Mauricio Pochettino has signed a new contract with US Soccer to stay on as head coach of the United States Men's National Team through 2030, US Soccer announced on Monday.
The former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea manager joined US Soccer in the fall of 2024 and lead the USMNT to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.
In addition to his coaching duties, Pochettino and his staff will work to advise and support USSF on developing the national team pathway, youth socer development, coaching education, collaboration with other professional leagues, and more.
"Working together with US Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the US Men's National Team even stronger," said Pochettino in a statement. "The passion we experienced from the fans throughout the World Cup only strengthened our belief in what is possible here. We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of US Soccer, while helping strengthen pathways for players, coaches, and teams across the federation.
"We want to try and have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field."
At the 2026 World Cup, the United States won three matches and lost two, beating Paraguay and Australia in the group stage, winning 2-0 against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32, and exiting with a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16.
In 31 matches in charge of the USMNT, Pochettino has a record of 17 wins, two draws, and 12 losses, outscoring opponents 56-44. In nine matches against opponents in the top 20 of the FIFA World Rankings, Pochettino has three wins and six losses.
“Mauricio and his staff believe in the future of soccer in the United States and our new project allows us to build on progress of the USMNT and the momentum of US Soccer,” said US Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson. “We know we have a lot of work to do to achieve our clear ambitions, including competing to win Men’s World Cups and having soccer become the most played sport in every community. I couldn’t be more excited that Mauricio and team are committed to partnering with all of us to do the hard work to bring those ambitions to life.”
What it means
The move gives the United States some stability following the World Cup. While Pochettino was linked to other jobs over the course of the summer, including holding talks with AC Milan before the tournament, the top European jobs have been filled with seasons set to start in a matter of weeks.
While technically under contract through 2030, it's certainly possible that a top job comes available and Pochettino moves on. There's potential that his new contract includes a buyout or the possibility to terminate early, although those terms were not disclosed.
Pochettino's tenure so far has been a mixed bag. Before the World Cup, his squad selection was inconsistent and experimental, trying several combinations of players across friendlies, the Concacaf Nations League, and Concacaf Gold Cup, in an attempt to determine his best squad for the World Cup.
By the time the World Cup rolled around, Pochettino had the USMNT playing well. A win over Senegal and 3-2 loss to Germany in pre-tournament friendlies was carried over into a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay, arguably the best the team has ever played at a World Cup. They looked competent against Australia and Bosnia, but completely collapsed in the Round of 16, falling 4-1 to Belgium in a match that wasn't even as close as the scoreline suggested. In the biggest test of this team, and the biggest moment for men's soccer in America, they fell flat.
For Nashville SC fans, the announcement will be a relief. Head coach BJ Callaghan, hired by Nashville in the summer of 2024, was widely viewed as a strong candidate for the USMNT job if Pochettino left. His form with Nashville, in addition to his experience as an assistant under Gregg Berhalter and interim head coach in 2023, made him an intriguing name, and one who will still be in contention for future openings. For now, though, he stays with Nashville, having signed a new contract before the season that keeps him in Music City through the 2028-29 season.
