Pochettino Was Always Leaving USA, Belgium Exit Just Gave Him The Excuse

Mauricio Pochettino's contract with the USA has expired, and despite a lucrative four-year extension on the table, the expectation inside the game is that he walks away rather than commits to the project he was hired to build. The 4-1 round-of-16 defeat to Belgium in Seattle didn't create this uncertainty. It simply removed the last reason for Pochettino to pretend otherwise.

talkSPORT's Ben Jacobs reported that Pochettino had already been "meeting with and flirting with club jobs including Milan" before the tournament even started, with that role going to Ruben Amorim just two or three weeks before the USA kicked off their home World Cup. That timeline matters. It means the manager tasked with delivering a golden generation on home soil was window-shopping in Europe while his own squad was still finalising its plans.

Why the Belgium exit puts Pochettino's future in the balance

On paper, Pochettino leaves with a record. His three wins at the 2026 World Cup are the most by any USMNT manager in tournament history, surpassing anything achieved under predecessors going back decades. No USA boss has reached the quarter-finals since Bruce Arena in 2002, and Pochettino came close, only for Belgium to end the run in brutal fashion.

A campaign overshadowed before kickoff

The buildup to the last-16 tie was dominated by the controversy over Donald Trump's intervention to have Folarin Balogun's one-match suspension lifted by FIFA, a move that ultimately made no difference on the pitch. Malik Tillman's deflected free-kick briefly levelled the tie in the first half, but Rudi Garcia's Belgium side proved far too strong, running out comfortable winners.

Pochettino gave nothing away when asked directly about his future after the final whistle.

"Now is not a moment to talk about that. I think now is a moment to see, to assess the tournament. You know, I'm sure in the next weeks we can start to talk if [the United States Soccer Federation] wants to talk."

That's a manager keeping every door open, not one gearing up to sign a four-year extension.

The offer on the table: USA Soccer's four-year Olympic gamble

US Soccer's pitch to Pochettino is about as strong as international federations get. According to Jacobs, there is a four-year contract on the table that would see him oversee World Cup qualifying and, presumably, lead the team into the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Why the federation wants continuity

• Pochettino reportedly became the highest-paid manager in USMNT history upon appointment.
• He took over from Gregg Berhalter after a brief interim spell under Mikey Varas, the federation's third managerial change in as many cycles.
• His remit explicitly included building toward this home World Cup and carrying that momentum into the LA Olympics two years later.
• He previously led the USA to the final of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, giving the federation reason to believe in continuity.

Jacobs summed up the scale of the offer: "There's a four-year contract on the table and he could do World Cup qualifying and it would be assumed he would lead the team at LA [Olympics] as well. So that's high profile; it's well funded; it's well paid."

An offer as leverage, not destination

The problem for US Soccer is that a well-funded, high-profile offer only works if the manager sees the federation as a destination rather than a stepping stone. Everything in Pochettino's recent conduct, the Milan flirtation, the refusal to commit after Belgium, the vague talk of "assessing" rather than building, points to a coach using the extension as a bargaining chip while he waits to see what opens up in Europe.

Milan, Tuchel and 'unfinished business': where Pochettino could go next

The Milan job is gone, handed to Amorim before the tournament started. That closes one obvious route back to Europe, but it doesn't close all of them.

England only opens up if Tuchel stumbles

Jacobs floated the idea that Pochettino would be interested in the England job if Thomas Tuchel were to depart, but that scenario looks increasingly unlikely after Tuchel's side thrashed Mexico. "If Thomas Tuchel left England, but it's not looking likely now because they did amazing against Mexico, that would be a job that he would quite like, so

The Premier League pull remains strongest

The more persistent thread is Pochettino's affection for English football, where he built his reputation at Tottenham before a spell at Paris Saint-Germain. Jacobs was direct on this point: "Pochettino still has a place in London, he loves it there and he's got unfinished business with the Premier League." That phrase, unfinished business, is the clearest signal yet that the USMNT job was never the final destination, just a well-paid stop on the way back to a competition he never won at Spurs.

What happens next

US Soccer now faces a straightforward but uncomfortable choice: wait on Pochettino while he monitors the European market, or move quickly to identify a replacement before qualifying preparations stall. Jacobs was blunt about the stakes: "Let's see whether he decides this project is something he wants to double down on or if, as expected before the tournament, he just leaves and then the US Men's National Team will be looking for another manager."

If Pochettino does walk, it will be the third managerial change in as many cycles for a federation that has repeatedly struggled to pair ambition with stability. The record-setting run to the last 16 will be remembered fondly, but the manner of the exit, and the timing of his European flirtations before it, will shape how his tenure is judged.

For now, the ball is in Pochettino's court. US Soccer has made its move with a four-year, Olympics-inclusive offer that few federations could match. Whether that's enough to keep him past the summer depends entirely on what shakes loose in the Premier League and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Mauricio Pochettino stay as USA manager?
It's uncertain. US Soccer has offered Pochettino a four-year contract extending through the 2028 LA Olympics, but reports indicate he was exploring club jobs like Milan before the tournament and is widely expected to leave.

Why did the USA lose to Belgium at the 2026 World Cup?
The USA lost 4-1 to Belgium in the round of 16 in Seattle. Malik Tillman's deflected free-kick briefly levelled the score in the first half, but Rudi Garcia's Belgium side were too strong across the rest of the match.

Who could replace Pochettino as USA manager?
No successor has been named. The federation previously turned to Mikey Varas as interim boss between Gregg Berhalter and Pochettino, so an internal appointment or another international-experienced coach could be considered if Pochettino departs.

Is Pochettino a candidate for the England job?
Reports suggest Pochettino would be interested if Thomas Tuchel left the England post, but Tuchel's strong start, including a big win over Mexico, makes that scenario unlikely in the near term.

What was the Trump-Balogun controversy at the World Cup?
Donald Trump intervened to have Folarin Balogun's one-match suspension suspended by FIFA ahead of the Belgium match. The intervention did not affect the result, as the USA still lost 4-1.

How did Pochettino's USA record compare to previous managers?
Pochettino's three wins at the 2026 World Cup set a new record for victories by a USMNT manager in the tournament. No US manager had reached the quarter-finals since Bruce Arena in 2002, and Pochettino's side fell just short of matching that.

What is Pochettino's history before managing the USA?
Pochettino managed Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain before taking charge of the USMNT, succeeding Gregg Berhalter following a brief interim spell under Mikey Varas. He reportedly became the highest-paid manager in USMNT history.

What is at stake for US Soccer if Pochettino leaves?
A departure would mark the third managerial change in as many cycles for the federation, raising questions about long-term stability heading into World Cup qualifying and the 2028 LA Olympics.