U.S. Soccer announced a contract extension for Mauricio Pochettino as head coach of the men’s national team, keeping him in the position through the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The extension was announced Monday by the federation.
Pochettino was originally hired in 2024 to lead the team following prior struggles. His initial agreement covered only through this summer’s World Cup competition. The recent tournament saw mixed results for the American squad, which advanced to the Round of 16 before losing 4-1 to Belgium. However, the team achieved notable success earlier in the tournament with three victories against Paraguay, Australia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina—marking the most World Cup wins for the U.S. men’s team in a single tournament.
The team’s performance generated substantial fan interest, with tens of thousands attending matches in person and millions following on television. The Round of 16 loss drew a combined average viewership of 50.1 million across Fox and Telemundo broadcasts, establishing a record for soccer viewership in the United States.
Pochettino brings significant experience from leading prominent European clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. According to U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson, Pochettino and his staff are committed to developing the program further. The coach stated that fan passion throughout the World Cup strengthened the team’s confidence in its potential.
Under the extended agreement, Pochettino and his coaching staff will expand their responsibilities beyond match coaching to advise U.S. Soccer on youth soccer development, coaching education, professional league partnerships, and other technical matters across the federation. The team will compete in multiple international tournaments before 2030, including the CONCACAF Nations League and CONCACAF Gold Cup next year. The 2030 World Cup will be hosted primarily across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
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