Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as a leading candidate to become the next USMNT coach.
The former Chelsea, PSG and Tottenham coach has emerged a favorite within US Soccer according to The Athletic - who say the organization is in talks with his camp.
Gregg Berhalter was fired in July after USA's disastrous Copa America campaign saw the team crash out at the group stage.
Jurgen Klopp was previously linked with the vacancy but declined to enter talks after leaving Liverpool and planning to take a break from the game.
Pochettino worked alongside Matt Crocker, the sporting director of U.S. soccer, during his time as Southampton coach with Crocker leading the team's academy.
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly in talks to take over as the next coach of the USA team
Pochettino steered Southampton to an eight-place finish in the Premier League before leaving for Tottenham where he got them to the 2019 Champions League final.
A former Argentina international as a player, Pochettino left Chelsea at the end of the last Premier League season - ending a campaign of turbulence in London with a respectable sixth-place finish.
He coached Lionel Messi - now at Inter Miami - Kylian Mbappe and Neymar during his time in France as Paris Saint-Germain boss. He won the French league but was fired due to a lack of Champions League success.
The USA vacancy holds added appeal given the United States is hosting the next World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.
The team has an array of talented young players and has widely been judged to have underperformed under Berhalter. Indeed, the Copa America failure with the tournament on home turf was nothing short of disastrous.
After winning the opening game against Bolivia, the USMNT surrendered a 1-0 lead against Panama, playing most of the game with 10-men after Juventus forward Tim Weah was sent off for violent conduct in the first half.
Heading into the final group game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, USA lost 1-0 to Uruguay to be eliminated, a result that brought the curtain down on Berhalter's tenure.
USA fans long felt that Berhalter was far too cautious in his tactical setup of the team. The squad boasts attacking talent such as Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna and Weah - as well as distinguished midfielders such as Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah.
Unlocking that potential will be key for whoever succeeds Berhalter, but appointing a coach of Pochettino's pedigree would ignite a huge sense of excitement around the team ahead of the 2026 tournament.
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