Mauricio Pochettino is back. Well, Mauricio Pochettino also never left. The Argentine manager signed a deal that will see him and his coaching staff continue to lead the United States men's national team through 2030, U.S. Soccer announced Monday, August 3.
At least, that's what is says on paper. But anyone who follows international soccer knows contract terms are more suggestions than fixed rules. Pochettino himself took over midway through the four-year cycle between World Cup tournaments, coming in to replace Gregg Berhalter after the USMNT failed to get out of the 2024 Copa América group stage.
The relationship with the U.S. could've ended on a sour note, with real frustration lingering after the Stars and Stripes' lopsided loss to Belgium in the round of 16. Instead, Pochettino and the U.S. will continue to grow their relationship and keep going steady.
Like a romantic relationship, things should work if the spark is still there. It's also easy to imagine either side having their head turned, seeing flirtations turn into a full-fledged new relationship and have something that looked to be on solid ground turn into a messy break.
How will Mauricio Pochettino's relationship with the United States Soccer Federation evolve?
Pochettino's honeymoon with the U.S. didn't last long, with the accomplished club manager falling in the semifinals of his first international tournament with a defeat to Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.
Yet, even after another regional trophy going to rival Mexico, Pochettino generated plenty of affection from U.S. fans as he prepared his team for the home 2026 World Cup. It was a fantastic fall but a concerning March, as the U.S. fell in friendly matches to Belgium and Portugal.
In the end, the World Cup performance was fine — about where Pochettino's predecessors have landed. Will a full cycle of Pochettino leading the way lead to different results? And, critically, will both parties stay interested enough in each other to find out?
"We need to understand that four years is a long period, but I think it’s not important because we need to learn from the last 18 months, 19 months. The journey is really important," Pochettino told reporters Monday morning. "The memories after the World Cup, sometimes you smile, sometimes you cry.
"It’s really important the process that we will start. Every single day counts. Every single day is important. It's important to create good memories, and the journey sometimes is more important than the result of the day."
Pochettino clearly was intrigued by the U.S. and tickled by the opportunities the job afforded him. In his first foray into international coaching, he met the president, learned about American football and basketball and threw out the first pitch at a baseball game — a good effort for someone whose only knuckleball was off of free kicks for most of his life.
Not only are there the quirks of living in the U.S., but it is a job that, while demanding, doesn't have the same amount of pressure as many like it around the world. The person who succeeds Lionel Scaloni in Pochettino's native Argentina, freshly minted Mexico manager Rafa Marquez and new Germany boss Jurgen Klopp all will enter environments where the expectations are higher.
Should they falter in a continental championship, that may be the end. Pochettino already has earned an extension despite falling short of the Nations League, the Gold Cup and reaching the final eight of the World Cup.
Pochettino also continues to make a salary competitive with the best in his field, thanks in part to continuing support from hedge-fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin and other donors.
Still, there is always the temptation of a first love. For Pochettino, that was the European club (coaching) scene.
Pochettino shouldn't be chastised for poking his head in on the open AC Milan job earlier this summer, especially with the potential of unemployment looming just two months later. But there will be other big-name clubs trying to seduce the coach back to a role like the one he had with Tottenham Hotspur, PSG or Chelsea.
If the spark isn't there, if he's grown tired of adding another MLB jersey with his name on the back to the stack in his home, or, worse, if he doesn't believe the cultural changes he'd like to make in American soccer are possible, it's not hard to imagine him taking one of those roles.
"Four year's time is a really long period. You never know what can happen in soccer," Pochettino said. "Today, people really love you, but in 'X' time maybe that feeling changes. That's why I think for us every time we sign a contract, it's to go to the (full period) of the contract."
"We signed the contract because we really believe we are going to be there four years," he continued. "If not, it's bad, no? If we don't believe in the process, if we don't believe in the journey, why would we sign four years? Only to be sure we're going to receive a salary at the end of the month? That's not nice. It's not the way we're thinking.
"We signed it because we think we can arrive to the end. But in life and less in football, nothing is sure."
Could U.S. Soccer fall out of love with Pochettino first?
For all the reasons Pochettino could be wooed away from the U.S., it's also possible the Americans get the ick first.
Pochettino's teams flopping in the Concacaf Nations League or failing to reach the World Cup quarterfinal in the first go-round may have been acceptable then. Now, with time to install his system and influence how younger players are being guided, the hope is that the U.S. returns to its perch as the clear best in Concacaf and secures a place as a top-eight team in the world.
Even if there isn't the fervor in the U.S. press that is found in Argentina, Mexico or Germany, the soccer community is still right to hold up those goals for Pochettino. Given the amount of resources now being put into the men's game in the U.S., the success the U.S. women have had on the international stage and the continued growth of MLS, NWSL and USL, the U.S. should aspire to a place among the world's best.
With the U.S. likely to take part in the 2028 Copa América — potentially serving as the host of the South American championship once again — Pochettino will look to pass a test his predecessor could not.
But there will be benchmarks even before the summer of 2028. Next year brings the start of World Cup qualification, something Pochettino has yet to experience in the Concacaf region.
The Gold Cup, too, arrives in the summer of 2027. Pochettino will want to win after his near-miss in 2025 with a roster depleted by both significant injuries and players asking out of the tournament — something that shocked the Argentine manager and shaped his understanding of the typical U.S. player.
If they fall short of those marks, the relationship that today looks very strong between U.S. Soccer brass and Pochettino will sour well before its 2030 expiration date.
Source: USA Today
