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Despite having signed a contract extension through the 2030 World Cup back in August, Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly departing the U.S. men's national team following the conclusion of the November international window.
After gaining his first experience managing at the international level, Pochettino is now moving on to his sixth club role and fourth in the Premier League, this time with Manchester United. Taking charge as early as Wednesday, he steps in for Michael Carrick, who, despite an encouraging stint as interim boss, failed to make a convincing case for the permanent position this fall.
While United supporters will be hoping Pochettino can drag them out of the relegation zone and reverse their worst seasonal start in over 40 years, USMNT fans will no doubt feel let down by their high-profile coach's abrupt exit. Nevertheless, there is much to appreciate about Pochettino's two-year stint with the national side.
Here are the most defining USMNT moments of the Pochettino era—the highs and the lows.
Bad: 2025 Concacaf Nations League
Aside from a 2–0 friendly loss to Mexico in Guadalajara, the U.S. made an encouraging start under Pochettino, defeating Panama, Costa Rica and Venezuela by margins of two or more goals, then eliminating Jamaica 5–2 on aggregate in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. However, they struggled to impress when it truly mattered under the Argentine coach.
Having claimed the first three editions of the Concacaf Nations League, all indications suggested a fourth consecutive title on home turf was within reach. Instead, they fell to Panama in the semifinals after conceding a last-gasp goal to Cecilio Waterman, then dropped a 2–1 decision to Canada in the third-place match.
It was a sobering setback for the Stars and Stripes, whose difficulties carried over into their pre-2025 Gold Cup friendlies, with losses of 2–1 to Türkiye and 4–0 to Switzerland that June.
Good: 2025 Gold Cup
That's a wrap on Gold Cup 2025! 🙌
Here's a look at the best moments from the USA-MEX final. pic.twitter.com/0wvWuGP1VI
Every indication suggested the USMNT would struggle on home soil at the 2025 Gold Cup. They entered the competition with a reserve squad, as key figures such as Giovanni Reyna, Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah were occupied at the Club World Cup. Additional absences due to injury included Antonee Robinson, Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun, while the likes of Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah chose to rest over the summer.
Despite these challenging conditions, Pochettino managed to get a genuine response from his squad for the first time. The USMNT dispatched Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the group stage, then edged past Costa Rica on penalties before comfortably defeating Guatemala. They appeared on course for the title after going ahead early, only for Mexico to level shortly after and complete the turnaround in the 77th minute through Edson Álvarez.
More significant than the runners-up finish was the opportunity it gave Pochettino to broaden his player pool and test new faces like Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter and Matt Freese, all of whom took their chances and went on to play meaningful roles in the following year's World Cup.
Good: Pre-World Cup Friendlies
Of course you want to watch all five USMNT goals against Uruguay 📽️ pic.twitter.com/tetuJS2MPH
Following the painful defeat in Houston, Pochettino's squad drew criticism for their inability to compete with and produce results against top-level opposition. Those doubts deepened after a subsequent 2–0 loss to South Korea in September 2025.
However, they responded in convincing style, with goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun sealing a 2–0 win over Japan. In doing so, the USMNT ended a seven-game winless run against sides ranked within FIFA's Top 25, providing a welcome indication of progress under Pochettino.
The USMNT then drew with Ecuador and claimed victories of 2–1 against both Australia and Paraguay, before thrashing two-time World Cup champions Uruguay 5–1 to round out 2025. After defeats to Belgium and Portugal, the U.S. overcame AFCON winners Senegal 3–2, then fell narrowly to Germany 2–1 in their final pre-tournament friendly. As results gradually improved, the team's potential continued to grow.
Good: World Cup (Pre-Independence Day)
Gio Reyna's first-ever FIFA World Cup goal was a trivela to seal it for the @USMNT 🤯
It's the first four-goal outing for the US men's squad in a FIFA World Cup pic.twitter.com/5DSMGj9wNq
The USMNT's World Cup campaign got off to a spectacular start, with an early own goal, a Balogun brace and a late strike from Reyna powering them to victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles. The Stars and Stripes followed that up with a 2–0 triumph against Australia in Seattle before heading back to Southern California, where a heavily rotated side conceded a stoppage-time winner in a 3–2 loss to an already-eliminated Türkiye.
Having topped their World Cup group for only the third time in their history, the Stars and Stripes traveled north to Santa Clara for a round of 32 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun opened the scoring before being sent off in the second half, but Malik Tillman doubled the lead as the Americans claimed their first World Cup knockout-stage win since 2002.
History was unfolding before their eyes. Pochettino became the first USMNT manager to win three games at a single World Cup, while his side had already accumulated 10 goals across four matches, eclipsing their previous tournament record of seven. With the team riding high on home soil, surely extending their remarkable run against a vulnerable Belgium side would be well within reach?
Bad: World Cup (Post-Independence Day)
BELGIUM SCORES AGAIN 🇧🇪
Take 3-1 lead over USMNT...
(via @foxsporrts) pic.twitter.com/4rZHwnKsJJ
After marking the nation's 250th birthday, the USMNT faced its stiffest World Cup challenge yet: Belgium. The Red Devils had scraped through the group stage, drawing with Egypt and Iran before overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Senegal 3–2 via a last-minute penalty from Youri Tielemans.
Belgium entered the match frustrated by FIFA's decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's one-game suspension following intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Yet they channeled that anger effectively, producing a performance reminiscent of their golden generation at the 2018 World Cup and dismantling the Americans 4–1 on home soil.
U.S. Soccer had broken its salary ceiling to bring in Pochettino, reportedly paying him $6 million per year. It was an extraordinary investment, made with the expectation that he would mold them into a side capable of competing with the world's best. After all, beating Paraguay (41st), Australia (27th) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (64th) is one thing; defeating a side like Belgium (9th) is another entirely. Pochettino had come up short.
Good: Post-World Cup Friendlies
THREE GAMES. THREE GOALS. JULIAN HALL.#USMNT z @VW pic.twitter.com/IPGeTrZ7wR
Rebuilding after the demoralizing defeat in Seattle—which saw the USMNT exit in the round of 16 for the fourth straight World Cup—was always going to be a tall order. Yet Pochettino deserves considerable credit for how he managed the September-October international window, opting for fresh blood rather than familiarity and retaining just 13 members of his 26-man World Cup roster.
The results made a compelling case. The USMNT thrashed Peru 4–1, then came from behind to defeat Chile 4–2, followed by a cathartic 3–0 win over fierce rivals Mexico and a hard-earned 1–0 victory against Canada. Yet perhaps even more significant than the four straight wins was the introduction of 13 international debutants, each given the chance to make their mark in Pochettino's long-term plans.
Throughout his time in charge, Pochettino has served as a launching pad for a new wave of American talent, from Berhalter and Freeman to Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan, the latter of whom is now the youngest scorer in national team history. While his tenure may have fallen short in terms of trophies and landmark wins over elite opposition, he has laid the groundwork for a promising 2030 World Cup cycle.
Above all, Pochettino's appointment will be seen as a turning point for American soccer. His arrival dismantled the idea that the USMNT had to settle for familiar names and demonstrated that it could attract the most sought-after managers in the world. Regardless of whether Pochettino fully met expectations, he undeniably changed the conversation and raised the bar for what the program can aspire to going forward.