Mauricio Pochettino to Leave USMNT for Manchester United Job

Just three months after locking down the most expensive managerial swing in program history, the United States men’s national team is searching for a new leader as Mauricio Pochettino departs for Manchester United.

The 54-year-old Argentine manager is leaving his post following the current international window, with an official announcement from the English Premier League giants expected on Friday, the New York Post reported.

The sudden exit leaves the U.S. Soccer Federation scrambling for its third coaching search since 2023. Manchester United moved quickly to secure Pochettino on a two-and-a-half-year deal after firing Michael Carrick on Thursday morning.

Despite the abrupt departure, the move comes as little surprise to those tracking the manager’s career trajectory. Pochettino has frequently voiced his desire to return to English club football and has long considered the Old Trafford dugout a dream assignment, dating back to a high-profile 2016 dinner with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Pochettino will still manage the U.S. team for both upcoming fixtures against Haiti, starting with a Saturday afternoon match in Miami. Meanwhile, players have found themselves navigating an awkward media landscape regarding an exit that felt inevitable to the dressing room.

“Him leaving, him staying, he’s just created a great foundation and a great base for this team,” Sebastian Berhalter told reporters at the team’s training base in Fayetteville, Ga. “Even though he’s an Argentinian coach, he made us even more proud to be American, and I think that speaks volumes of who he is as a person and as a coach.”

The timing catches the U.S. program at a vulnerable juncture. Manchester United enters the international break mired in the relegation zone with a dismal 1-5-4 start, making Pochettino the chosen savior for a club with 20 league titles to defend.

For American soccer, Pochettino’s tenure ends as a complex mixture of promise and missed opportunities. He failed to capture a trophy, managing a fourth-place finish in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League and a runner-up showing in that summer’s Gold Cup.

While last summer’s World Cup campaign rallied national support, it ended abruptly with a 4-1 Round of 16 defeat to Belgium. That match unfolded amid intense controversy following the overturned red-card suspension of Folarin Balogun.

Pochettino previously interviewed for the Manchester United job in 2014, 2016, and 2022. In a September roundtable with British media, he openly entertained the prospect of taking another position before his U.S. contract expired, pointing to a break clause reported to be approximately $10 million.

United will also cover the costs to bring along his coaching staff, including assistants Jesús Pérez and Miguel D’Agostino.

“Now is a different thing,” Pochettino said, according to The Guardian. “When we gave our word to the federation, it was about starting and finishing after the World Cup. For us, it was the moment to say, ‘If some club comes, it’s impossible.’”

The U.S. Soccer Federation now faces a four-month gap before the next senior camp in March, alongside a mid-December friendly against Jamaica featuring a domestic-heavy squad. Steve Cherundolo, who took over the U.S. Olympic team over the summer, emerges as a logical choice to lead the December match and a strong contender for the permanent vacancy.

Mauricio Pochettino Nears Manchester United Move: What's Next for the USMNT? — FOX Soccer

Questions also linger regarding future donor backing. Billionaire Ken Griffin heavily financed Pochettino’s initial recruitment, leaving observers to wonder if financial heavyweights will step up for another high-priced European hire.

Pep Guardiola remains a free agent following his departure from Manchester City, though whether the federation can lure him remains purely speculative. Domestically, names like Nashville SC coach B.J. Callaghan, San Diego FC coach Mikey Varas, and Real Sociedad manager Pellegrino Matarazzo surface as potential internal options.

For now, the federation must pick up the pieces, manage an incoming transition, and determine how to replace a manager who viewed the stars and stripes as a stepping stone back to the Premier League.