In a surprising coup for U.S. men’s soccer, which has struggled in recent international tournaments despite a generation of acclaimed talent, one of the world’s best-known coaches has agreed to lead the national team through the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in North America.
Mauricio Pochettino of Argentina, most recently the coach of Chelsea in the English Premier League, has reportedly agreed to terms with U.S. Soccer, which governs both the men’s and women’s national teams. No contract terms have been announced, but it seems virtually certain Pochettino will be paid well into the millions, far more than any previous coach for either U.S team.
Former men’s team coach Gregg Berhalter was fired last month, ending two controversial stints in charge, after the U.S failed to advance from the first round of Copa America, the high-profile tournament for national teams from North and South America. At the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar, the men’s team had mixed results, holding highly rated England to a 0-0 draw but losing 3-1 to a clearly superior Netherlands team in the knockout stage.
Pochettino played for the storied Argentina national team in the 2002 World Cup, and had a successful professional career as a defender, mostly in Spain and France. He has become much better known since then, however, as a coach who advocates an intense, energetic style of play and had successful seasons in charge of two underachieving English Premier League teams, first at Southampton and then Tottenham Hotspur. His years coaching two of the biggest clubs in European soccer, Paris Saint-Germain and then Chelsea, were more ambiguous in terms of results. Many who follow the sport would agree that few coaches last long in those overpriced hothouse environments. Coaching a mid-level, slightly underperforming national team will be a very different kind of challenge — but on the other hand, no one will reasonably expect the U.S. team to become one of the world’s best overnight, no matter who coaches them.
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With the U.S. women’s team having just won an Olympic gold medal under new coach Emma Hayes (who was herself hired from the U.K. at considerable expense), U.S. Soccer leadership likely felt some urgency regarding the men’s program. Pochettino inherits a roster with more international talent than the U.S. has previously produced — including Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, all of whom play for major European club teams — but one that has yet to prove itself on the world stage. With most of the 2026 World Cup matches to take place in the U.S. (a few will be in Canada or Mexico) expectations for this superstar coach to spark the long-awaited American soccer breakthrough will be high.
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