Matt Crocker looks like he’s about to deliver in all manner of ways in hiring the next manager of the U.S. men’s national team. According to reports, the next head coach of the US men’s national soccer team will be Mauricio Pochettino.
The USSF sporting director said he would find a “serial winning coach.” As far as cost was concerned, he said the hiring of a new manager was “something we’re prepared to invest in and something we will be investing in.” He added, “I just want to get the best coach possible that can help the team win whether they’re from the U.S. or elsewhere.”
Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino, Crocker appear to have hit triple-sevens on the USMNT managerial slot machine. To be clear, because financial arrangements between Pochettino and Chelsea haven’t been finalized, no contract has been signed just yet. As such, Pochettino’s hiring has yet to be approved by the USSF Board of Directors. As one source put it, “Still work to be done.”
The group stage exit at last month’s Copa América, from what appeared to be a manageable group with Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia cost Gregg Berhalter his job. The hosting of a World Cup in 2026 was an opportunity that was in danger of being squandered, and it drove home that the USMNT needed a shake-up. That is precisely what Pochettino’s arrival would achieve. And for a U.S. team that still skews younger, his ability to nurture young talent is a massive plus.
Pochettino’s reputation is that of a players’ coach, and given how the U.S. roster seemed a bit too comfortable toward the end of Berhalter’s reign, there is concern that he may not give the team the kick in the pants that it needs. But Pochettino’s arrival, by itself, would at least ratchet up the competitive tension that usually exists within a national team.
Pochettino represents a significant get for the US and will bring top-level coaching experience to the team. The 52-year-old head coach most recently managed Chelsea in the English Premier League and guided the club to a sixth-place finish last season. Pochettino has also notably been the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, where he led PSG to a Ligue 1 title.
This will be Pochettino’s first foray into international management and he will be tasked with guiding the US team at a World Cup on home soil in 2026. The Argentine coach joins the US after previous head coach Gregg Berhalter was fired following a disappointing Copa América exit in July.
Beyond Pochettino’s impact on the players, his potential arrival would help generate enthusiasm for the team and revenue for USSF. You’d have to go back to the Jürgen Klinsmann era to find a time when there was this much interest and excitement surrounding the USMNT. Berhalter divided opinion within the U.S. fan base and Pochettino would unite it. There will be an eagerness to see what kind of impact he could have on the team. That likely increase in interest should be felt at the gate as well, as even the most mundane of matches will likely leave fans captivated by what tactical subtleties Pochettino would implement.
All of this sounds fantastic on paper, but the reality will be something else. Whatever your feeling, if Crocker can complete Pochettino’s signing, the sporting director has put the USMNT in a position where it can get back on an upward trajectory.
