Mauricio Pochettino’s future: Real Madrid, Tottenham... or more USMNT?

Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he is open to staying on with USMNT beyond the summer. His current contract with the US Soccer Federation ends after the 2026 World Cup.

The topic of Pochettino’s future was raised at a press conference on Monday, one day before his US team will take on Portugal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. With an extensive career at the top level of European soccer, Pochettino has been linked with Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks.

Despite the noise, Pochettino insisted that he has “full focus here for the World Cup.” With little over two months to go before the tournament, Pochettino said that now is “not the time to talk” and added that “no one has approached” him from other clubs about a potential move in future.

Pressed on whether he would stay, Pochettino seemed to hint that he could even extend his deal with USMNT if both parties were happy. “Never say never in football, anything can happen,” Pochettino said. “The potential here is massive. With the legacy of the World Cup. And the way that soccer is growing here, you see the youth teams growing, I think the future here is very exciting.”

“But now is not time to talk. It’s time to be focused on the World Cup, and after the World Cup we will have time to talk. It depends on the vision of the federation and also the feeling, whether we are happy or not happy.”

Pochettino on Tottenham’s future

The US boss also gave his take on former team Tottenham’s prospects, mired in a relegation scrap in the Premier League. The club recently parted ways with Igor Tudor and are now looking for the third head coach of a tumultuous season in North London.

Speaking on Monday, Pochettino described his time at Spurs as “one of the best experiences of my life” and insisted that he is “sure that they are going to stay up.”

“The fans are going to do everything to create that energy to stay up,” Pochettino said. He added that he will be focused entirely on the World Cup but he reiterated his faith in the current crop of Tottenham players to rescue the situation this season.

Tottenham are believed to be pursuing former Marseille and Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto di Zerbi, looking to appoint him now on a long-term contract. However Pochettino, who led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, retains a close connection with Spurs fans and would be a popular choice with a significant proportion of the fanbase.

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