Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the new head coach of the United States with responsibility for leading the team to the 2026 World Cup, a source told ESPN on Thursday.
Pochettino, 52, has been out of work since leaving Chelsea by mutual consent earlier this summer after just one season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
A source told ESPN that the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager has agreed to succeed Gregg Berhalter as USMNT head coach following lengthy discussions with Matt Crocker, the USSF technical director.
Crocker, who previously worked with Premier League side Southampton and the English Football Association, had been tasked with recruiting a world-class coach to ensure the U.S. national team arrives at the 2026 World Cup (the U.S. is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico) as a competitive nation, capable of reaching the latter stages of the competition.
Efforts to sign Jürgen Klopp following his summer exit from Liverpool failed to materialise, but Pochettino's agreement to take over is a major coup for the USSF.
Pochettino is expected to be installed in time to take charge of the USMNT's match against Canada in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sept. 7.
Sources told ESPN that Pochettino had been under consideration as a possible candidate to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager.
