The U.S. men’s national soccer team will look to follow in the footsteps of the women’s team by making a major turnaround under a new head coach.
According to multiple reports, former Chelsea, Tottenham and Paris St. Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to take over the USMNT in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, succeeding Gregg Berhalter.
While the American women’s team won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics under new coach Emma Hayes, the men’s team has struggled recently, failing to even make it out of its group in the Copa America earlier this year.
After that loss, Berhalter was relieved of the post he had held since 2018.
A native of Argentina, Pochettino has extensive coaching experience in Europe, but this would be his first international coaching job. He previously worked with U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker at Southampton in 2013.
The hiring is seen as a coup for the U.S. by many soccer experts since Pochettino was also reportedly under consideration for the job with England’s national team.