Mauricio Pochettino has been officially confirmed as the new coach of the United States men’s national team.
Nearly a month after it was reported that the former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea manager had agreed to the job, Pochettino’s appointment was finally made official on Tuesday.
He succeeds Gregg Berhalter, who was fired after a disastrous season at the Copa America, in which the US became the first host nation in history to be eliminated in the group stage.
Pochettino has worked at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, but this is his first time in international football.
With Pochettino now being brought in to lead the U.S. national team, it means that both Chelsea’s men’s and women’s first team managers from last season will now be at the helm of the U.S. national teams, while Emma Hayes has been brought in for the U.S. women’s national team.
Mauricio Pochettino has officially agreed to become the United States coach
He succeeds Gregg Berhalter, whose lack of success led to his downfall at the top of the USMNT
With the appointment of Pochettino, the U.S. Soccer Federation is signaling that it wants to motivate the men’s national team to win its first World Cup when the country hosts FIFA’s most important tournament in 2026.
The United States did not seem to be a real contender in the last few games. On Saturday, they lost 2-1 at home to Canada. For the first time since 1957, they lost on home soil to their northern neighbors.
He takes charge of a squad featuring players who have yet to fully realise their potential but performed well on the world stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
There, under Berhalter, the United States drew Wales and England before beating political rivals Iran to advance to the knockout stages, where they lost to the Netherlands.
Since then and during Berhalter’s tenure, the United States has failed to record a “signature victory” against a major opponent, losing 3-1 to Germany in East Hartford, Connecticut, in 2023 and 5-1 to Colombia in Washington, D.C., last summer before drawing 1-1 with Brazil in Orlando.
During Berhalter’s tenure, however, the United States has been by far the most dominant team in CONCACAF, winning the Gold Cup once and the Nations League twice.
Pochettino expected to lead the US to success if they host the 2026 World Cup
The Copa America got off to a good start with a 2-0 win over Bolivia in Dallas, before losing 2-1 to CONCACAF rivals Panama in Atlanta.
The death knell for their hopes of reaching the group stage came with a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay, bringing the Berhalter era to an end.
With Pochettino at the helm, the United States hopes he can revive an apathetic fan base that believes it has yet to see the best the country has to offer.
All eyes now turn to the 2026 World Cup, with the United States playing their group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.