With the 2026 World Cup now over for the United States, attention now turns to what is next for Mauricio Pochettino.
Following a crushing 4-1 Round of 16 World Cup exit to Belgium in Seattle, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino took full responsibility for his squad’s disjointed, low-intensity performance.
While emphasizing overall process and growth, Pochettino stated he plans to take a short break before holding federation talks to determine his future.
There was interest from the likes of AC Milan prior to the World Cup, but they have since hired former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, which has left very little options.
And Pochettino gave very little away to the national team players after the defeat to Belgium.
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Jurgen Klinsmann demands talks between Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. federation
As a former manager of the USMNT from 2011-2016, Jurgen Klinsmann has given his opinion on what could be next for Mauricio Pochettino.
However, he remained rather coy in his assessment, suggesting that he wasn’t too happy with what he saw against Belgium, but he didn’t give a clue as to whether he should stay or go.
Speaking to ESPN, Klinsmann said this.
“Well, I think all know fans and and and people on the outside, you know, obviously they judge the results the most and in a World Cup obviously it’s all black and white.
“It’s down to the knockout phase and how far can you go? How much can you challenge the big countries in the world? And unfortunately, we go out now in the round of 16 against a team that you know obviously is classy and is full of quality, but also is beatable in a certain moment.
“I think you know now when you summarize all the games in the last two years and all the up and downs that the team experienced, then you can come to a conclusion to give him a real judgment.
“There was a sequence of mistakes all over the place. I mean, in the first half, the first 30 minutes, I’ve rarely seen so many passing mistakes in all areas on the field. And there was a nervousness that you can feel even in front of television and that leads into more mistakes and then it doesn’t matter if it’s the goalkeeper or if it’s other people, then you go down and you lose with one result that hurts.
“I mean it hurts you know when you go out in a World Cup with that result, that sticks with you. It’s not going away anymore for none of the players and not for the coaching staff. So to sit down with Mauricio and discuss it from a federation point of view and then come to a conclusion if they continue or not.”
It’s a decision that needs to be made sooner or later, with clubs potentially sniffing around and the CONCACAF Nations League starting in the autumn of 2026.
Mauricio Pochettino’s initial contract with U.S. Soccer was specifically tied to the 2026 World Cup cycle, meaning his current deal is technically set to expire at the end of the tournament this month (July 2026).
However, he has been presented with a four-year contract extension.
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