After weeks of speculation over the future of Mauricio Pochettino and his tenure with U.S. Soccer, all of it was put to bed on Monday when the U.S. Soccer Federation announced the Argentinian manager agreed to a new contract to manage the United States Men’s National Team through 2030.
News of Pochettino’s return comes after a flurry of reports before the World Cup that varied on whether Poch would return to the federation following the 2026 World Cup. Controversy arose on May 28 when Pochettino reportedly met with AC Milan over their vacant managerial position.
Reports also emerged that the United States Soccer Federation approached Pochettino with a new contract before the start of the World Cup. While there was mutual interest, both sides agreed it would be best to hold off on big conversations regarding the future until after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Poch and the United States went on to secure the top spot in Group D with a 2-1-0 record, which included a 4-1 win over Paraguay, a 2-0 win over Australia, and a 3-2 loss to Türkiye in the group stage finale.
After taking the top spot in the group, the U.S. went on to secure a 2-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina to advance to the Round of 16, where their run ended after a humiliating 4-1 loss to Belgium.
A big factor in Poch’s return, according to U.S Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson, was Pochettino and his staff’s commitment to the future.
“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 U.S. Soccer," Batson said.
While Batson admits there is plenty of work to do within U.S. Soccer to reach the goal of competing for a World Cup title and increasing the popularity of the sport in America, he expressed his excitement about Mauricio Pochettino and his staff’s commitment to achieve those goals.
Pochettino’s second cycle begins in September when the nation partakes in 2026-27 Concacaf Nations League action.
