did tease his fans with a social media post on July 4.

“It’s the perfect day to reflect on my travels with Liverpool to the States… we had a great time and the American fans are excited! Happy 4th of July,” Klopp wrote alongside a selection of snaps from pre-season tours.

Berhalter’s future was in doubt after the U.S. national team was defeated by both Panama and Uruguay at the Copa America, eliminating Christian Pulisic and co. in the group stage.

The US national team was eliminated from the Copa America in the group stage after defeats to Panama and Uruguay

On Wednesday evening, the United States Soccer Federation announced his departure “effective immediately.”

“I want to thank Gregg for his hard work and dedication to US Soccer and our men’s national team,” said Cindy Parlow Cone, president of US Soccer.

“We are now focused on working with our Sporting Director Matt Crocker and leveraging his experience at the highest level of the sport to ensure we find the right person to lead the USMNT into a new era of on-field success.”

In a statement to Mail Sport, Berhalter took responsibility for the disappointing Copa America campaign: “I would like to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for the confidence they have shown me to lead this team over the past five years. It is a tremendous honor to represent our country and I am proud of the identity we have built on and off the pitch.

“It has been very satisfying to watch this team develop over the years and I continue to be grateful for the lifelong bonds I have built with our players, coaches and staff.

“The Copa America result is extremely disappointing and I take full responsibility for our performance. Our approach and process has always been focused on the 2026 World Cup and I am confident that this group will be one of the big stories of 2026.”