Mauricio Pochettino is leaving the United States men's national team to become Manchester United's manager, U.S. Soccer and the Premier League club announced on Friday, Nov. 13.
Then the question follows, who will replace the coach who has the most World Cup wins of any USMNT manager?
One interesting prospect is Pep Guardiola. The football legend made a name for himself at the helm of major clubs across Europe: FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, where he won six Premier League titles and the Champions League. He has never coached a national team.
While it's a longshot that he would take the USMNT role, back in 2024 when Pochettino got the job, Guardiola shared his thoughts on his fellow Premier League manager taking the reins. Pochettino was
the head coach for Chelsea before taking the national team job while Guardiola was at the helm of Manchester City.
"The USA is fascinating to try to build a project for many years and being able to get the national team to the next step,"Guardiola said at a press conference, per ESPN. "The potential with the USA is there for the amount of people and sports and so on. If he has decided it's because it's the best for him."
Unlike the women's team, who has a record four World Cup titles, the men's team has had an uphill battle on the global stage.
At the time of Pochettino's hiring, the United States infamously did not qualify for the World Cup in 2018. Then, Gregg Berhalter brought the side to the round of 16 in the 2022 tournament. He was fired after the team was ousted from the 2024 Copa América with the role of co-hosting the 2026 World Cup looming ahead.
Guardiola expressed confidence in Pochettino becoming the leader of a side that featured Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.
"I wish him and the USA – I have friends there – the best of luck," he said. "I know he's a top class manager, an experienced manager."
Pochettino had three wins in this summer's World Cup where the United States made it to the round of 16 again. This competition featured an additional knockout round for the first time due to an expanded field.
Otherpotential candidates to take the USMNT manager jobshould Pochettino leave include B.J. Callaghan of Nashville SC, who just set the record for most points in an MLS season, Steve Cherundolo, the leader of the United States' U-23 team, and Gareth Southgate, a current free agent and former England boss.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Would Pep Guardiola coach USMNT? What legend said about 'fascinating' job
