US Soccer offers Pochettino contract extension through 2030 World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino has led the US to a group-topping performance at the World Cup so far. (Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock)

• Pochettino has been in charge of the US since late 2024.
• The former Spurs and PSG boss is likely to attract club interest.

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 told the Guardian on Friday. Sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Pochettino and the US Soccer Federation have been negotiating a new deal for approximately three months, according to one source. Both Pochettino and US Soccer CEO JT Batson have spoken publicly about the talks as recently as late May, around the time Pochettino was reported to have held discussions with Serie A side AC Milan. Pochettino was evasive when pressed on Milan's interest, but Batson addressed it openly, stating that the federation had received numerous inquiries regarding 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 has said he will not make a decision on his future until after the World Cup. The most recent publicly available data on the Argentine's salary places him among football's highest-paid coaches at $4 million per year, a figure that grows significantly through a bonus structure.

The Athletic was first to report the contract offer.

Performance and Tenure

The former Tottenham Hotspur head coach's 22-month tenure as US head coach has been mixed, but his team's World Cup performance has been unquestionable. The 54-year-old has led the US to their best-ever group-stage showing at a World Cup. The Americans beat Australia and Paraguay convincingly to secure top spot in their group before losing a hard-fought match to already-eliminated Turkey.

A last-32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina awaits. By securing a knockout-stage berth, Pochettino's side is just two wins away from matching the team's best-ever finish in the modern era.

Future Uncertainty

Fans and pundits have long assumed 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."

Renewed Ambition

US Soccer has demonstrated renewed ambition in recent years. In addition to hiring Pochettino, the federation recently opened a massive $250 million training facility in Atlanta, Georgia.

Topics: USA | World Cup 2026 | World Cup | US sports | Mauricio Pochettino