Pochettino from Chelsea to USA: World Cup host nabs star coach

Pochettino from Chelsea to America
World Cup host nabs star coach

August 15, 2024, 10:27 pm

National coach in domestic competition: Mauricio Pochettino could experience this with USA at the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine, who had to leave Chelsea FC, is reportedly set to take charge of a national team for the first time.

Argentina's Mauricio Pochettino will lead co-host USA as the national coach for the 2026 World Cup. According to consistent information from “The Athletic” and sports broadcaster ESPN, the star coach and the American association, which will host the World Cup tournament in two years, along with its neighbors Mexico and Canada, have agreed. However, the deal must be signed after Pochettino's contract with his last employer, FC Chelsea, is terminated.

Pochettino will replace Greg Berhalder in the US team. The former German veteran (Energy Codebus and 1860 Munich) had to vacate his post in the middle of last month after defeating the United States to become the first host of the Copa America, a total of six years in office. The oldest national competition in the world. If he is finally signed, Pochettino will make his debut on the US bench in Kansas on September 7 in a friendly between the future World Cup hosts and Canada.

Pochettino has been looking for a new job since parting ways with Chelsea at the end of last season. The 52-year-old only qualified for international business by winning five in a row in his first year at London's Stamford Bridge with the Blues in a €450m upgrade, but has since had to leave. Negotiations on severance pay have been ongoing recently.

Before joining Chelsea, Pochettino worked at French giants Paris Saint-Germain. Along with superstar trio Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, the former national player won his only titles in his two-year tenure as coach with championship (2022), Cup (2021) and Supercup (2020) victories. The South American, who coached German record champions Bayern Munich several times in the past, celebrated the biggest success of his coaching career but by reaching the final of the Champions League with English leaders Tottenham Hotspur.