Mauricio Pochettino is gone. Just over three months after extending his contract through the 2030 World Cup, the US Men's National Team head coach has left to take over Manchester United. His new contract included a buyout clause, earning US Soccer upwards of $10 million.
Today, @ussoccer has announced that Mauricio Pochettino will depart his role as head coach of the USMNT to become the head coach of @ManUtd.
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) November 13, 2026
Pochettino and his staff will continue to coach the two upcoming Concacaf Nations League matches vs. Haiti.
📝: https://t.co/q1039hQmp7 pic.twitter.com/qQGwSUpIrR
Pochettino will stay with the US through their upcoming Concacaf Nations League matches against Haiti on November 14 and 17, after which he'll depart. US Soccer will begin the process of appointing a new head coach to come in and lead the team through qualification for the 2030 World Cup and the 2028 Copa America.
Pochettino was incredibly well paid by US Soccer, earning roughly $6 million a year. His salary was funded in part by donors, including billionaire fan Ken Griffin, helping cover the costs of his salary. It's not clear if that level of salary will be available for the next head coach, although the $10 million buyout clause will certainly help.
U23 head coach Steve Cherundolo will lead the December camp, giving the federation time to find a new head coach before their next round of matches in March 2027.
Today, we're breaking down some of the top candidates to replace Pochettino, looking at both stylistic fit and likelihood. These names are all just speculation, a glorified "guys naming dudes" exercise. But hey, that's what sports media is for.
Let's dive in!
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Pep Guardiola
Unattached
The former Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City head coach is one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport, and should absolutely be the first call for any organization looking to fill a coaching role. If he says yes, he gets the job. If he says yes, but in a year, you wait for him. He's in a tier all by himself.
He's also had a tangential relationship with the United States, living in New York between his stints with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and a former target of US Soccer president Sunil Gulati.
Would he even be interested, though? That's the multi-million-dollar question. Guardiola left Manchester City at the end of the 2025-26 season, citing declining energy levels and stating a desire to take a break "for a while". He came close to taking the Italy role this summer, but turned it down to continue his sabbatical. That's the only downside; he probably doesn't want this – or any – job.
Cons: He might not be interested.
Outlook: Full-court press. If he firmly says no, move on. If he says yes, but next year, stick with an interim. If he seems even marginally interested, keep pushing for him.
BJ Callaghan
Nashville SC
The former USMNT assistant and interim head coach is coming off the best season in MLS history, winning the Supporters' Shield with Nashville SC this season and hitting 77 points in the regular season, the most ever in MLS. After winning the US Open Cup in 2025, BJ Callaghan took Nashville to another level in 2026 and is heading into the MLS Cup Playoffs as one of the clear favorites for the trophy.
The 45-year-old is one of the most exciting names in American soccer coaching, and has plenty of experience with the national team, leading them to a Concacaf Nations League trophy in 2023. He seems destined to be perpetually linked to any USMNT opening for the next decade.
He just signed a contract extension with Nashville through the 2028-29 season, but as we just saw with Pochettino, contracts are breakable.
Cons: He's relatively inexperienced as a head coach, with just two-and-a-half years in a full-time role. Is he potentially too close to the Gregg Berhalter regime? If US Soccer still want to go with more of an outside voice, that could play against him.
Outlook: If Guardiola says no, Callaghan should be USSF's next call.
Steve Cherundolo
United States U23s
Steve Cherundolo is one of the longest-serving players in USMNT history, with 87 caps and a member of three World Cup squads. The right back had a 15-year career in Germany with Hannover 96, and delivered trophies in his four seasons as Los Angeles FC's head coach.
After stepping down from LAFC at the end of the 2025 season, he was brought into US Soccer as the U23 head coach, leading the charge to the 2028 Olympics. He was also seemingly hired in part as a succession plan for Pochettino's inevitable departure, and will take charge of the team in the interim once Pochettino officially leaves.
Cons: His LAFC teams tended to be reactive and were uncomfortable playing with the ball, and were also seemingly allergic to playing and developing youth. The shine has worn off his name some, and his media presence is... flat at best.
Outlook: He'll get serious consideration, and already working for the federation may give him a bigger leg up than expected.
