Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. Soccer Federation are in discussions about him becoming the men’s national team coach, according to a source familiar with the negotiations informed The Associated Press.
Pochettino, the former coach of Tottenham, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain, has agreed to take on the role of the U.S. coach, although the deal is still pending finalization, the source said on Thursday under condition of anonymity.
If the deal goes through, Pochettino would succeed Gregg Berhalter less than 22 months before the U.S. hosts the 2026 World Cup.
The USSF chose not to provide any comments on the matter.
At 52 years old and being Argentine, Pochettino would be the first foreign-born coach for the U.S. national team since Jurgen Klinsmann from 2011-16. His coaching experience includes stints at Espanyol in Spain (2009-12), Southampton (2013-14), Tottenham (2014-19), Chelsea (2023-24) in England, and Paris Saint-Germain in France (2021-22).
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matt Crocker, who is the sporting director for USSF overseeing the search, worked as the academy director at Southampton when Pochettino began there.
The U.S. has upcoming friendlies against Canada on Sept. 7, New Zealand three days later, Panama on Oct. 12, and another opponent on Oct. 15. The next competitive matches are a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal in November.
Mikey Varas, an assistant to Berhalter, could potentially manage the team for the September games, with Pochettino taking over for the October matches.
Berhalter was dismissed on July 10, following the U.S. team’s early exit from the Copa America. He had been hired in December 2018, and after a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup, he was allowed to leave when his contract expired but was rehired in June 2023 to return in September.
If Pochettino takes on the role, he will lead a player pool featuring notable names such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams. However, some players like Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath, and Gio Reyna have struggled to secure playing time with top-tier European teams.
Pochettino, who used to be a central defender playing for clubs like Newell’s Old Boys and Espanyol, has had a successful coaching career so far, with notable achievements at Tottenham and PSG, winning titles along the way.
AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
