Pochettino Leaves USMNT for Manchester United

On November 13, 2026, U.S. Soccer confirmed that Mauricio Pochettino will leave the men’s national team after its two-game Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series against Haiti and take charge of Manchester United. The English club agreed to pay more than $10 million to buy out Pochettino and his staff.

Pochettino, who called representing the United States a career honor, thanked the players, supporters and federation. He also expressed confidence in the talent across the country’s youth and senior teams.

The move comes just over three months after Pochettino signed a new four-year contract for a second term. He managed 35 matches, recording 21 wins, 12 losses and two draws. U.S. Soccer chief executive JT Batson said Pochettino and his staff had raised standards and strengthened the team’s culture and connections between youth and senior programs.

The Haiti series is scheduled to conclude Tuesday in Cincinnati, after an opener in Miami on Saturday. The senior team has no other dates scheduled before March’s Nations League final four, should the United States qualify. Olympic team coach Steve Cherundolo is set to lead a prospects camp in December.

A committee led by Batson, chief operating officer Dan Helfrich and the federation’s soccer leadership team will oversee the search for a successor. Federation president Cindy Cone said the focus after the current international window would be finding a coaching staff to build on the team’s progress.