Folarin Balogun has made his preference plain: if the decision were his, Mauricio Pochettino would remain in charge of the United States men's national team. The forward's view lands at a moment when Manchester United appear close to hiring the Argentine, a move that follows their sacking of Michael Carrick.
Nothing has been made official yet. Sebastian Berhalter, another U.S. midfielder, said the squad had not heard anything definitive about Pochettino's future. Both players were direct about what the coach has meant to them, with Balogun saying the team has a clear identity and playing style that has been working well. Berhalter's international career only began after Pochettino took over in September 2024, so the praise carries weight from someone who has known no other U.S. coach at senior level.
The immediate plan, according to reporting, is for Pochettino to still be on the touchline for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti. The first leg is in Miami this weekend, with the return match in Cincinnati a few days later. Whether he sits on that bench for both games will be the first concrete sign of how this transition is being handled.
Sources — synthesized from 7 reports across 2 outlets
- ESPN FCUSWNT's Girma in doubt for World Cup decider amid ongoing fitness concerns
- BBC SportTearful Pochettino on 'difficult' decision to leave USA for Man Utd
+5 more reports from these outlets
