SEATTLE — The U.S. men’s national team is out of the World Cup, and whether Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure as manager is over was a question the Argentine was unwilling to fully answer Monday night.
“In the next weeks, we can start to talk if the federation wants to talk,” Pochettino said following the 4-1 defeat to Belgium. “Right now, it’s about resting a little bit, to think, to have conversations with the federation to see what the decision is. I’m so happy. We’ve built a very good relationship, now is not a moment to talk about [my future].”
U.S. Soccer reportedly presented Pochettino with a contract offer through the 2030 World Cup before this World Cup started.
Whether Pochettino — who’s openly expressed that he’d like to return to manage in the English Premier League — is interested in doing so is another matter.
He seemed to take to America’s culture during his time here and genuinely to enjoy coaching at the World Cup. A full four-year cycle that includes qualifying, though, is a lot different from what he just did. Pochettino was the coach for only 18 months, and the U.S. automatically qualified for this World Cup as the host nation.
The idea of coaching a host nation, clearly, was part of the allure for Pochettino.
Perhaps the 2028 Copa America, which is likely to be held in the U.S., will be part of the carrot to come back, as well as the fact that many of the same players Pochettino has built relationships with will play huge roles at the 2030 World Cup, which is to be played largely on the Iberian peninsula and in Morocco.
Another factor is that most European club jobs are filled at this point in the cycle. AC Milan, a club that seemed to have some interest in Pochettino, filled its managerial role with Ruben Amorim.
Pochettino, who lived mostly in Barcelona and London during his time managing the U.S., would also need to consider whether he wants to move stateside. With a shiny new facility open in Fayetteville, Ga., the next USMNT manager could work out of the Atlanta suburb.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
