Mauricio Pochettino has managed all across the globe, but he’s about to face a brand new challenge.
The 54-year-old head coach will lead the U.S. men’s national team into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where it will serve as a host for the first time since 1994.
While the Argentina native has managed stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane and stood on the sidelines for colossal matches like the Champions League Final, this will be Pochettino’s first World Cup as a head coach.
The opportunity comes at a crucial time for the USMNT, which will be one of three co-hosts for the tournament across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Americans have bowed out in the round of 16 in each of their last three World Cup appearances, most recently losing 3-1 to the Netherlands in Qatar four years ago.
Pochettino’s squad will open the competition against Paraguay on Friday, June 12, before facing Australia on June 19 and Turkey on June 25 in Group D play. Getting out of the group stage is easier now than ever with the expansion to a 48-team World Cup, but Pochettino still has plenty of work to do to get the USMNT to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
Here’s everything to know about Pochettino as he heads into his first World Cup with major expectations:
Where is Mauricio Pochettino from?
Pochettino was born on March 2, 1972, in Murphy, Argentina.
How long has Mauricio Pochettino been head coach for the USMNT?
Pochettino was named the USMNT head coach in September 2024 as the successor to Gregg Berhalter. His hiring made him the ninth U.S. coach in just a 14-year span and continued his extensive managerial career.
He took over as Spanish club Espanyol's first-team coach in January 2009 and helped the team avoid relegation. Pochettino was fired in November 2012 with the team in last place and was hired two months later by English club Southampton.
Pochettino moved in May 2014 to Tottenham, which reached the final of the 2015 League Cup, losing to Chelsea, and the 2019 Champions League, losing to Liverpool. He was fired in November 2019 with Spurs in 14th place and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
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PSG hired Pochettino in January 2021. The team finished second in the league and lost to Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals but won the French Cup, beating Monaco 2-0 in the final. Led by Messi and Mbappe, PSG clinched the 2022 Ligue 1 title with four games to spare but lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.
Pochettino left PSG at the end of the 2022-23 season, then was hired by Chelsea in June 2023 after the club finished 12th. Chelsea lost the League Cup final to Liverpool and finished sixth in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League. Pochettino left two days after the final match.
What is Mauricio Pochettino’s record with the USMNT?
The USMNT is 13-9-2 in 24 matches under Pochettino.
Pochettino made his coaching debut with the USMNT on Oct. 12, 2024, and earned a 2-0 victory in a friendly against Panama. He later guided the USMNT to a fourth place Nations League finish in March 2025 and a runner-up Gold Cup finish in July 2025.
The team had a pair of disappointing results in its first two friendlies in 2026. The team lost 5-2 to Belgium on March 28 and fell 2-0 to Portugal on March 31.
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What has Mauricio Pochettino said about the USMNT’s World Cup chances?
Pochettino shared his excitement to coach the USMNT when he was first hired and promised to “build something special.”
“The opportunity to lead the U.S. men's national team, in front of fans who are just as passionate as the players, is something I couldn't pass up,” Pochettino said when he was hired. “I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we're going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of.”
Ahead of the World Cup opener against Paraguay on Friday, June 12, Pochettino stressed the importance of playing a team game.
“I believe that we have the talent to compete and to believe that we can do great things, but … talent without commitment is a game that is transformed into individuality, and you do not win with individuality only,” he told FIFA.com. “You win through the commitment to generate or create a team with a solid base, a solid structure, that when the talent appears, that team supports it and gives the possibility for the talent to make a difference.”
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Did Mauricio Pochettino play soccer?
Pochettino was a central defender who played for Newell's Old Boys in Argentina and Espanyol, PSG and Bordeaux in Europe from the late 1980s until 2006. He made 20 appearances for Argentina, playing at the 1999 Copa América and the 2002 World Cup, where his foul of Michael Owen led to David Beckham's penalty kick in Argentina's 1-0 group-stage loss.
In all, he scored 26 goals in 509 career club appearances and two goals in 20 caps with Argentina.
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