Mauricio Pochettino's looming USMNT exit was always a matter of when, not if

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Three months after signing a contract to remain the U.S. coach through the 2030 World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino seems all but certain to leave for Manchester United. All indications point to t he 54-year-old Argentine replacing Michael Carrick , whose disastrous start to the Premier League season has left the English giants desperate for a new direction. Pochettino’s U.S. farewell is likely to be the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals vs. Haiti, Saturday in Miami and Tuesday in Cincinnati. Pochettino’s departure should not come as a massive surprise to disappointed U.S. supporters. This was inevitable. Believing he would fulfill his contract for four years was naive. At heart, Pochettino is a club coach. The U.S. gig was his first with a national team and, while he cherished the 2026 World Cup experience and the opportunity to shape the sport here, his DNA always seemed to be pulling him back across the Atlantic. Pochettino began his head coaching career in 2009 at Espanyol in Barcelona, a city he loves and where he still owns a home. He then moved to England to guide Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. London also became home, and even after taking the U.S. helm two years ago, he continued living abroad and traveling stateside as necessary. And then this week along came Manchester United, the biggest of all the English clubs and an organization that on three occasions over 10 years spoke to him about a coaching vacancy. USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino may have signed on through 2030, but his pull toward club soccer was never going away. AP Photo/Mike Stewart Even with all of United’s problems — both on the pitch and in the boardroom — it remains one of the most coveted jobs in global sports. In terms of brands, turning down United would be like a baseball manager declining the Yankees offer. But if it hadn’t been United today, Pochettino surely would have been approached by another esteemed club during the long run-up to the 2030 World Cup. In the past 18 months, World Cup preparations failed to shield him from reported interest by Tottenham and AC Milan, among others. Given his past at the north London club — a 5 ½-year run that included a Champions League runner-up medal in 2019 — Spurs will probably become a potential destination again someday. Pochettino has also coached in France: Paris Saint-Germain in 2021-22 with one of the greatest trios in soccer history: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. Moving to the U.S. program two years ago was a big step off the club pathway. He wasn’t taking over a World Cup contender such as Argentina or Spain; he was tasked, on relatively short notice, with shaping a U.S. team that had lost its way at the 2024 Copa America, a performance that prematurely ended Gregg Berhalter’s second term. It was also a different rhythm and new way of doing things. At a club, he was always on the clock. With few breaks, the training and playing schedule encompasses fall, winter and spring. Throughout the year, there is heavy involvement in the transfer market. With a national team, he spends only a handful of windows per year with the players, and while he is able to promote and demote within the country’s talent pool, he can’t seek out new faces in the transfer market. What you see is mostly what you get. Nonetheless, the U.S. got its man — a high-profile coach with success on the field and charm off it. He did not come cheap: At about $6 million per year, he is the highest-paid coach in program history. The price tag was so high, U.S. officials turned to outside benefactors. After a slow start, the team responded to Pochettino’s ways. Last fall, in a series of friendlies, the players began to turn the corner. And at the World Cup on home soil, they played with style and passion in winning their group. America cheered them like never before. The Round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina was followed by a heavy defeat to Belgium, leaving the U.S. short of its realistic goal: the quarterfinals. Even before the World Cup, Pochettino and the USSF discussed a possible extension. He took to the idea of having a full four-year cycle to prepare the team for the sport’s ultimate competition. With 2030 in mind, he used his first post-World Cup camp to introduce about a dozen young players into the senior national team. With a mix of ages, the Americans swept four friendlies in September and October. Pochettino retained several prospects for the current camp, leading to the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals vs. Haiti. While inside camp, preparations have remained business as usual, the United storyline has changed the outside narrative. Because Pochettino is under contract, the USSF would collect a reported $10 million fee from United. Had he left after the World Cup, when his first contract expired, the governing body would not have received anything. While Pochettino’s exit would disrupt the USSF’s immediate plans, the timing wouldn’t be catastrophic. Aside from a minor camp featuring MLS players in December, the U.S. is off until a window in late March for either the Nations League final four or a pair of friendlies. U.S. officials would want to line up a permanent replacement as soon as possible, but no later than the CONCACAF Gold Cup next summer. The 2030 World Cup qualifying schedule will not start until next fall, at the earliest. Possible candidates could include U.S. under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo, the former Los Angeles FC boss who was hired by the USSF this past summer to prepare for the 2028 Olympics; former U.S. assistant B.J. Callaghan, who this year led Nashville SC to the most points in MLS regular season history; Roberto Martinez, the former Belgium and Portugal World Cup coach; and, if the U.S. is really bold, Pep Guardiola, the architect of excellence at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City over 18 years. Like Pochettino, Guardiola would arrive with solely club credentials. He has been to the pinnacle, though, winning not just 12 domestic crowns but three Champions League trophies. Who is to say Guardiola wouldn’t also be swayed back to the club scene — and at a far worse time during the World Cup cycle? U.S. officials should be thankful Pochettino is probably leaving now. Because make no mistake, at some point he was probably going to leave.