- Gregg Berhalter was sacked last month after the USA flopped at Copa America
- The United States co-host the World Cup with Mexico and Canada in 2026
Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly agreed to become the new head coach of the United States men’s national football team.
The former Tottenham boss has been out of work since he parted company with Chelsea at the end of last season. The Argentine had been linked with the vacant England manager role following the departure of Gareth Southgate last month.
His capture by the north American side, who fired former boss Gregg Berhalter after a poor Copa America campaign in July, comes as a major coup.
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The US are just two years away from co-hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994. According to The Telegraph, following speculation of his move, Pochettino has now agreed to become their new manager.
The length of his deal has not yet been revealed but he will be tasked with improving the fortunes of the side who have faltered in recent years head of their duties hosting in 2026.
Earlier this month, the US became the first Copa America host nation to fail to make it out of the group stages. The failure proved to be the final straw for Berhalter in his second spell in the role.
In his first spell in charge of the US, from December 2018 to December 2022, Berhalter won 61 percent of his 60 games in charge, but that win percentage dropped to 50 percent in his second tenure of just 11 months.
Berhalter’s contract previously expired at the end of the World Cup in 2022, and he became embroiled in an off-field scandal involving his former team-mate Claudio Reyna.
Berhalter criticised Reyna’s son Gio – a member of the US team at the World Cup – which led to his mother Danielle informing US Soccer chiefs of a 1992 domestic violence incident involving Berhalter and his then-girlfriend, now-wife.
That sparked a long investigation that kept Berhalter away from the team for six months, before he was officially reinstated for a second spell in charge.
US football chiefs ambitiously approached former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for the role but their attempt was rebuffed by the German.
However, the signing of Pochettino is a real signal of intent, especially given his links to the Three Lions job.
Under 21s manager Lee Carsely has been placed in interim charge of the squad for the upcoming slate of fixtures while a permanent replacement for Southgate is found.
Pochettino remains one of the most highly-regarded managers in world football, having had successful stints with Southampton, Spurs and PSG. His short stay in west London was tumultuous, though he managed to turn the side’s fortunes around by the end of the campaign.
And his departure was surprising after he had guided the team to a sixth-place finish and European qualification.