Emma Hayes
United States Women's National Team
One of the best managers in global soccer is already working for US Soccer. US Women's National Team head coach Emma Hayes is one of the most decorated head coaches in global women's soccer. She's won the WSL seven times with Chelsea, and led the USWNT to the Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She's an astute tactician, and while an outside-the-box choice, she's adaptable and has developed a clear style of play on the women's side, as well as making a concerted effort to bring young players through the ranks and develop the entire player pool.
Cons: The 2027 Women's World Cup is just over the horizon, and leaving on the verge of the tournament feels unlikely. There's also the unfortunate reality that US Soccer may not be ready to hire a woman to lead their men's team, as qualified as she may be.
Outlook: Would be a fascinating hire, but feels very unlikely.
Pellegrino Matarazzo
Real Sociedad
48-year-old New Jersey native Pellegrino Matarazzo is one of the few (only?) Americans coaching at the highest levels in Europe. After stints with Stuttgart and Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga, Matarazzo was named head coach of Spain's Real Sociedad in 2025. He led Sociedad to a Copa Del Rey title, defeating Atlético Madrid in the final and becoming the first American coach to win a trophy in one of Europe's top five leagues.
Matarazzo just signed a new contract in July, keeping him with Sociedad through 2028. While he's more than qualified, the amount of work he's put in to break into European coaching makes leaving a big ask.
Cons: Would he even be interested in leaving Europe after more than a decade of trying to break into the elite levels of coaching?
Outlook: An incredible hire, but probably not right now.
Thomas Christiansen
Panama
A former player and product of the Barcelona academy, Thomas Christiansen has been one of the best managers in the Western Hemisphere, transforming Panama into a real contender in Concacaf. His tactical setup has elevated everything about Panama, turning them into a well-drilled, flexible team that is brutal to play against.
Already, Panama are adept in possession and comfortable under pressure. With – respectfully – a significant talent upgrade in the USMNT setup, Christiansen could reach a new level as a manager and help continue their development in possession. With the US going through Concacaf qualifying again this cycle after getting in automatically as hosts in 2026, Christiansen's experience is a real asset.
Cons: He doesn't have any connection to American soccer or much name recognition to the majority of US fans.
Outlook: Worth a look, but feels unlikely.
Thierry Henry
Unattached
One of the greatest players of all time, Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry already has a connection to US Soccer and MLS. He ended his playing career at Red Bull New York, spending five seasons in New Jersey and winning the 2013 Supporters' Shield. He's coached in MLS as well, taking charge of CF Montréal from 2019-2021.
His name has consistently been linked to US openings, and he's even expressed interest in the role in the past.
Cons: He's still fairly unproven as a manager. His Montréal teams were never great, and his stint at Monaco ended poorly. His coaching resumé doesn't come close to his playing resumé.
Outlook: He'd be a fascinating hire, although unproven. He's absolutely worth interviewing, but would be a risky hire.
Julian Nagelsmann
Unattached
Once viewed as the elite young manager in global football, Julian Nagelsmann's stock has fallen in recent years. He broke out after taking over Hoffenheim in 2016, becoming the youngest head coach in Bundesliga history at 28. He led Hoffenheim to a miraculous UEFA Champions League qualification, took RB Leipzig to a second-place finish in 2020-21, and took over Bayern Munich in 2021, costing the Bavarian giants a reported €25 million transfer fee.
Nagelsmann was fired by Bayern towards the end of the 2022-23 season amidst complaints of frequent tactical changes and poor communication. In 2023, he took over as head coach of the German national team, losing to Spain in the quarterfinals of UEFA Euro 2024 and resigning after Germany were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup by Paraguay in the Round of 32.
Still just 39, Nagelsmann is the youngest name on this list, and has experience at levels that none besides Guardiola have touched. His stock has dropped after a poor stint with Germany, but it might be a good time to buy low.
Cons: Perhaps he's too flexible, with frequent formation changes a real concern. His man management has often been called into question, and his results with the German national team were underwhelming.
Outlook: He's absolutely worth interviewing, and would be viewed as a major get by USSF. Whether or not he'd deliver on-field results is a big question.
Marko Mitrović
New England Revolution
A former assistant with the Chicago Fire, Marko Mitrović has been the head coach of the United States at the U19, U20, and U23 levels, guiding the U23s to the quarterfinals of the Olympics and leading the U20s to the quarterfinals of the 2025 U20 World Cup.
