Mauricio Pochettino has signed a new contract with the United States men's national team that will keep him in charge until 2030, U.S. Soccer confirmed on Monday. The deal comes despite a disappointing World Cup campaign that ended with a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16.
The 54-year-old's initial contract expired at the end of the tournament. The nature of the USMNT's exit raised questions about his future, until reports last week revealed that talks were ongoing over a new deal.
Pochettino, the former Chelsea, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain head coach, said working with U.S. Soccer over the past two years had made clear there was tremendous potential to make the program even stronger. He said the passion from fans throughout the World Cup had strengthened the belief in what is possible in the United States.
Pochettino said he and his staff were excited by the opportunity to bring their experience and knowledge to more areas of U.S. Soccer, while helping strengthen pathways for players, coaches and teams across the federation. He added that he wanted to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that had welcomed his family so warmly, beyond results on the field.
Who is funding the deal
Pochettino's appointment has been funded in part by Kenneth C Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, and Scott Goodwin, co-founder and managing partner of Diameter, according to the Daily Mail. A statement from U.S. Soccer said Pochettino will have the opportunity to test and strengthen the player pool through numerous official competitions.
Under the new deal, Pochettino will oversee the USA through the 2027 Concacaf Nations League, the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup, the 2029 Concacaf Nations League and the 2029 Concacaf Gold Cup. He will also lead the team into the 2030 World Cup, jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, should the USA qualify.
US Soccer's response
U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson said Pochettino and his staff believe in the future of soccer in the United States, and that the new project allows the federation to build on the USMNT's progress and momentum. Batson said the federation still has a lot of work to do to achieve its ambitions, including competing to win men's World Cups and making soccer the most played sport in every community.
Batson said he could not be more excited that Pochettino and his team are committed to partnering on that work. Batson had confirmed last week that active discussions were underway regarding the future of the program's coaching staff.
World Cup history despite the exit
Despite the disappointing finish, Pochettino and the USMNT made history earlier in the tournament. The USA won their group outright for just the third time in history, then beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the round of 32 before losing to Belgium.
Pochettino's coaching staff, Jesus Perez, Miguel D'Agostino, Toni Jimenez, Sebastiano Pochettino and Silvia Tuya, are expected to remain with him.
