Manchester United moved fast. One day after sacking Michael Carrick, the club confirmed on Friday that Mauricio Pochettino will be its next head coach — taking the Argentine straight out of the United States men's national team job, less than five months after he led the Americans into a home World Cup.
The scale of the job is hard to overstate. United sit 18th in the Premier League after ten games, with one win and eight points — their worst start to a league season in four decades. They have won only three of their 15 matches in all competitions, and Carrick's departure followed a 4-4 home draw with Aston Villa, two weeks after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth left supporters booing the players off the pitch.
The coach who rebuilt Tottenham — and then took on America
Pochettino, 54, is one of the most respected coaches in the game. He turned Tottenham Hotspur into regular top-four contenders and took them to the Champions League final in 2019, after spells at Southampton and Espanyol, and later managed Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
He took over the United States in the summer of 2024, replacing Gregg Berhalter after the team's group-stage exit at the Copa America. In two years he won 21 of his 35 matches in charge, with two draws and 12 defeats, and led the World Cup co-hosts to the last 16 on home soil — beating Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina before the run ended in defeat by Belgium.
He also changed the look of the team, handing chances to teenagers such as Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan and bringing a group of young players into the squad for the September and October friendlies — then recalling them for the Haiti matches that will now be his last games in charge.
The opportunity to represent the USA crest was one of the greatest honours of my career. We are so grateful to the players for their commitment, to the fans for their belief, and to the Federation for always supporting our staff.
United said in a statement that the club had “reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation for Mauricio and his staff to be released after the conclusion of their responsibilities with the U.S. Men's National Team.” British media reported that United would have to pay substantial compensation to release him from a U.S. contract that had been due to run until the 2030 World Cup — USA Today reported the release clause at around $10 million.
Why United moved so quickly
United needed a decision fast. Pochettino's first game in charge is a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, November 22 — one of the hardest fixtures in English football — and reports in Britain say he was the unanimous choice of the club's hierarchy, with the owners approving the appointment and no other coach spoken to directly.
What United are buying is a style as much as a name. The club's announcement praised his “high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players.” At Tottenham, that meant young players trusted early and a team that pressed high and played on the front foot — the opposite of the passive, frightened side United have looked like for much of this season.
The timing is brutal. He will formally start at Old Trafford on November 18, leaving him three days to prepare for Liverpool. Former England striker Gary Lineker, speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, warned that the job's deep-rooted problems could swallow even a coach of Pochettino's standing — and said he would be surprised if Pochettino were still in the job in 18 months.
Mauricio has left a lasting mark on U.S. Soccer through his leadership, professionalism and commitment to our players and culture. What we are most proud of goes beyond the wins.
That was U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson, in the federation's farewell statement — and it points to the part of this story that matters beyond Old Trafford. Pochettino did not just coach the senior team. He raised standards across the program, strengthened the culture and built clearer connections from the youth national teams to the senior side, in Batson's words. Those changes, the federation says, are now embedded in how it operates.
THE STORY SO FAR
Thursday, November 12 — Manchester United sack Michael Carrick after a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa. United are 18th in the Premier League, one point above bottom side Crystal Palace.
Friday, November 13 — United confirm Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach, and U.S. Soccer announces his departure. Pochettino says representing the USA crest was “one of the greatest honours of my career.”
Friday, November 13 — Reports say United paid around $10 million to trigger his release clause, and that Pochettino will start at Old Trafford on November 18.
Saturday, November 14 — Pochettino takes charge of the United States for the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti in Miami.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Pochettino coaches the U.S. one last time in the second leg against Haiti in Cincinnati on Tuesday, November 17. He then flies to England and formally starts at Manchester United on Wednesday, November 18.
His first match is the trip to Liverpool on Sunday, November 22 — with three days of training to prepare a team in the relegation zone for a derby at Anfield. After that, the scale of the rebuild becomes clear: a squad assembled at considerable expense, short on confidence, and a fanbase that has already booed this team off its own pitch.
For the United States, the focus turns to who follows him. The December camp goes to under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo, and the federation must decide whether to chase another big name — former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's name is already being mentioned in reports — or appoint a coach in the mold of the ones who traditionally led the team.