Named head coach of the New England Revolution ahead of the 2026 season, Mitrović has been one of the more impressive young managers in MLS. Their 58 points were good for a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference, and while their underlying numbers haven't been spectacular, they head into the MLS Cup Playoffs as a real contender.
Crucially, he's deeply familiar with many of the young players who are just breaking into the first-team picture, and has a track record of developing youth and taking them to the next level.
Cons: A lack of senior-level head coaching experience is a potential red flag.
Outlook: He's not one of the flashier names on this list, but he has a really strong case for the job.
Mikey Varas
San Diego FC
After San Diego's stellar MLS debut season last year, Mikey Varas was widely touted as one of the top options for the USMNT job. The expansion side won the Western Conference, dazzling the league with a clear identity from the outset and an expansive style of play.
A lot of the shine has worn off this season, in which they missed the playoffs entirely and struggled to control games in the same way, although their underlying numbers suggest they weren't as bad as the table might suggest.
Like Callaghan, Varas was a USMNT assistant under Berhalter, and even served as an interim in 2024 after Berhalter had been fired and Callaghan had moved to Nashville. Additionally, he coached the USMNT U20s from 2021-2023, and is an elite developer of young talent.
Cons: He's only been a full-time head coach for two years, and San Diego's struggles in 2026 raise questions about consistency.
Outlook: He's no longer in the upper tier of candidates, but should at least be considered.
Michael Bradley
Red Bull New York
One of the greatest players in USMNT history, Michael Bradley has quickly turned into one of the most exciting young American coaches. After leading Red Bull New York II to the MLS NEXT Pro championship in 2025, he took charge of the first team in MLS in 2026. His side missed out on the playoffs, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Part of Red Bulls' struggles in 2026 came down to a criminal lack of investment in high-end players from ownership, as well as the innate inconsistencies that come from fielding the youngest team in MLS. Despite this, Bradley's team showed an impressive mix of pressing and possession control, at their best able to break teams down with the ball. He's also familiar with breakout players like Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti who look set to be fixtures of the USMNT for the next decade, and has been able to accelerate youth development.
Cons: The 39-year-old is incredibly early into his head-coaching career and is one of the more inexperienced managers on this list. Mixed results at the club level are a potential negative, although Red Bulls have proven to be a difficult environment for managers to succeed.
Outlook: It feels like Bradley is destined to take charge of the USMNT at some point, but 2026 may be too early.
Roberto Martínez
Unattached
Roberto Martínez is always one of the first names mentioned for any international head coaching role. After coaching Wigan and Everton in the Premier League, the Spanish former midfielder moved to international football, managing Belgium at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and taking charge of Portugal from 2023 to 2026.
Having Belgium and Portugal on his resumé is impressive. The results have been less so. Martínez took Belgium to a third-place finish in 2018, their best-ever result at a World Cup, but then crashed out in the group stage in 2022. Portugal lost to Spain with a whimper in 2026 in the Round of 16, and he's been criticized for wasting "golden generations" for both countries.
A former ESPN and CBS pundit, Martínez has experience in American soccer media, and he's great in press conferences. His sides also tend to heavily emphasize possession, and could potentially help the US continue evolving with the ball.
Cons: His last two World Cups have been disappointing, especially with the talent he's had available. His recent teams have played as less than the sum of their parts.
Outlook: He's reportedly on USSF's shortlist and is certainly worth interviewing. His resumé is definitely enough to get potential donors excited.
Gregg Berhalter
Chicago Fire
Ok, hear me out...
Predictions
US Soccer should – and will – reach out to Guardiola first. His response will shift the entire process, and USSF will almost certainly be happy to wait for him if he wants to take a year off and join in 2027.
His rejection of Italy makes it seem unlikely that he'll be swayed by the United States. The most likely outcome is Cherundolo taking the interim tag while US Soccer conducts a search for a new coach – and sporting director – before ideally naming a new manager before the March international window.
BJ Callaghan makes the most sense out of these names, especially if he's able to win MLS Cup with Nashville this season and leave on a high note. He has the experience, a track record of improving players, has raised Nashville to a historically elite level, and knows the ins and outs of the federation and media landscapes.
My Nashville readers will understandably be sad to see him go, but he'd be a home-run hire for US Soccer.
