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Pochettino's Man United links are compliment for USMNT, not a catastrophe

USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters

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Mauricio Pochettino's Man United links are a compliment for the USMNT, not a catastrophe

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Nov 10, 2026 2:14 PM ET

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It starts, as most things do, with undercover whispers. A phone call here, an "unnamed source" there.

Conversations skitter across continents; rumors spread. Before anyone can really say how or why it's happened, Mauricio Pochettino is being linked to Manchester United and that sinking ship post is being breathlessly pitched as the opportunity of a lifetime. It starts with undercover whispers, but it ends with widespread foolishness.

The United States Men's National Team is preparing for its first competitive matches since the 2026 World Cup, and it's doing so under a needless cloud of controversy after reports emerged connecting its coach Mauricio Pochettino to a position at Manchester United that is —it must be said — not even currently available. (Spare a thought for current United coach Michael Carrick, who must be weathering this same storm with a fair bit of indignation.)

The rumors circulating claim that Pochettino is one of United's top picks for its head-coaching position if it decides to part ways with Carrick, and they also claim that Pochettino has spoken with United about the opportunity.

It's reasonable to assume that both things are true. It isn't reasonable to take that truth and turn it into needless panic about the state of the USMNT. Pochettino isn't disloyal because he's a top candidate for other coaching positions, and the USMNT coaching position isn't an unattractive one because other posts are sometimes available.

"Similar things happened in the past, after the World Cup, where huge teams lose their manager and they start looking at possible candidates," said USMNT defender Antonee Robinson of the rumors.

"For us to have a manager who's linked with those sorts of jobs means we're very lucky we're working with a top-level manager."

He's right. Pochettino's United links aren't a warning sign for the USMNT: they're proof that the team is working with a genuine star. Yes, Pochettino is a wanted man across global soccer. But the USMNT head-coaching position he occupies is a wanted post, too — and will remain so whether Pochettino stays or goes.

Sources: USMNT's Pochettino tops list of Man United favorites to replace Carrick United States coach Mauricio Pochettino is the favoured candidate to replace Michael Carrick as Manchester United manager, sources have told ESPN. https://t.co/uPjqhGY8PX
— ESPN Soccer (@ESPNsoccer) November 9, 2026

The same old story

Pochettino has fielded many calls during his two-year tenure with the USMNT. He's spoken with AC Milan; he's reconnected with Tottenham Hotspur. For Pochettino, these calls are much-needed opportunities to stay connected to the global game, not existential threats to the USMNT he's committed to leading.

"What is going to change if I meet someone?" Pochettino said of his pre-World Cup conversations with Milan in particular. "We have friends everywhere and my representative works for me in trying to find the best possibility for the future. That is normal."

Pochettino's discussions with Milan and Spurs went nowhere; he re-signed his USMNT contract after the World Cup ended.

A bright future for any coaching staff

Fans of the USMNT have long worried about the long-term viability of the team. It's always been a scrappy underdog on the global soccer circuit, and that's left many supporters with a deep-seated sense of inadequacy. When Pochettino arrived, the question was always "Will he stick around?" He has — but USMNT fans are still wondering.

They should probably stop. The USMNT, now working out of a best-in-class training center in Atlanta and developing one of its strongest youth pipelines in decades, isn't the scrappy underdog anymore. It's a well-resourced, well-followed team on the rise with two massive home tournaments — the 2028 Summer Olympics and the 2028 Copa America — on the horizon. It's eminently capable of making deep runs in both.

Having Pochettino on hand to lead the charge would be ideal, of course, but just as the USMNT youth pipeline has never been better, its coaching pipeline has never been better, either. Former USMNT interim coach BJ Callaghan just led Nashville SC to an all-time Major League Soccer points record while playing swashbuckling soccer in front of sold-out crowds.

Former USMNT youth coach Marko Mitrovic led the New England Revolution to a playoff position on the back of young players. Interim coach Ryan Richter turned the Philadelphia Union from the saddest team in MLS to the most exciting by trusting teenagers like Cavan Sullivan.

Yes, the USMNT may not be the end-all, be-all for Pochettino, but Pochettino isn't the end-all, be-all for the USMNT, either. Let the man talk to clubs like United as often as he wants. If he wants to trade the USMNT for a noisy rehabilitation gig in the north of England in the dead of winter, that's on him. The USMNT's future is bright enough to shine whether Pochettino is on board or not — and the fact that he's on board at all is proof positive.

The USMNT will open its two-legged Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Miami, Fla.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here.

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