Mauricio Pochettino, Argentina football coach: Profile, Career, News & Videos

Mauricio Pochettino is an Argentine professional football manager and former footballer who is the head coach of the United States men's national team.

Pochettino played as a centre-back and began his career in 1989 with Primera División club Newell's Old Boys, winning a league title and finishing as runner-up in the 1992 Copa Libertadores. In 1994, he transferred to newly promoted La Liga club Espanyol, helping establish their top-flight status and winning the 2000 Copa del Rey, their first trophy in 60 years. In 2001, he joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and then had a stint with Bordeaux before returning to Espanyol in 2004, winning another Copa del Rey in 2006. Pochettino was capped 20 times for the Argentina national team and played at the 1999 Copa América and 2002 FIFA World Cup.

After retiring as a player, Pochettino began his managerial career at Espanyol in 2009. In 2013, he was appointed at Premier League club Southampton, leading them to an eighth-place finish that season – equalling their highest ever Premier League finish. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2014 and served as their third longest manager in club history, and finished as Premier League runners-up in the 2016–17 season, as well as leading the club to their first Champions League final in 2019. He was widely credited for developing young Tottenham stars Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, and Harry Kane. In 2021, Pochettino joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France. He took over as Chelsea manager for the 2023–24 season, mutually agreeing to part ways with the club after just one season.

In 2024, he was appointed as national team head coach for the first time with the United States. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he broke the nation's all-time managerial records of the most wins (3) and most goals scored (11) at a World Cup. Afterwards, his U.S. contract was extended through 2030.