The United States Soccer Federation announced on Wednesday that Argentine head coach Mauricio Pochettino will become the new manager of the U.S. men’s national football team. The 52-year-old, who has previously worked with European greats like Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea, will be tasked with leading the squad towards the 2026 World Cup, set to be played in the U.S.

“The decision to join U.S. Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on,” Pochettino said, adding that he was inspired by the “passion and the hunger to achieve something truly historic.” He called the offer “an opportunity he “couldn’t pass up.”

This will be Pochettino’s first time taking on a national team after 15 years managing at club level. He will take the helm following the U.S. squad’s Thursday night friendly against New Zealand, replacing current interim coach Mikey Varas. The Argentine manager will make his official debut in the team’s match against Panama on October 12, in Austin, Texas. 

U.S. Soccer officials spoke glowingly of Pochettino. President Cindy Parlow Cone called him “a world-class coach with a proven track record of developing players and achieving success at the highest levels,” adding that his “passion for the game and innovative” coaching style made him a perfect fit for the job. 

Sporting Director Matt Crocker, who led the global search for the team’s next coach and ultimately landed on the Argentine manager, said he was a “serial winner with a deep passion for player development.”

Pochettino played on Argentina’s national team between 1999 and 2002 and competed in the 2002 World Cup. He started his coaching career in 2009 at Spanish club Espanyol. He remained there until 2013, when he made the jump to the English Premier League and began coaching Southampton. 

The team’s success (it finished 8, its best record in a decade) earned him a post managing London’s Tottenham Hotspur. His five-year stint put him on the international stage: the team finished second in the 2016-2017 season (its best performance since 1963) and made it to its first UEFA Champions League Final appearance in 2019 (they lost 3-0 against Liverpool).

His last two posts before landing the U.S. national team job were at Paris Saint Germain (2021-2022) and Chelsea (2023-2024).