While an official announcement is still pending, reports suggest that former Premier League and Ligue 1 manager Mauricio Pochettino will join the United States men’s national team (USMNT) in September. He is expected to be present for a friendly match against Canada on September 7th in Kansas City, although his exact role and responsibilities remain unclear.
The delay in making Pochettino’s appointment official is attributed to the resolution of his severance package from Chelsea, his previous club. The Argentine manager has a rich coaching history, having led teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Paris Saint-Germain, and Espanyol in Europe. He was most recently at Chelsea, departing by mutual consent in May.
Before transitioning into coaching, Pochettino enjoyed a successful career as a center back, playing for clubs like Newell’s Old Boys, Espanyol, PSG, and Bordeaux. He began his coaching journey with Espanyol in 2009 and achieved notable success with Tottenham, guiding them to a Premier League runner-up finish in 2016-17 and the Champions League final in 2018-19. He also led PSG to a Ligue 1 title in 2021-22.
Following the USMNT’s disappointing performance at the 2024 Copa America, where they failed to advance from the group stage, former head coach Gregg Berhalter was dismissed in July. Mikey Vargas, who previously served as the head coach of the United States U-20 squad, has been appointed as interim manager while Pochettino finalizes his role with the USMNT.
