Mauricio Pochettino, new USMNT head coach

US Soccer has made the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach of the men's national team (USMNT) official, two months after Gregg Berhalter's departure.

"Hello everyone, I'm Mauricio Pochettino. I'm very honored and very happy to be the new head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. We have a great opportunity ahead of us," said the 52-year-old Argentine manager.

"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," the Argentine added. "The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me."

Pochettino will make his debut in the U.S. dugout on Oct. 12, when the USMNT will face Panama at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas).

Soccer Federation welcomes Pochettino back

The U.S. Soccer Federation executive bet on Pochettino to get the USMNT back on track and achieve better results than those obtained in recent tournaments. The national team's poor performance at the Copa America 2024, which failed to make it out of the group stage, led to Berhalter's dismissal.

"Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams," said sporting director Matt Crooker, noting his track record with top teams in Europe.

"Mauricio is a world-class coach with a proven track record of developing players and achieving success at the highest levels," said US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone.

Pochettino's career

Pochettino's coaching career began in the 2008-2009 season, when he took the reins of RCD Espanyol (Spain), a team he stayed with until he was sacked midway through the 2012-2013 season.

Shortly after, he began his journey in the Premier League, first at Southampton (a team where he spent a season and a half) and then at Tottenham Hotspur, which he managed from 2014-2015 to mid-2019-2020.

Being a free agent, Paris Saint-Germain trusted in his abilities and gave him the opportunity to coach the team. He spent a season and a half with the French team, with which he won the French Super Cup, the French Cup, Ligue 1 and the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

After a season without a team, during the 2023-2024 season he returned to England and managed Chelsea for one season, his last adventure before being appointed as the new coach of the USMNT.

As a player, he wore the jerseys of Newell's Old Boys, RCD Espanyol, Paris Saint-Germain and Girondins Bordeaux. He represented the Albiceleste in 20 matches.