Mauricio Pochettino will lead the United States through the 2030 World Cup cycle after agreeing an expanded role with U.S. Soccer.
Mauricio Pochettino will stay on as head coach of the United States men’s national team, signing a new deal that keeps him in charge through the 2030 World Cup.
His new contract goes further than just the senior team. Pochettino and his staff will now have a hand in youth development, coaching education, and building stronger links with professional leagues across the country.
Pochettino, now 54, first took the reins in September 2024. That left him with less than two years to get the team ready for a World Cup played on home soil, with Canada and Mexico also hosting.
It turned out to be a record-breaking run. The US finished top of their group for just the third time and notched more wins than any USMNT coach at a single World Cup, before seeing off Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the round of 32.
Pochettino’s team found the net in every match, scoring at least twice in four out of five games. That attacking intent is something U.S. Soccer now hopes to make a hallmark for the next cycle.
Speaking in the federation’s official announcement, Pochettino said: “Working together with U.S. Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the Men’s National Team program even stronger.
“The passion we experienced from the fans throughout the World Cup only strengthened our belief in what is possible here.”
This new deal means, for the first time, Pochettino gets the chance to guide the USMNT through a full four-year cycle.
The US will be back in action in the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup in both 2027 and 2029, before turning their focus to qualifying for 2030.
Pochettino’s staff will also play a role with the men’s youth teams, looking ahead to the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups and the 2028 Olympics on home turf.
Pochettino added: “We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of U.S. Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the Federation.
“We want to try to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field.”
Since taking over, Pochettino has cast the net wide. In total, 62 players from 16 leagues and 12 countries have featured, with 23 different names on the scoresheet as the team racked up 53 goals.
Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, Matt Freese, Sebastian Berhalter and Chris Brady all made their senior debuts under Pochettino, then went on to make the 2026 World Cup squad.
U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone praised Pochettino for creating a culture where players trust the group, the process and each other.
This new contract makes it clear: the federation sees the World Cup run as just the start of Pochettino’s project, not the end. He was brought in to get the US ready for 2026 as hosts, but now the challenge is to turn that momentum into a stronger development system and another competitive team for 2030.
