Mauricio Pochettino agreed to stay U.S. Soccer’s males’s nationwide crew coach by means of the 2030 World Cup, insisting there’s “great potential” to convey America to the game’s higher echelons, officers mentioned Monday.
The brand new contract to maintain Pochettino in crimson, white and blue got here lower than a month after the 54-year-old Argentine led the U.S. to the spherical of 16 within the 2026 World Cup, performed on residence soil.
“Mauricio and his employees consider in the way forward for soccer in the USA and our new venture permits us to construct on progress of the USMNT and the momentum of U.S. Soccer,” U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary Common JT Batson mentioned in an announcement.
“We all know we’ve got quite a lot of work to do to realize our clear ambitions, together with competing to win Males’s World Cups and having soccer grow to be essentially the most performed sport in each group. I couldn’t be extra excited that Mauricio and crew are dedicated to partnering with all of us to do the onerous work to convey these ambitions to life.”
Whereas the People didn’t make it to the quarterfinals, Pochettino insisted his crew’s World Cup run “solely strengthened our perception in what is feasible right here.”
“Working along with U.S. Soccer over the previous two years, it has grow to be clear to us that there’s great potential to make the Males’s Nationwide Crew program even stronger,” Pochettino mentioned in an announcement launched by U.S. Soccer.
The assertion added: “The eagerness we skilled from the followers all through the World Cup solely strengthened our perception in what is feasible right here. We’re excited by the chance to convey all our expertise and data to much more areas of U.S. Soccer whereas serving to strengthen the pathways for gamers, coaches and groups throughout the Federation. We wish to attempt to have a long-lasting affect on the game within the nation that has welcomed us so warmly and for that affect to increase past outcomes on the sector.”
From Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino coached a number of of the world’s highest-profile golf equipment however had by no means led a nationwide crew earlier than taking on the U.S. males’s program in 2024.
Early USMNT outcomes for the former Tottenham boss had been combined, with a 15-10-1 report coming into the 2026 World Cup as he examined a number of lineup combos.
His attacking type rapidly earned reward as soon as the event opened because the U.S. gained its group and scored a crew report for targets. The U.S. beat Bosnia-Herzegovina within the knockout spherical of 32 earlier than exiting within the spherical of 16 to Belgium in a deflating 4-1 defeat.
After that loss, Pochettino expressed gratitude for the working relationship he had constructed with the management of U.S. Soccer, which had prolonged a contract extension to the coach earlier than the event.
Although he declared himself an Argentine at the beginning, Pochettino didn’t shrink back from ingratiating himself with U.S. followers by singing the crew’s chosen tune of the event, John Denver’s “Take Me Dwelling, Nation Roads,” on the pitch after matches.
The brand new deal permits the U.S. to retain a extremely regarded coach in hopes the crew can proceed the development Pochettino mentioned he had seen happen over the earlier 12 months. Pochettino mentioned in July the U.S. had been a “mess” after the 2025 Gold Cup.
“I’m so proud as a result of in a single 12 months … this crew present that we are able to play soccer, we are able to play soccer, we are able to compete,” Pochettino mentioned July 5. “We have to preserve bettering.”
Phrases of Pochettino’s deal weren’t disclosed, however his preliminary deal was reportedly price round $6 million yearly in base wage, which was already the biggest deal earned by any coach in U.S. soccer historical past.
To afford it, and lure Pochettino away from membership jobs in 2024, U.S. Soccer rounded up personal buyers comparable to Ken Griffin to assist pay.
The 2030 World Cup shall be co-hosted by defending-champion Spain, Portugal and Morocco with some early matches in Uruguay, Pochettino’s native Argentina and Paraguay.
