USA names Argentine Pochettino as coach ahead of World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine who managed English clubs Tottenham and Chelsea, was hired on Tuesday to succeed Gregg Berhalter as coach of the United States national team21 months away from hosting the 2026 World Cup.

Pochettino, 52, is the first foreigner to take charge of the national team since German Jurgen Klinsmann from 2011-16.

A defender who played for Argentina at the 2002 World Cup and was a teammate of Diego Maradona at Newell’s Old Boys in the 1990s, Pochettino embarked on a coaching career with Espanyol in 2009.

After leaving the Catalan club in 2012, Pochettino went on to manage Southampton (2013–14), Tottenham (2014–19) and Chelsea (2023–24) in England. He also took charge of Paris Saint-Germain (2021–22), managing Lionel Messi, stepping aside after a season in which they won the French league title.

Matt Crocker, the U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director who led the coaching search, was Southampton’s academy director when Pochettino began his tenure there.

A native of Murphy, a small farming town in the Santa Fe province, Pochettino takes over amid high expectations. Federation officials and American fans are clamoring for better results from a roster packed with players who play for European clubs, including Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Gio Reyna and Weston McKennie.

Berhalter was fired on July 10, a week after the United States was eliminated in the first round at a Copa America on home soil. Berhalter was first hired in December 2018, then was let go after a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the 2022 round of 16, before eventually returning to the dugout in September 2023.

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