GOAL
Tom Hindle and Ryan Tolmich
Apr 30, 2026 04:58+06:00
The Rondo, USMNT edition: Who takes over if Mauricio Pochettino leaves? Will Jurgen Klopp be a good fit? And who is a safe bet?
FEATURES USA M. Pochettino J. Klopp B. Callaghan P. Guardiola M. Bradley
With Pochettino's future remaining uncertain, GOAL's writers break down who could take the managerial seat for the USMNT going forward...
There are questions to be asked about the USMNT's manager situation. It's a strange one. Usually, by this point, there would be some sort of indication as to what a head coach might do after the World Cup. Yet here we are, less than 50 days to go, Mauricio Pochettino's contract is running down, and we have no clear answer on whether he will stay after the tournament.
It must be noted that Pochettino has admitted that he is open to staying. But he has also repeatedly flirted with Premier League teams, and pointed out that he would like to coach in the English top flight again. There are also plenty of jobs going at other top leagues this summer. It's not all that hard to connect the dots, if you're into that kind of thing.
So, if he does go, what happens? Well, obviously, the USMNT will need a new manager. The good news is that there are plenty of decent options out there. Some of them are pipe dreams, elite coaches who will take a big swing to be lured back into management. Others might be a little easier.
GOAL breaks down the USMNT's managerial situation in another edition of... The Rondo.
Do you think Mauricio Pochettino leaves after the World Cup?
Tom Hindle: Almost certainly. There was never any indication that he fancied an international job before he took the USMNT one, and this has always felt a little bit like an interlude before his next one. Poch has really hammered home that he would love to return to the Premier League, and even namechecked Tottenham on a couple of occasions. There will be a bunch of jobs available this summer. You'd put money on Pochettino to get one of them.
Ryan Tolmich: It seems to be headed that way, yeah. He's said he's open to staying, but he's also said he'd love to return to Europe, where he'll never really have a shortage of suitors. Could Tottenham come calling? Real Madrid? Another European megaclub? We don't really know, but the fact is that Pochettino's main assignment from U.S. Soccer is this World Cup. Everything after that is up in the air.
What will it take for him to be considered a success?
TH: First of all, get out of the group! And then, win a knockout game, no matter how you do it. The USMNT has won just one knockout game ever. Make it two, and that's no bad thing, either. A quarterfinal appearance would make him, statistically, in major tournaments, the best U.S. manager ever. The whole "beat a European side" thing seems a bit silly. You can't pick your opponents, and soccer is so global anyway that there aren't really national "identities" anyway. Play someone, beat 'em, and see how you go from there.
RT: Something of a run. No one outside of the USMNT locker room expects them to win the thing, but this team, at its best, is capable of winning a few games. If they do that, and perhaps beat a good European/South American team along the way, they'll have achieved what they're supposed to, which means Pochettino will have done that, too.
Who's your dream next USMNT manager?
TH: I am going to say something silly now. Neither Jurgen Klopp nor Pep Guardiola would be a good USMNT manager. They are intense, boots-on-the-ground guys who need to be in the building with the players every single day. International competition is made for vibes. Give the guys some ideas, curate a sort of style, and let it happen. If we could rebuild some bridges, Jesse Marsch is the dream.
RT: In a total fantasyland? Jurgen Klopp. He's mildly familiar with the American game through Red Bull, a fantastic man-motivator, an elite identifier of talent, and most importantly, one hell of a personality. As USMNT manager, you're also an ambassador for the game. Few would be better at that part than Klopp.
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Who's a bit more realistic?
TH: B.J. Callaghan would be a great appointment. He had a nice little run at the helm, and has proved himself a smart tactician who can have cup success with Nashville. This is a massive "don't overthink it" vibe. American guy, tidy resume, been there before. No brainer.
RT: Jim Curtin would probably be a good fit. He's certainly used to working with whatever's given to him, thanks to the restrictions that came with his time with the Philadelphia Union. Despite that, he generally won, and he always made players better. Would it be the big-name higher that many crave? No, but he is the type of guy who can help move the program forward. A special shoutout to Michael Bradley, too, who is a future USMNT manager, either in this cycle or the one after.
Who would be an ill-advised appointment?
TH: If it were tomorrow? Michael Bradley. We're barely scratching the surface of what he can do as a main man for a club at this point, and even if the heritage is there, it's far too early for him to take the job. Does it feel inevitable, if only for the storyline? Of course. Does that mean it should be done? Not yet. Give it a few years.
RT: It's hard to say because we don't really know what job the next coach will be taking. Will they be building on a foundation after a good World Cup run? Will they be resetting everything after a poor one? It's hard to really predict what U.S. soccer will look like, but the important thing is to bring in someone ready and willing to build for four years, which may rule out some of the bigger-name coaches that are often connected with the top jobs in Europe. Because of that, sorry Jose Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane, because your future is likely elsewhere.