U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has been reportedly presented with a contract extension that would see him at the helm for a second World Cup cycle through 2030.
Pochettino, who was initially hired by the U.S. Soccer Federation in September 2024 to lead the USMNT’s World Cup efforts on home soil, sees his current contract expire next month. Nevertheless, he is adamant about not making any decisions for the future until after the tournament.
The seasoned manager, hailing from Murphy, Argentina, was intriguingly presented with the contract extension prior to the tournament’s opener, per The Athletic.
However, Pochettino has been intent on not pulling focus from the matter at hand, something both parties are in agreement on. He has led the team to a historic run thus far, topping Group D after two consecutive dominant victories and earning the most favorable path forward in the knockout stage. The Stars and Stripes enter the round of 32 as overwhelming favorites, facing Bosnia & Herzegovina on Wednesday.
“It’s difficult to describe or know your future,” Pochettino said earlier this week. “But when you are here, I think it’s difficult now to see yourself living in another place, because for sure, we will miss it if one day we don’t stay here in this country.”
“We told the federation we are open,” he said, “but we don’t want to distract when all the energy needs to be with my players.”
Nothing would encourage Pochettino to stay more than a dreamy run this summer in front of an electric home crowd. The manager has been open about his lofty ambitions, citing the quarterfinals and even semifinals as reasonable finishes for a nation that has only ever reached the last eight once in the last 90 years. Those ambitions don’t seem quite as outlandish now, though, given the U.S.’s promising start.
Pochettino also seems to have a strong relationship with his players, all of whom speak highly of him. He appears to be just one of the guys, taking part in the hearty dogpiles after scoring goals. Those relationships alone could encourage him to stay and continue building up the program and players around him.
“When we have water breaks, he’s tactically in tune, changing things. Whatever he sees from the sidelines,” star midfielder Tyler Adams pointed out earlier this summer. “He’s an incredible guy. He’s changing the culture of everything that we have here in U.S. Soccer. He was born and raised in Argentina, a country where it is a religion to play the game of soccer. Growing up in that and having him share and express his experiences with us. He’s coached some of the best teams in the world. That has definitely influenced us.”
Another factor that Pochettino may consider is that the U.S. will also host the Olympic Games in two years in Los Angeles, another opportunity to grow soccer interest Stateside and play in front of home fans. The 2028 Copa America is also anticipated to take place in the U.S.
Nevertheless, Pochettino, who has previously managed the likes of giants Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain as well as soccer legends such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, will not be at a loss for opportunities when his contract does expire. He could be interested in returning to club level.
For one, Pochettino makes an annual salary of roughly $6 million at U.S. Soccer. It marks a major dip from the reported $13–14 million he earned in his one season with Chelsea in the Premier League during the 2023–24 campaign. Pochettino has also already had interest from several clubs, including AC Milan, who he held talks with, and Real Madrid.
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