USA men’s soccer hires Mauricio Pochettino as next head coach

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — USA men’s soccer has its next head coach that comes with over a decade of experience managing in Europe.

The U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed Tuesday that it has hired ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino as the next head coach in the hopes he can lead the USMNT to a successful World Cup in 2026 when they serve as the hosts. He will manage his first game on Oct. 12 when the USA plays a friendly against Panama in Austin, Texas.

The 52-year-old Argentine replaces former head coach Gregg Berhalter, who was hired by US Soccer in 2018 after five years with the Columbus Crew. Berhalter was fired in July after the Americans’ poor performance in the Copa America tournament.

Pochettino comes to US Soccer with over a decade of managerial experience with some of the biggest clubs in Europe. After a playing career that lasted for 18 years, Pochettino became the manager for Spanish club Espanyol in 2009. After more than three years in Spain, he was hired to become the new head coach of Southampton in 2013 where he made a lasting impact after just one year.

At Southampton, Pochettino led the team to an impressive eighth-place finish in the English Premier League while playing with an entertaining style and earning marquee wins. That season helped Pochettino land the manager job at Tottenham Hotspur, where he stayed for more than five years and led the club to its first UEFA Champions League final in 2019, a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.

After being fired at Tottenham in Nov. 2019, Pochettino took a break from coaching before returning as the manager of French giants Paris Saint-Germain in Jan. 2021. He led PSG to a league title in 2021-22 and a French Cup win in 2020-21. He then was hired by Chelsea and managed the club throughout the 2023-24 season, where they finished sixth and earned a runners-up finish in the EFL Cup.

His style of play encourages an attacking philosophy, something the USMNT has lacked over the past couple of years. The United States’ next major tournament will be the CONCACAF Nations League finals followed shortly by the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Americans will then host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 where they look to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.

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