"We're evaluating it. Next week, we'll make a decision." That's what Mauricio Pochettino told a Spanish radio station on July 17, and right now, that's all U.S. Soccer fans have to go on.
The Argentine led the USMNT through their best-ever World Cup performance on home soil — topping their group for the first time in U.S. history, winning three matches in a single tournament for the first time, before running into Belgium in the Round of 16 and crashing out in the same stage that has haunted this program for over two decades. His contract expired at the end of the tournament. U.S. Soccer has made him an offer to stay. Now it's his call.
Why he might actually stick around
Before the World Cup, the conventional wisdom was that Pochettino would bolt the moment a big club came calling. That calculus has shifted. AC Milan courted him and moved on. Manchester United handed the job to Michael Carrick permanently. Real Madrid brought back José Mourinho. Tottenham — his old club — hired Roberto De Zerbi. The marquee openings that would have made the decision easy simply aren't there right now.
Meanwhile, U.S. Soccer's offer is reportedly structured to make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the world — competitive with what top European clubs would offer, though still short of the absolute elite spenders. On top of the salary, Pochettino is said to be seeking real institutional power: influence over youth development, coach education, and the broader infrastructure of the sport in America. He was already involved in hiring Steve Cherundolo as U-23 head coach. This isn't a manager gig — it's closer to a sporting director role with a whistle.
There's also the small matter of the buyout clause. His previous deal reportedly contained one of the largest financial compensation fees in football history should he leave mid-cycle. Expect similar language in any extension. Signing would mean committing four years to a U.S. Soccer project — not a short-term gig he can exit cleanly when Bayern or PSG come knocking next winter.
The Argentina option looms in the background
If Pochettino walks away from the USMNT, club football isn't his only alternative. Lionel Scaloni is expected to step down from the Argentine national team in December when his contract expires. Pochettino — who stated flatly he was "200 percent Argentine" when asked whether he felt any American identity during the World Cup — has now experienced international management firsthand. Coaching his home country would be a different kind of pull than any club job.
That's the real competition U.S. Soccer is up against: not just Manchester City or Bayern, but Buenos Aires.
A decision is supposed to come within days. Whether Pochettino believes this project is worth four more years of his career — or whether he'd rather wait for a club door to open, or chase the Argentina job — is a question only he can answer. Either way, U.S. Soccer's entire next cycle hangs on it.
