The inside story of how Pochettino became next USMNT manager

It was in mid-August, shortly after the U.S. women's national team claimed the Olympic gold medal with a 1-0 win over Brazil, that U.S. Soccer Federation chief executive J.T. Batson found himself with another reason to smile.

He was sitting outside the W Hotel in Barcelona, having dinner with USSF sporting director Matt Crocker. The two had just completed a long session of negotiations with Mauricio Pochettino, Jesus Perez (Pochettino's No. 2) and Pochettino's representatives, when the realization hit him that even though there were some items to hash out, the pathway to bringing the Argentine on as USMNT manager was wide open. Barring late catastrophe, Pochettino, a coach of considerable international renown, would be the next manager of the U.S. men's national team.

On Tuesday, that appointment became official, with U.S. Soccer confirming that Pochettino will lead the USMNT through the 2026 World Cup.

"[Pochettino] is a perfect fit with our ethos and team," Batson told ESPN via text message. "I am delighted that he will be inspiring not just our players and staff to reach for greatness, but also that he will help inspire the next generation of Americans to fall in love with soccer."

It was a hire the USSF could scarcely have dreamed of just months earlier, especially in the aftermath of the team's woeful showing at the 2024 Copa América, when the USMNT became the first tournament hosts to be knocked out in the group stage. In the wake of that failure, and in the aftermath of the, at times, ugly second cycle under Gregg Berhalter, the federation was determined to dream big.

As Batson and Crocker enjoyed the Barcelona evening, the pair could take comfort in the fact they were about to set the USMNT program on a very different course.

A global search for the game's biggest names

When the decision was made to part ways with Berhalter, one thing was clear among members of the hierarchy at the top of U.S. Soccer: They wanted something different in their next men's national team manager.

From the first meeting, they discussed the possibility of hiring a foreign coach. They didn't close the door on an American manager who had more familiarity with the setup, but they knew they had to go in a different direction, and going for someone outside American soccer -- something not done since Jürgen Klinsmann was hired in 2011, and only the second time since 1991 -- was certainly that.

The four people leading the search -- Batson, Crocker, USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone and Oguchi Onyewu, vice president of sporting -- were convinced they would receive numerous applications from top coaches interested in the job given the U.S. would host the 2026 World Cup and boasts an intriguing squad with plenty of potential. They weren't disappointed.

Dozens of agents called to offer their clients, with names ranging from leading lights in MLS such as Steve Cherundolo of LAFC and Wilfried Nancy of the Columbus Crew -- who ticked some boxes but weren't ultimately interviewed -- to overseas-based managers such as TSG Hoffenheim boss Pellegrino Matarazzo (who was born and raised in New Jersey) and Patrick Vieira.

The presentation made by U.S. Soccer bosses to prospective hires was simple: make progress with the existing squad while also developing the next generation. They also set out their primary objective: reach at least the quarterfinal of the home World Cup -- an achievement accomplished only twice in the program's history, most recently in 2002.

The federation's search committee also studied the salaries of the top national team head coaches -- figures such as France's Didier Deschamps, Germany's Julian Nagelsmann, Portugal's Roberto Martinez and Gareth Southgate, before he left England -- and determined it was confident money would not be an issue for whomever it wanted to appoint.

That money wasn't a concern amounted to a sea change in terms of the USSF's thinking. In the past, the federation -- with some justification -- had been accused of trying to do things on the cheap. For the 2023 fiscal year, the most recent period for which USSF financial reports are available, Berhalter's total compensation was $2.3 million, which included a $900,000 bonus for successfully qualifying for the World Cup. Getting a top manager probably would involve at least triple that number.

The USSF's finances have improved markedly in recent years, though. This is mostly because of the federation now handling its commercial rights in-house rather than using a third party like Soccer United Marketing. Commercial revenue is expected to exceed $150 million in 2024 after checking in at $92.5 million for the 2023 fiscal year. Having sponsors chip in was also considered.

With the financial obstacle cleared, the federation's search committee now had to find the right person to take the team forward: ideally a foreign coach, a big name, someone with significant experience and previous success at the club or international level. It also wanted someone who spoke English and had a track record of working with young players and boasted strong player-management skills to inspire not just the current generation but the next one.

A year ago, Crocker talked up the process that led him to rehire Berhalter, an approach that included what the federation called "a battery of practical and psychological testing," but that process was criticized within some federation circles as being overly deferential to Berhalter. There was some element of that process this time around, but not as much given the extent to which most of the candidates were known quantities.

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Gab & Juls talk pros and cons of Pochettino for the USMNT

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens explain the strengths and weaknesses Mauricio Pochettino will bring to the USMNT's manager role.

Crocker started with a list of more than 100 candidates before whittling those down. From there, he essentially put the candidates into three buckets. The third bucket was a tier of candidates they had considered in the past. The second tier was what one source called "reach candidates," while the top was comprised of coaches whom the USSF thought was beyond their reach -- "super stretch" options. The USSF decided to "go on offense" and sound out the top-tier candidates. Such was the level of interest by the first-tier coaches that Crocker and Batson didn't even make it all the way through their second-tier candidates, so that their list was in the single digits. And yes, Pochettino was in the "super stretch" bucket.

