Folarin Balogun said he would prefer Mauricio Pochettino to stay as U.S. men's national team coach, amid widespread reports that the Argentine will leave to become Manchester United manager.
Manchester United confirmed that Michael Carrick had been sacked
on Thursday, Nov. 12. The coach departed just three months into his first full season in charge, with the Red Devils sitting in the Premier League's relegation zone.Pochettino is reportedly on the verge of being named Carrick's replacement, with an official announcement expected in the coming days.
Balogun, who scored three goals at the 2026 World Cup as Pochettino led the USMNT to the round of 16, said that it was a "no-brainer" to want the Argentine to continue.
"If I had a vote, I would like
to keep things the way they are," Balogun said on Thursday. "Things have been working well. We have a clear sense of identity. We have a clear playing style, and I think whenever you have a top coach, you'd want them to stay. It's a no-brainer."
But the Monaco striker also accepted that Pochettino's exit seems to be inevitable.
"The benefit and the blessing when you have a great coach is the standard. I think coaches definitely raise the standards," he said. "The intensity of training, how we approach games. He's changed our way of thinking as players."
Balogun added: "I think he's laid the foundation, and I think us as players have to have that ownership to not just do that because Poch was in charge. I think we have the ownership as players to carry that on."
Sebastian Berhalter said that as of Thursday morning, players hadn't heard official word on Pochettino's status.
The midfielder, who was given his USMNT debut by Pochettino in 2025 before playing in every game at the 2026 World Cup, said "I can't thank him enough.
"Regardless if he's the coach, not the coach, he's meant so much to me, and he's helped me develop as a player and as a person," Berhalter said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Folarin Balogun says he wants Mauricio Pochettino to stay as USMNT coach
