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The U.S. men's national team's future will continue under Mauricio Pochettino's guidance, with U.S. Soccer hoping he can become only the second coach to lead the USMNT at consecutive World Cups.
A contract extension was officially announced on Monday, keeping Pochettino at the helm through the 2030 tournament, where the Stars and Stripes will aim to progress beyond the round of 16 for only the second time in the modern era.
Beyond the World Cup, the USMNT will be chasing additional silverware. Under Pochettino so far, the side fell short in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final and finished fourth in the 2024–25 Concacaf Nations League — the program's first failure to claim that title.
As he pursues further trophies and shapes the squad ahead of the 2030 showpiece, Pochettino will need to navigate the difficult history of USMNT coaches who have entered second cycles.
Here's a look at how those predecessors fared. The track record doesn't inspire confidence for the Argentine, despite his achievements at the 2026 World Cup.
Gregg Berhalter: Fired Before 2026 World Cup
Gregg Berhalter's time with the USMNT came in two separate spells. He first took charge in 2018 following Bruce Arena's group, which failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after a gut-wrenching defeat to Trinidad and Tobago. That initial spell ran through the 2022 World Cup, after which B.J. Callaghan stepped in as interim, nearly paving the way for Jesse Marsch before U.S. Soccer reversed course and brought Berhalter back from 2023–2024.
The veteran MLS coach enjoyed considerable success with the USMNT during his first cycle. He guided the team to Concacaf Nations League victories in 2019–20 and 2023–24, as well as the Gold Cup in 2021.
After steering the team through a strong qualifying campaign, he helped them emerge from a tough group featuring England, Iran, and Wales at the 32-team 2022 World Cup in Qatar, before a round of 16 defeat to the Netherlands.
His second spell, however, proved far less fruitful. He was dismissed before the true buildup to the 2026 World Cup got underway, primarily following a group stage elimination at the 2024 Copa América on home turf.
Jürgen Klinsmann: Fired Before 2018 World Cup
The most comparable figure to Pochettino as a high-profile, accomplished European-based coach is Jürgen Klinsmann, who was never viewed as a permanent fixture for the USMNT.
His tenure went reasonably well, spanning from 2011 to 2016 and including a 2013 Gold Cup triumph, before the Nations League format existed. The team struggled in friendlies against elite opposition, but his recruitment of German-American players added depth and quality, and the 2014 World Cup yielded relative success.
At the tournament in Brazil, the USMNT delivered a memorable 2–1 victory over Ghana and a 2–2 draw with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the second group game, before a respectable 1–0 defeat to eventual champions Germany — results that were enough to clinch a round of 16 spot, where they ultimately fell to Belgium in extra time.
His second cycle didn't unfold as smoothly, even after the USMNT opened the 2018 World Cup qualifying cycle with a 1–0 win over Czechia and recorded impressive friendly victories over the Netherlands and Germany on the road in 2015.
The 2015 Gold Cup proved disappointing, with a fourth-place finish representing the team's worst result in 15 years. Klinsmann then guided the U.S. through the early stages of World Cup qualifying, but his tenure ultimately ended amid a run of poor results and questionable tactical choices, before Bruce Arena stepped in — and the U.S. ultimately failed to reach the 2018 tournament.
Bob Bradley: Fired Before 2014 World Cup
The Bob Bradley era with the USMNT was a story of contrasts. He inherited the team following a poor showing at the 2006 World Cup and marked his debut with a 3–1 friendly win over Denmark.
Although the Stars and Stripes dropped all three matches at the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela, they rebounded in 2009 with a surprising runner-up finish at the FIFA Confederations Cup, which brought together confederation champions from across the globe in the lead-up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
At the 2010 World Cup, the USMNT again bowed out in the round of 16, following a group stage that included a 1–1 draw with England, a 2–2 result against Slovakia, and a 1–0 win over Algeria courtesy of a late Landon Donovan strike.
Bradley subsequently signed a contract extension through the 2014 World Cup, but ultimately lost his job after conceding a 2–0 lead to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup final, paving the way for Klinsmann.
Bruce Arena: Group Stage Exit at 2006 World Cup
Bruce Arena has served two stints as USMNT manager and remains the only coach to have led the team at two separate World Cups — a distinction Pochettino is on course to match if he fulfills his reported new contract.
Arena's first cycle with the USMNT was a success. Appointed in 1998 following Steve Sampson's dismal 1998 World Cup campaign, Arena guided the team to Gold Cup titles in 2000 and 2005, while also leading the squad to the 2002 quarterfinals — the finest World Cup performance in program history outside of the semifinal run at the inaugural 1930 tournament.
That 2002 World Cup was the USMNT's crowning achievement, with Arena overseeing a 3–2 opening win over Portugal, a 1–1 draw against co-hosts South Korea, and a 3–1 defeat to Poland. Those results produced a second-place group finish, followed by a 2–0 round of 16 victory over Mexico before a 1–0 quarterfinal loss to Germany ended the run.
That momentum, however, didn't carry into the next cycle. Arena returned to lead the team at the 2006 World Cup, where the USMNT finished bottom of Group E after losses to Czechia and Ghana and a 1–1 draw with eventual champions Italy. Scoring just twice in three games and exiting in the group stage, Arena was not retained once his contract expired at the end of 2006.
He returned briefly for what would technically be a third stint in 2017, and was the manager in charge when the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, despite adding another Gold Cup title to his record.
Pochettino's Challenge
Pochettino faces a considerable challenge in the buildup to 2030. His primary task will be managing the transition toward younger faces in the squad while keeping the team highly competitive throughout.
The next trophy opportunity arrives in the Concacaf Nations League, with the USMNT set for a quarterfinal in November and a potential semifinal and final in March. The 2027 Gold Cup then presents another chance, though it could prove tricky with speculation that Mexico may host the event, stripping the USMNT of its customary home advantage. In 2028, the Stars and Stripes also anticipate competing in the Copa América, facing some of South America's finest sides.
The struggles of past managers cast a shadow over Pochettino's prospects, but success is far from out of reach given his credentials and the quality within the squad.