Mauricio Pochettino named United States head coach

Former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as head coach of the USA men's national team and will lead the country into a home World Cup in 2026, when the tournament is played across the States, Canada and Mexico

Wednesday 11 September 2024 13:42, UK

Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as head coach of the USA men's national team.

The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss - who left the Blues by mutual consent at the end of last season - will lead USA into their home World Cup in 2026, when the tournament will be played across the States, Canada and Mexico.

This will be the first international role for Pochettino, 52, who has also managed Espanyol, Southampton and Paris Saint-Germain during his 15-year, distinguished coaching career.

Pochettino replaces Gregg Berhalter, who was dismissed after USA failed to qualify from their group at this summer's Copa America.

"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.

"The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here - those are the things that inspired me. 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.

"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."

Pochettino's first game in charge of the USA will be a home friendly against Panama in Austin, Texas on October 12, before facing an away friendly in Mexico three days later.

Analysis: Why Pochettino has taken the USA job

By Sky Sports Reporter, Paul Gilmour (@skysportspaulg)

Many people raised their eyebrows when Mauricio Pochettino decided to follow spells at Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea with the USA job but it's an opportunity he is incredibly excited about. So, what are the reasons behind the decision?

One of the major factors is the fact the United States will jointly host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 along with Mexico and Canada. He has always said he'd love to experience international management and spent the Qatar World Cup enjoying it as a pundit. This time he'll be right at the heart of the most prestigious tournament in world football as a manager in a host country.

In America he has immediately felt the love from US Soccer, helped by the fact he's working closely with sporting director Matt Crocker. Crocker was the director of football operations at Southampton during the Argentine's time there, and the pair get on well.

Crocker, who is also a former head of development teams at the FA, oversees the entire sporting department including the women's team. He was described by US Soccer as "a great communicator" and "team builder". These factors were appealing to Pochettino as he likes to develop teams without fuss or drama. He liked the idea of some positivity after recent negative experiences.

It's a far cry from the way things ended at PSG and Chelsea with Pochettino at times feeling undermined and downhearted with the number of barriers put in his way, when he simply wanted to get on with improving the team. In Paris he often had to accommodate players he did not plan for and it caused problems by leaving the team unbalanced. PSG have since adopted a different approach.

At Chelsea he regularly appeared frustrated with the number of individuals involved in the decision-making process and he also had to deal with members of the ownership group having contrasting ideas about the way forward for the club.

There is no recruitment to worry about in international football leaving him with the freedom to coach the team & focus fully on making an impact in the summer of 2026. US sporting facilities are of a high level, and they are determined to show the world they can compete.

As Chelsea ended the season with a run of positive results Pochettino departed with his reputation enhanced by this, and while the initial plan may have been to wait for other jobs to become available - Real Madrid and Manchester United have previously shown interest and his name may have been in the discussion should a vacancy arise - the US offer forced an early decision weeks after leaving the west London club. In the end it was a no brainer and will be viewed as a coup for them.

The sporting department at US Soccer has already won Olympic gold under Emma Hayes, who has reached out to Pochettino to offer insight into her early experiences working there. Hayes and Pochettinio have always spoken well of each other and spent a year overlapping at Chelsea, not to mention enjoying a more light-hearted approach to football together at Soccer Aid.

US Soccer believe they have put a plan in place to make significant progress in both the men's and women's game. Pochettino, who will be able to speak English or Spanish owing to the large Hispanic population in the US, is re-energised and embracing a positive new challenge.