Mauricio Pochettino has been offered a contract extension that would keep him in charge of the US men’s national team through the 2030 World Cup, multiple sources familiar with the offer said on Friday. Sources spoke with the Guardian on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.
Negotiations and Interest
Pochettino and the US Soccer Federation have been discussing a new deal for about three months, said one source. Pochettino, along with US Soccer CEO JT Batson, have spoken publicly about the negotiations as recently as late May, around the time that Pochettino was reported to have had talks with Serie A side Milan. Pochettino was coy when pressed about Milan’s interest, but Batson spoke openly about it, saying that the federation had received many inquiries in regards to Pochettino’s services.
“[Pochettino], and the entire team, has been incredibly transparent [through] the entire process,” Batson said in May. “He had standing offers from other places to come [when we hired him initially], and he wanted to be here. He’s a big believer in what we’re doing at US Soccer. He’s a big believer in soccer in America, and he’s a big believer in this men’s team.”
Pochettino’s World Cup Performance
Pochettino has said he will not make a decision on his future until after the World Cup. The most recent, publicly available data on the Argentinian’s salary places him amongst football’s highest-paid coaches, at $4 million a year, a figure that grows significantly via a bonus structure.
The former Tottenham Hotspur head coach’s 22-month tenure as the US head coach has been a mixed bag, but his team’s performance at the World Cup has been beyond argument. The 54-year-old has led the US to their best-ever showing in the group stage of a World Cup. They beat Australia and Paraguay handily to wrap up top spot in the group before losing a hard-fought match to already-eliminated Turkey.
Upcoming Challenges and Legacy
A round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina awaits. Should the Americans advance, a win in the round of 16 would open the door to Pochettino leading the US to their best overall finish in the modern era.
Fans and pundits have long assumed that Pochettino, who had never coached internationally before taking the US job, would leave after the World Cup, though he has said in recent months that he is open to extending his contract.
“We told the federation we are open,” Pochettino said in a media roundtable this week. “But we don’t want to distract when all the energy needs to be with my players ... If the American people start to show passion in our sport too, why not be here being part of something that can create a legacy? For me, the most important legacy is the connection between the national team and the fans.”
US Soccer’s Ambition
US Soccer has shown renewed ambition in recent years. In addition to hiring Pochettino, the federation recently opened a massive, $250 million training facility in Atlanta, Georgia.
