Mauricio Pochettino's decision on whether or not he'll return as head coach of the U.S. men's national team has taken longer than expected. But we might finally be nearing a resolution to the saga.
It's certainly the news USMNT fans have been hoping for — or at least trending that way.
Telemundo broadcaster Andres Cantor reported on Tuesday night that Pochettino was in the final stages of contract negotiations to return as USMNT head coach for a full World Cup cycle through 2030. Pochettino took over to lead the squad into a home World Cup after Gregg Berhalter was fired in his second stint with the team. Before joining the USMNT, Pochettino was at Chelsea, PSG and Tottenham.
Según fuentes fiables, entiendo que las conversaciones para la renovación
de Mauricio Pochettino marchan avanzadas y bien. La intención es anunciarlo lo antes posible para que pueda empezar a preparar la fecha FIFA de set/oct. //// —- Through reliable sources, I understand that…
— ANDRES CANTOR (@AndresCantorGOL) July 28, 2026
Cantor wrote in English:
Through reliable sources, I understand that Mauricio Pochettino renewal negotiations are going well and that the intention is to be able to announce it soon, in order for him and his staff to start working on the Sep/Oct FIFA match dates.
What this means for the USMNT
After an inconsistent build-up to the World Cup as he tried to get a sense of the talent pool, Pochettino had the USMNT playing some of the best soccer at a World Cup in program history. The USMNT won three World Cup matches for the first time. It won multiple matches by two-plus goals for the first time. It won a knockout stage match for the first time since 2002.
And while the Belgium loss in the Round of 16 was a dreadful performance, Pochettino gave the USMNT a foundation and identity to build on.
The U.S. Soccer Federation's hope would be to keep that going for a full four-year cycle that will include World Cup qualifying, CONCACAF Nations League, Gold Cup and likely Copa America matches.
The concern with Pochettino would be whether he's actually committed to a four-year cycle with the USMNT. From now until the 2030 World Cup kicks off in Spain, Portugal and Morocco (with centennial matches in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay), Pochettino's name will appear near the top of every major club managerial opening. That's just the reality of having an elite coach with his pedigree. He reportedly had talks with AC Milan just before this past World Cup, for example.
Is the USSF confident that it can keep him without having to scatter for a replacement mid-cycle? That's a question it will have to answer.
What would his contract look like?
The two sides would have to get the final negotiations over the finish line. But the expectation would be for Pochettino to be among the three highest-paid international coaches.
He was making a reported $6 million annually the past two years. This new contract would likely match or exceed that figure.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Mauricio Pochettino's awaited decision on USMNT coaching future took an encouraging turn