One name would ultimately tick all of those boxes, of course: Jürgen Klopp. He was the absolute dream. Having just left Liverpool after nine tiring but fruitful years, Klopp is now on the sabbatical he promised his wife he would take. U.S. Soccer was willing to be flexible if he was interested, offering him several months away before taking charge, but Klopp insisted he was taking time away from the game. The search would continue.

When word spread of the USSF's criteria, dozens of résumés were sent from all around the world, including some of the biggest names in soccer. Thomas Tuchel and Zinedine Zidane were discussed by the federation as part of a candidate pool that also included Pochettino, Matarazzo, Vieira, Rafa Benitez, Xavi, Thierry Henry, Marcelo Gallardo and Graham Potter. All contenders were talked through the process and U.S. Soccer's expectations for the eventual hire.

The USSF ultimately believes there is a good base of talent to build from within this team, despite the disappointment of the Copa América. This is a team whose core of players boasts the experience of Qatar 2022, and the hope is that playing a World Cup on home soil will see this group go deeper than its round-of-16 finish two years ago.

The U.S. Soccer Federation board of directors ultimately had to approve the deal, but not everyone on the board was kept apprised of the process. Some were shut out entirely. Rather, a trusted inner circle was kept in the loop. Although the USSF went down parallel paths with several candidates, so as not to back themselves into a corner, one man became the obvious choice: Pochettino.

Why Pochettino fits, and the task he faces

Not only did the former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss tick all of the boxes outlined above, but he worked very well with Crocker when the latter was technical director during Pochettino's single-season spell in charge of Southampton in 2013-14, and their relationship remains very good. (Pochettino's ability to speak Spanish, a vital skill in efforts to recruit potential players eligible to represent both the U.S. and Mexico, as well as connect with the sizable Latino community, also helped him stand out.)

The importance of strong ties between a manager and a sporting director, whether at the club or international level, is undeniable. "Something that can't be overstated is [Pochettino's] relationship with Matt," said one source with knowledge of the search. "That trust level from moment one was so high. And so that's something that was critical out of the gates for sure."

The new USMNT manager also needed to understand that the women's program would be on par with the men's in almost every way. Given the way Pochettino got along with current USWNT manager Emma Hayes when the two were at Chelsea, this wouldn't be an issue. (Sources tell ESPN that Hayes' salary, however, will remain where it is, and not move in lock-step with Pochettino's.) Pochettino also engaged in terms of the direction of the youth national teams as well.

As for Pochettino, the 52-year-old coach had been looking for a different experience and adventure. The idea of contesting the next World Cup for one of the host nations was extremely appealing, as was working with a promising core of young players such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, Gio Reyna and Sergiño Dest. He would also be able to go about his work in relative peace compared to the tumult that he experienced with PSG and Chelsea.

After Crocker made his presentation, Pochettino and assistant Perez came back and made a pitch of their own in terms of what they liked and didn't like about the player pool. "They are certainly intrigued about what we're trying to do overall as a soccer country," said one source with knowledge of the process. "And they love the idea of being involved with coaching education and these national teams."

It's a group that needs to be pushed to reach the next level, too. That was made clear by interim manager Mikey Varas after Saturday's lifeless defeat to rival Canada. "The mentality is on the players. They know it," he said after the 2-1 friendly loss. "We speak the truth to each other. I love those guys, but they know that mentality to fight, to run and to sacrifice, I can't do that for them. That's on them."

The belief inside U.S. Soccer is that a manager of Pochettino's experience and acumen can help these players reach new heights.

Because both sides of the negotiation were keen, a full agreement was very easy to reach: Pochettino has signed a two-year deal -- the 2026 World Cup will be his obvious focus -- but with the shared desire to ultimately extend for a four-year cycle.

In terms of how Pochettino gets paid, there are several moving parts. The biggest one was Chelsea. Poch was still under contract with the London club despite leaving his post at Stamford Bridge earlier this summer. The Blues owed him a payout for the final year of his contract -- an estimated $14m -- and this needed to be resolved before he could be appointed as the new USMNT head coach. His contract was labeled a "guillotine contract" in that it stipulated he would give up that year's pay if he took another job. A source told ESPN that Chelsea will pay Pochettino and his assistants -- Perez, Miguel d'Agostino and Toni Jimenez -- most, though not all, of that amount via monthly installments through June 2025.

The Argentine is taking a significant pay cut in terms of salary, which sources pegged in the region of $6m. The USSF also leveraged donors. Hedge fund billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, co-founder of asset management firm Diameter Capital Scott Goodwin and several commercial partners are contributing to Pochettino's wages. In the end, it amounted to a solution that the incoming manager, his assistants, Chelsea and U.S. Soccer all were comfortable with.

Progress was slow during the transfer window given Chelsea's whirlwind of new signings and exits. The Chelsea executives tended to take vacation after the window closed, creating further delays. It was also "lawyers being lawyers," as one federation source put it, but the pace of the process picked up once the transfer window shut at the end of August. The federation source added that Chelsea had been supportive throughout the process, but the talks were "tricky" given the proximity to the window.