Pochettino to take charge of two final USMNT matches
He has signed two-and-a-half-year United contract
Mauricio Pochettino’s switch from the US men’s national team to Manchester United has been confirmed. Pochettino will guide the US through a pair of Concacaf Nations League matches on Saturday and Tuesday before joining United, for whom his first game will come at Liverpool next Sunday.
The former Chelsea, Tottenham and Southampton manager has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to replace Michael Carrick, who was sacked on Thursday after leading United to their worst start to a season in four decades. United have won one of their past 11 games and are in the Premier League’s relegation zone.
United made Pochettino their first-choice target after it became clear Carrick would be dismissed. They only held talks with the Argentinian, despite interest in the former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann. United’s leadership group selected Pochettino over other candidates and had the decision to appoint him signed off by Sir Jim Ratcliffe this week.
The club were attracted to Pochettino based on his personality, hoping he can turn things around at United by building a strong culture within the dressing room. United sought a more experienced coach after Carrick, feeling Pochettino’s long-term record of player development and clear philosophy would suit the needs of United at the moment.
Pochettino signed a new four-year contract with US Soccer in August, an expansive deal that offered the Argentinian greater control over youth development and the overall direction of the men’s programme. To secure his services, United have paid the US federation about $10m (£7.5m), with an additional fee paid to secure the services of Pochettino’s longtime assistants.
United’s players not on international duty were told on Thursday they did not need to return to training until next week. With the second of the US’s two games against Haiti finishing in the early hours of Wednesday GMT, Pochettino’s first day with United is expected to be Thursday.
“The opportunity to represent the USA crest was one of the greatest honours of my career. We are so grateful to the players for their commitment, to the fans for their belief, and to the federation for always supporting our staff and creating the opportunities to impact the culture of soccer in this great country,” Pochettino said on Friday.
“We want to thank Cindy Parlow Cone, JT Batson and Dan Helfrich for their partnership and incredible working relationships throughout our time here. There is tremendous talent in the US player pool from the youth teams through to the senior team, and it’s one of the reasons we have so much belief for the future of US Soccer. You will always have a special place in our hearts, and we will be supporting the teams whenever they step on the field.”
Pochettino was hired by US Soccer in September 2024, brought on to steer the US through their first home World Cup in 32 years. Over the ensuing two years he compiled a 21-12-2 record and guided the team to the World Cup last 16, results that stack up favourably alongside other US coaches.
He earned praise in the US for his enthusiasm and for putting together the US men’s greatest group stage at a World Cup, a performance that included a 4-1 dismantling of Paraguay that will go down as the team’s best 90-minute performance at the tournament. All of that early progress, though, was wiped out by a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the last 16, a result marred by the federation’s – and Pochettino’s – handling of the red card controversy surrounding US forward Folarin Balogun.
It was not his only lowlight: there was the shocking fourth-place finish in the 2024-25 Nations League and a bitterly disappointing loss to Mexico in the 2025 Gold Cup final. The US were thrashed by top-level competition in friendly matches, and Pochettino sometimes struggled to connect with players, primarily the Milan midfielder Christian Pulisic. Others, such as Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, found themselves in and out of the picture on a regular basis.
Pochettino leaves the US with a glimmer of hope for the future. Across his tenure, 75 players earned at least one cap for the US. In the months after signing his extension, he did well to integrate more than a dozen newcomers into the squad during a four-match international window during which the US went undefeated across four matches.
Steve Cherundolo, head coach of the US U-23 national team, will lead the senior team’s December camp, which will feature a roster of primarily Major League Soccer players.
United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, has rejected a second offer of a new contract but the club are confident of getting the midfielder to commit his future. The 32-year-old’s deal runs until the end of the season but United have the option to trigger a further year.
Fernandes would be allowed to speak to clubs abroad in January if United have not activated that clause. He has previously had interest from Saudi Arabia and Galastasaray.
Fernandes won the Professional Footballers’ Association’s men’s player of the year award last season after helping United to third in the league with a record-breaking 21 assists but his form has dipped. He took aim at Carrick’s tactics after last month’s defeat by Como in the Champions League.
On Friday Carrick posted a message of thanks on Instagram to the fans, squad and staff. “I want nothing but success for Manchester United,” he wrote, thanking the players for their “efforts and the moments we’ve shared”.
