Mauricio Pochettino set to be USMNT coach

Mauricio Pochettino agreed to become the head coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team, ESPN and The Athletic reported Thursday.

The 52-year-old former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur coach will be responsible for leading the Americans into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentina native has never managed an international team.

Pochettino agreed to succeed Gregg Berhalter as the USMNT coach following lengthy discussions with U.S. Soccer Federation technical director Matt Crocker, per the reports. Crocker was leading Southampton's academy when Pochettino managed that English club in 2013.

Pochettino has been out of work since leaving Chelsea by mutual consent in May. He is expected to be in place for a USMNT match against Canada in Kansas City, Kan., on Sept. 7.

Following a long playing career as a center back with Newell's Old Boys, Espanyol, PSG and Bordeaux, Pochettino took his first coaching job at Spain's Espanyol in 2009. He led Tottenham to a runner-up Premier League finish in 2016-17 and the Champions League final in 2018-19, then guided PSG to a Ligue 1 title in 2021-22.

The USSF fired Berhalter in July after the host U.S. squad failed to advance from the group stage at the 2024 Copa America.