It's Official at Old Trafford: Pochettino Signs Through 2029, Says Farewell to U.S. Soccer and Will Coach the Americans One Last Time Against Haiti

Manchester United confirmed on Friday that Mauricio Pochettino will be the club's new head coach, announcing the hire on social media one day after firing Michael Carrick. The move ends a fast-moving week at Old Trafford and closes Pochettino's chapter in charge of the U.S. men's national team.

Sky Sports reported that the Argentine has signed through the summer of 2029, a contract of roughly two and a half years, and that he will take over once the United States finishes its two Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti. He is expected to meet his new players and run his first training session next Thursday, and his first match in charge is a daunting one: a trip to Liverpool's Anfield on Sunday, Nov. 22.

United had to pay to get its man. According to Sky Sports, the club owes U.S. Soccer around 7.4 million pounds to buy Pochettino out of his newly signed American contract. The outlet also noted that the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss had been considered for the United job on three earlier occasions, and that he becomes the club's eighth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

U.S. Soccer announced on Friday that Pochettino will leave once the current national team camp ends, and that he and his staff will still coach the matches against Haiti on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17. CNN reported that he is expected to lead the team in both games before crossing the Atlantic.

In a farewell statement released through the federation, Pochettino called representing the United States "one of the greatest honors of my career". He thanked the players for their commitment, the fans for their belief in the team, and the federation for supporting his staff and giving them the chance to help shape the soccer culture of the country. U.S. Soccer chief executive JT Batson returned the compliment, crediting Pochettino with leaving a lasting mark on the program through his leadership, professionalism and commitment to the players.

The numbers from his tenure tell a mixed but meaningful story. U.S. Soccer said Pochettino went 21-12-2 across 35 matches after taking over in September 2024, reached the 2025 Gold Cup final, and handed at least one cap to 75 different players as he widened the player pool.

The high point came this summer at the World Cup on home soil. The Americans won Group D with a program-best six points and a record eight goals, opening with a 4-1 win over Paraguay and a 2-0 win over Australia before a 3-2 loss to Turkey with first place already secured. The U.S. then beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. The run ended on July 6 in Seattle, where Belgium won 4-1 in the round of 16; NPR reported that Pochettino admitted afterward that his team had not shown its true quality that day. Even so, his three wins at the tournament are the most of any head coach in U.S. men's World Cup history, the federation said.

Carrick, a former United midfielder, said goodbye to supporters in a letter posted on Instagram. According to The Irish News, he wrote that leading the club he loves had been an immense privilege, thanked the fans along with his staff and players, and said he wants nothing but success for Manchester United. He closed with a line that many supporters will remember: "That love never dies".

His exit was swift. Sky Sports reported that Carrick lasted less than six months into a two-year deal, and that he presided over the club's worst start to a Premier League season, with just one win in 10 league matches. CNN described it as United's worst league start in 40 years.

Pochettino inherits a club sitting in the Premier League relegation zone, an unfamiliar place for a club with United's history. The international break gives him a few days to settle in before the Liverpool match, but the schedule offers little time for patience.

Back home, U.S. Soccer moved quickly to steady the ship. The federation said Steve Cherundolo, who coaches the under-23 team, will lead the senior squad for a Dec. 13 friendly against Jamaica, and that the search for a permanent successor begins immediately. Batson and chief operating officer Dan Helfrich will run that search, joined by women's national team coach Emma Hayes and sporting executive Oguchi Onyewu. The federation did not name any candidates in its announcement.

For American fans, the timing is hard to take, since Pochettino leaves only months after signing a new contract. But the handoff has been orderly: he is honoring his commitment to finish the Haiti series, the federation has an interim coach and a search team in place, and the next coach will inherit a deeper player pool than the one Pochettino found.

The first test of life after Pochettino comes Saturday, when he leads the Americans against Haiti one final time in the opening leg of the quarterfinal.