Six Potential Destinations for USMNT’s Mauricio Pochettino After 2026 World Cup

Pochettino, whose contract is up after the World Cup, has already been linked with several major European clubs.

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT contract is up this summer. | Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

“You can never say never,” Mauricio Pochettino likes to say. “In football, everything can happen.”

That openness is very much the case for the future of the current U.S. men’s national team manager. Pochettino’s contract expires after the World Cup on home soil, leaving the former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss on the open coaching market.

AC Milan have been the first to show some concrete interest, organizing a sit-down meeting with Pochettino in Georgia in May, according to The Athletic. The historic Serie A giants are undergoing a root-and-branch reform after missing out on qualification for next season’s Champions League. Manager Massimiliano Allegri was one of several key figures to leave the club following the campaign’s conclusion, opening the door for Pochettino.

There is no suggestion that the USMNT boss has signed away his future just yet—and Pochettino may be wise to avoid agreeing his future (or telling anyone about it) until after the tournament.

Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson was widely pilloried for signing a contract with PSV Eindhoven before the 1990 World Cup kicked off while Julen Lopetegui was sensationally sacked by Spain on the eve of the 2018 tournament once his agreement with Real Madrid had come to light.

Pochettino has already had his favorite avenue closed by Tottenham’s acquisition of Roberto De Zerbi but there are plenty of options for the highly thought of tactician. As he says, anything could happen.

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6. England

German Thomas Tuchel is leading the Three Lions. | Michael Regan/The FA/Getty Images

Back in 2017, while speaking to Guillem Balague for his book, A Brave New World, Pochettino revealed his willingness to manage the England national team.

“If I were to be an international manager one day, I’d relish the opportunity to coach the England national team,” he beamed. “I’ve heard that I’ve been considered for the job before, but I don’t know if there was any truth in it.”

Whatever weight those links had then have only been diminished by the passage of time. England is so happy with Thomas Tuchel’s management that the German coach was given a contract extension until 2028 all the way back in February. However, international deals can be quickly torn up in the wake of a disastrous tournament.

Should the Three Lions underperform in the U.S., it’s not completely out of the question that they turn to a former target with knowledge of the Premier League.

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5. Crystal Palace

Oliver Glasner made sure he led Crystal Palace to one more trophy before his exit. | Thomas Eisenhuth/UEFA/Getty Images

Throughout the early months of 2026, Pochettino did little to downplay links with a move back to Tottenham. However, the former Southampton manager’s affection extends across the entire country he called home for seven years.

“I miss the world of football in England,” he wistfully reflected earlier this year. “I love ​the country, its culture, the football culture. For anyone with a competitive spirit who ​wants to measure themselves against others and test their abilities, it’s the ideal ​place. You have to constantly give your best.”

Premier League openings are thin on the ground. Crystal Palace and Manchester City are the only two teams currently in search of a manager—although Pep Guardiola is widely expected to be replaced by Enzo Maresca. The Eagles have been heavily linked with Andoni Iraola, but if the highly sought-after high-pressing Spanish speaker is lured elsewhere, why not go for another highly sought-after high-pressing Spanish speaker.

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4. Real Madrid

José Mourinho (left) appears to be better placed than Mauricio Pochettino for the Real Madrid job. | Matthew Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images

At one point in the not too distant past, this appeared to be Pochettino’s most likely destination. The Argentine, who is thought to have a good relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, even refused to rule out a potential move when presented with the speculation in March.

However, the landscape has since changed. José Mourinho now appears to be in pole position for the precarious posting, even if a deal won’t be announced until after the club’s presidential elections on June 7. In the unlikely scenario that Pérez is dethroned by Enrique Riquelme, Pochettino’s name could be back in the mix.

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3. Argentina

Lionel Scaloni helped Argentina claim its third World Cup title. | ANP/Getty Images

In the event that Pochettino has gotten a taste for international management, surely the goal would be to one day take charge of his home nation.

Lionel Scaloni would be a tough act to follow. Pochettino’s compatriot has led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and back-to-back Copa América titles. Scaloni’s contract with the national team also expires in 2026 and may not be renewed if the defense of the global title is underwhelming.

Independent of Scaloni’s future, this will almost certainly be the last major tournament for Lionel Messi. Pochettino has first-hand experience of the delicate line that has to be walked with his country’s greatest ever player, infamously admitting: “You cannot say to Messi, ‘Go to press.’”

Without the aging icon dictating the entire team’s style of play, Pochettino would be well placed to implement his traditionally hard-running system with a group of young, hungry winners.

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2. Stay With the USMNT

The USMNT head coach is targeting a deep tournament run. | John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

Pochettino caught everyone off-guard last March when he opened himself up to staying on with the USMNT. “Who knows what is going to happen,” he told reporters. “We are open. We don’t have [a] contract for the future but why not if we are happy and the federation is happy?”

“I am very happy,” Pochettino added. “Of course it is tough, it is a massive challenge, it is a bigger challenge than we thought or believed when we came here. But we are a coaching staff that loves a challenge.”

The expectation had been that everyone would be happy to part ways after a slightly uneasy two years with Pochettino at the helm. Should the U.S. actually come anywhere close to matching the manager’s wild ambitions, he may be inclined to sale of into the sunset. If the hosts underwhelm—as many fear—a continuation would appear even less likely.

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1. AC Milan

Could Christian Pulisic be reunited with Mauricio Pochettino next season? | Ivan Romano/Getty Images

Milan are the only club side even tenuously linked with Pochettino yet to come far closer to signing a different manager. However, The Athletic claim that Iraola is the Italian outfit’s leading candidate. Palace, however, are also chasing the Basque boss keenly and, should they prevail, Pochettino would seemingly be next up for consideration.

The Stars and Stripes coach would find the familiar faces of U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah at San Siro should he take on a rebuilding job which could suit him.

Serie A is not the league it once was. So many sides continue to labor with a retrograde 3-5-2 that is immediately befuddled by a 4-3-3. It helps explain why Italian clubs performed so poorly in European competition and why Como have shone with a relatively modern, high-pressing approach under Cesc Fàbregas.

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