Mauricio Pochettino is the new Manchester United manager after the club confirmed his appointment on Friday, with the 54-year-old Argentine wiping away tears as he faced the United States media for the final time before departing for Old Trafford.
The press conference, held at U.S. Soccer's National Training Centre in Georgia, saw Pochettino seated between federation CEO JT Batson and president Cindy Parlow Cone. He grew visibly emotional as he addressed the assembled reporters, at one point using a tissue to dry his eyes before embracing both Batson and Cone.
"Normally you're sad when you get fired, but in this case I'm sad about accepting a project and leaving you," Pochettino said, according to World Soccer Talk.
Pochettino said he first became aware of Manchester United's interest on Sunday. An agreement was finalised on Thursday, after which he called a team meeting to inform the squad and his backroom staff. He was open with Batson and Parlow Cone throughout, telling them before anyone else, then letting the wider group know once the deal was done.
He leaves just three months after signing a four-year extension with U.S. Soccer through to the 2030 World Cup, a deal that contained a release clause Manchester United have triggered. United are paying U.S. Soccer more than £10 million to free Pochettino and his staff from their contracts. Manchester United have confirmed he has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford, succeeding Michael Carrick, who was dismissed on Thursday after overseeing just one win from 10 Premier League matches this season, leaving the club in 18th place.
Pochettino agreed with the federation that he will remain in charge of the United States for two Concacaf Nations League quarter-final matches against Haiti on 14 and 17 November. Steve Cherundolo, who has been working with the under-23 squad, will then lead a primarily MLS-based group during the December camp. A search committee, headed by Batson and U.S. Soccer chief operating officer Dan Helfrich and also including Emma Hayes and Oguchi Onyewu, will oversee the hunt for a permanent successor.
Batson also addressed the press conference, linking the compensation received from Manchester United to the federation's wider ambitions. "As you know, the money will be used to invest in all the national team categories. We are very grateful for everyone's support to keep growing this," he said, according to World Soccer Talk.
Pochettino departs with a record of 21 wins, 12 losses and 2 draws across 35 matches since being appointed in September 2024. During that time he guided the United States to the 2025 Gold Cup Final and into the 2026 World Cup round of 16, where the team topped their group and recorded the country's first knockout-round victory since 2002. He also introduced 13 players to the senior squad, among them eight teenagers, and oversaw four friendly victories during the September-October camp that followed his contract renewal.
His first match as Manchester United manager will be an away fixture at Liverpool on 22 November, with the club having won just once in 10 league matches this season and sitting one point above bottom-placed Sunderland. He will begin work at Carrington on Wednesday, giving him three training sessions with the squad before the trip to Anfield. He will be joined by assistants Jesus Perez and Miki D'Agostino, along with goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez.
Pochettino previously managed in the Premier League with Southampton, then Tottenham Hotspur across five full seasons, and subsequently Chelsea during the 2023-24 campaign. At Spurs he led the club to four top-four finishes and a Champions League final appearance in 2019. United had come close to appointing him on previous occasions, including in 2022 when they opted for Erik ten Hag instead.
Reporting: World Soccer Talk, The Athletic, BBC Sport, Sky Sports, CaughtOffside, The Sun, talkSPORT, Mirror, Evening Standard, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Football Insider, Inside World Football, ESPN.