Just three months after signing Mauricio Pochettino to a four-year extension, the U.S. men's national team is looking for a new manager. Pochettino is leaving the program after the current international window to take the open job at Manchester United, with an announcement reported for Friday. The Athletic reported that his deal with United will run for 2½ seasons after the English club made the ouster of Michael Carrick official on Thursday morning.

The 54-year-old Argentine was quickly identified as the frontrunner to replace Carrick, with a litany of British outlets reporting he was top of the club's list on Monday night. United, whose 20 Premier League titles are more than any other club, went into the international break in the relegation zone with a 1-5-4 start. Pochettino will reportedly coach both of the USMNT's games against Haiti, the first on Saturday afternoon in Miami.S1

According to a person with knowledge of the situation, United's hierarchy had initially assumed Pochettino was out of reach because of his contract, and he had been a leading candidate in 2022 before Erik ten Hag was hired. Work to conclude the deal accelerated once United learned of a break clause in his recently signed contract, reported by multiple outlets to be approximately $10 million. The U.S. Soccer Federation was formally approached on Wednesday, the night before Carrick was relieved of his duties, and the federation has not yet given official comment.S1S2

Pochettino's tenure with the national team ranks as a disappointment, or at least a missed opportunity. He never won a trophy, finishing fourth in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League and second at that summer's Gold Cup, and last summer's World Cup side fell 4-1 to Belgium in the Round of 16. Players were left answering questions about a move everyone expected but that was not yet official, with Sebastian Berhalter praising the foundation Pochettino had built at the team's training base in Fayetteville, Georgia.S1S2