CINCINNATI — Mauricio Pochettino was named coach of the U.S. men’s national soccer team Tuesday, uniting one of the sport’s most respected club coaches with a program yearning for a breakthrough at the 2026 World Cup.
By Steven Goff
“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,” Pochettino said in a statement. “The energy, the passion and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me.”
Pochettino did not attend Tuesday’s match — a 1-1 draw with New Zealand overseen by interim coach Mikey Varas — but appeared in a video message in English and Spanish that played in the stadium before kickoff. He is scheduled to attend a news conference Friday in New York and debut Oct. 12 against Panama in Austin, followed by a friendly at Mexico three days later.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but because Pochettino is among the most coveted and highest-paid coaches in the world, U.S. Soccer will supplement his salary through outside sources. The federation said 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.
Berhalter’s base salary was about $1.4 million. In his previous job, Pochettino earned an estimated $13 million leading English Premier League club Chelsea.
Tuesday’s announcement came three days after the U.S. team played with low energy and little cohesion during a 2-1 defeat to Canada in Kansas City, Kan. Since beating Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League final in March, the Americans have lost their way as the World Cup comes into greater focus.
“Hopefully [Pochettino is] someone that’s going to come in and really change the culture around here,” forward Christian Pulisic said. “And it’s time. We have got to take a big step up. We have the quality, and now it’s time to compete and try to win.”
Pulisic added: “Just that winning mentality, in every moment on the field, we obviously were missing it again. Just something is missing. I can’t exactly explain it.”
Pulisic scored in the 69th minute Tuesday, but after the U.S. team squandered several chances, poor defending contributed to a freak deflection and Ben Waine’s 89th-minute equalizer. The Americans’ winless streak reached four.
“It’s been a tough [stretch], but we’re ready to turn it around and ready to get to work,” forward Ricardo Pepi said. “We can do something special.”
“With any good team, or any great team, it starts with culture,” right back Marlon Fossey said. “We have more than enough talent in the group. So a mix of Pochettino and the talent in the pool, it could be an exciting show.”
In place for several weeks, the deal with Pochettino could not be finalized until the USSF’s board of directors approved the terms (that occurred Sunday) and he and Chelsea resolved financial issues stemming from his departure in May (that happened Tuesday afternoon).
USSF Sporting Director Matt Crocker, who worked with Pochettino at Premier League club Southampton in 2013, said he reached out to the Argentine this summer and visited him in Barcelona.
“It was a big sales pitch,” Crocker said. “What was supposed to be a two-hour meeting turned into five hours. I think we hooked him in from there.”
A message from Mauricio 🇺🇸
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 10, 2024
🗣️ ENG ➡️ 🗣️ ESP
Known for nurturing young players and deploying proactive tactics, Pochettino will take over a youthful team that has less than two years to prepare for the World Cup, which will take place primarily in the United States, plus Mexico and Canada.
Pochettino is a huge name in global soccer, having coached Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the Premier League and a Paris Saint-Germain team that featured Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. In 2019, he led Tottenham to its first UEFA Champions League final.
At Chelsea, though, Pochettino lasted just one season. The Blues struggled much of the campaign before winning their last five Premier League matches to finish sixth. They also fell short of trophies in multiple cup competitions.
Pochettino, a former standout defender who represented Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, began his coaching career in Spain with Espanyol (2009-12) before moving to Southampton in 2013-14. He is the first U.S. senior-level coach with Latin American roots since the program launched in 1916. Before U.S. talks accelerated last month, he was mentioned as a possible candidate for the England job following Gareth Southgate’s departure.
The U.S. role is Pochettino’s first as a national team coach and comes with heightening expectations leading up to the World Cup. U.S. officials see the tournament as an opportunity to grow the sport, not only through exposing the public to high-level soccer over four-plus weeks but through the fortunes of the national team.
Berhalter set the program on the right path, guiding it to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup and continuing its regional supremacy, but his team stumbled badly this summer at Copa América — the only major tuneup before the 2026 global showcase.
Before turning their attention to Pochettino, U.S. officials gauged former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp’s interest, but he had no intention of pursuing the job.
With the World Cup approaching, Crocker has faced pressure to get this appointment right after his controversial decision to rehire Berhalter last year backfired. His selection of England’s Emma Hayes to guide the women’s team paid off this summer with an Olympic gold medal.
“The opportunity to lead the U.S. men’s national team, in front of fans who are just as passionate as the players, is something I couldn’t pass up,” Pochettino said. “I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of.”
