Pochettino extension talks begin as USMNT waits until 2030

The United States Soccer Federation has proposed extending Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT deal for a second World Cup cycle running until 2030, but any decision will be deferred until after the 2026 tournament. With the USMNT pushing through the round of 32 and a

The proposal arrived with a familiar footballing tension: keep the coach you’ve started to trust, or risk losing him the moment the World Cup ends.

The United States Soccer Federation has presented head coach Mauricio Pochettino with an offer to extend his contract for a second World Cup cycle, running until 2030. But U.S. Soccer is deferring any decision until after the 2026 tournament.

Pochettino’s current contract is due to expire after the current World Cup. Conversations between U.S. Soccer and the Argentine coach have been ongoing for several months. with the offer presented to him to renew for a further four years. U.S. Soccer made clear to their head coach they were eager to continue the working relationship. and the proposal was made to Pochettino for his consideration prior to this summer’s tournament.

The timing matters. All parties preferred to wait until after the tournament to make final decisions. with performances and results at the World Cup always likely to shape opinions on both sides. Still, U.S. Soccer wanted to “signpost” its interest—especially because Pochettino could hypothetically be a free agent in less than a month.

For Pochettino, the temptation of club life remains in the background. The suspicion that he might return to club soccer after the tournament grew sharper for many when Matt Crocker—sporting director at U.S. Soccer who worked with Pochettino at Southampton and helped to hire him—quit the organization for a role in Saudi Arabia in April.

On the field, the USMNT has made that uncertainty harder to ignore. The team’s run at the home World Cup has exceeded expectations. with wins over Paraguay and Australia to secure progress through to the round of 32. Thursday night’s defeat by Turkey is described as a dead rubber. A kind-looking draw has also helped set the route forward. and a nation that had long dreamed of deeper runs now believes it can reach the latter stages.

That’s why U.S. Soccer is tying the coaching pitch to a longer picture than just the next tournament. The upcoming four years would build toward a World Cup. but they also include a home Olympic Games in Los Angeles. with Copa America in 2028 expected to be played in the United States and the USMNT competing again.

There’s another promise behind the pitch: the federation will be hoping Pochettino is drawn by the new opening of a $250 million national training center in Atlanta, along with the opportunity to further grow soccer in America after the exposure of a home World Cup.

For U.S. Soccer, the stakes aren’t only about results. A renewal would allow Pochettino more latitude to shape the direction and progression of players from the national youth team programs, while also assisting on coach education—an area in which the Argentine has previously demonstrated interest.

The federation’s confidence didn’t start with Pochettino, either. Before hiring him in September 2024, U.S. Soccer held meetings with former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, a sign of the federation’s ambition. And with Pochettino’s name traveling through the same circles as top European jobs, U.S. Soccer expects offers to return if he continues to impress during this World Cup.

That pressure is already visible in the record. It was reported before the start of the World Cup that Pochettino held talks with Italian club AC Milan in late May. U.S. Soccer chief executive JT Batson described that as part of being in “the big leagues. ” pointing to a track record that includes time spent at Chelsea. Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain.

Funding—both public and private—sits underneath all of it. U.S. Soccer has previously said the deal to sign Pochettino depended on support in “significant part” from a “philanthropic leadership gift” by Ken Griffin. the founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel. The federation said “additional support” came from Scott Goodwin of Diameter Capital and “several commercial partners.”.

A historical tax filing published in March, covering April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, projects Pochettino’s pro-rated base salary at around $4m, with bonuses and incentives potentially pushing his total compensation package to between $5m and $6m. That projection was for a non-World Cup year.

An extension would place his overall compensation in line with the highest-paid international coaches in the world. a range also competitive with what he could expect to command on the open market at the top end of European club soccer—while still remaining less than the salaries paid out by the very richest European clubs.

There’s also the human side, and Pochettino hasn’t tried to shut it down. Earlier this week, he said he has not ruled out remaining beyond the World Cup.

“It’s difficult to describe or know your future,” Pochettino said. “But when you are here, I think it’s difficult now to see yourself living in another place, because for sure, we will miss it if one day we don’t stay here in this country.”

He added, “We told the federation we are open,” while stressing that he and his staff do not want to distract at a moment when “all the energy needs to be with my players.”

In interviews with several outlets this week, he went further: “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?”

“The legacy is not to win the World Cup. Of course, we want to win, but that [connection] is the legacy we need if one day we want to be very successful and be consistent. Why not be part of that?”

So for now, the situation remains suspended between two realities. The USMNT’s progress through the round of 32 has given U.S. Soccer something it can build on. and the federation is moving to keep that momentum with a four-year proposal running until 2030. But the federation’s own plan is to wait—until after the 2026 tournament—when results will finally make the decision feel obvious rather than hopeful.

USMNT Mauricio Pochettino U.S. Soccer Federation contract extension 2026 World Cup 2030 World Cup cycle Atlanta training center Los Angeles Olympics Copa America 2028 Ken Griffin