Johnathan Walker:USMNT introduces new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who will lead team to 2026 World Cup

U.S. Soccer is Johnathan Walkerhoping this coach with Chelsea ties works out as well as the other one.

Mauricio Pochettino was officially announced as the new head coach of the United States men’s national team Tuesday, nearly a month after he was first reported to have gotten the job. Pochettino now has less than two years to turn around an underperforming team before the 2026 World Cup — which the United States just so happens to be co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.

"The decision to join U.S. Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on," Pochettino said in the statement announcing his hiring. "The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me.

"I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of." 

The announcement came hours before the USMNT played New Zealand in a friendly, with Mikey Varas serving as interim coach. Pochettino's first game in charge of the USMNT is expected to be Oct. 12 in Austin, Texas. The Americans also have a game Oct. 15 against Mexico outside Guadalajara during that international window.

While this is Pochettino's first international job, he’s been one of the most successful European club coaches in recent years. He took Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019 and won a French league title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022.

His most recent stint was at Chelsea, where he led the Blues to a 19-point and six-place improvement his first season. Despite the Blues’ turnaround — they also were runners-up in England’s League Cup — Pochettino left Chelsea in May over clashes with management.

The team might have second thoughts on the move, given Chelsea is currently 11th in the standings with one win in its first three games.

"Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker, who worked with Pochettino at Southampton. “His track record speaks for itself, and I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad."

Pochettino won't come cheap. His contract at Chelsea reportedly paid him more than $13 million a year, well above the $2.3 million Gregg Berhalter made in 2023, the most recent figure available.

Crocker previously said money wouldn't be an obstacle in getting the right coach, and U.S. Soccer said Pochettino's hiring was "supported in significant part by a philanthropic leadership gift" by Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel. Scott Goodwin, co-founder of the Diameter hedge fund, and other sponsors also provided support.

But the right coach is worth it, as Emma Hayes proved this summer.

U.S. Soccer made Hayes the highest-paid coach in the women's game after her incredible success at Chelsea, where she won seven Super League titles before taking over the USWNT in May. Hayes also inherited a U.S. team that wasn’t living up to its potential but, after just three months, she led the Americans to the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Pochettino’s reclamation project will be tougher, however. Though the Americans have some superbly talented players — notably Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Yunus Musah — and several others playing in Europe, there is a significant gap between them and the world’s elite.

They crashed out of this year’s Copa America in the group stage, losing to both Uruguay (ranked 14th in the world at the time, three spots behind the USMNT) and Panama (No. 43) and beating No. 84 Bolivia 2-0. They have not advanced past the round of 16 at the World Cup since 2002, when they reached the quarterfinals, and didn’t even qualify for the 2018 tournament.

On Saturday, the USMNT lost to Canada on home soil for the first time in 67 years.

The USMNT never had a defined style of play under Berhalter, who was fired after the Copa America flameout. Pochettino also will have to shore up a back line that’s in constant need of repair and, shockingly for a team that has had Tim Howard, Kasey Keller, Brad Friedl and Tony Meola, find a top-caliber goalkeeper.

But similar to Hayes, one thing working in Pochettino’s favor is his resume. The Argentine is arguably the most acclaimed coach the USMNT has ever had. In addition to being at the helm of some of Europe’s top clubs, he’s coached some of the biggest names in the game, including Harry Kane at Tottenham and Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé at PSG, and is known for being able to both develop and motivate players.

Pochettino also played professionally in Argentina, Spain and France. The central defender began his European career at Espanyol, where he also got his start as a manager.