Pep Guardiola emerges as top USMNT target if Pochettino joins Man Utd

US Soccer will make Pep Guardiola its top target to become the next USMNT head coach if Mauricio Pochettino leaves for Manchester United, according to The Athletic.

The report, by Paul Tenorio, Henry Bushnell and Tom Bogert, says the federation would turn to the former Manchester City boss if Pochettino moves to Old Trafford. United are close to appointing the Argentine to replace Michael Carrick, whose side are in the Premier League relegation zone.

Pochettino signed a four-year extension in August and is under contract until the 2030 World Cup.

Bogert summed up the situation on X. “U.S. Soccer is expected to make Pep Guardiola a top target to become next USMNT head coach,” he wrote. “Obviously the pursuit would not be straightforward nor easy. But likely to start with call to Pep.”

Pep Guardiola discussed at several levels of US Soccer

According to theScore, citing The Athletic, Guardiola has been discussed at multiple levels of the federation’s hiring structure.

It is not the first time US Soccer has looked at him. The federation contacted Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp during its 2024 search, which ended with Pochettino replacing Gregg Berhalter.

Why a Guardiola move will not be easy

The Athletic reports that Guardiola has shown little recent interest in returning to management. He left Manchester City this summer after 10 seasons and has been taking a break since.

He has already turned down one national team this year. Italy’s technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo travelled to Barcelona to meet him in July. However, ESPN reported that the talks were brief and that Guardiola wanted a sabbatical after a decade at City.

That makes the USA job a hard sell.

The American connection

There are still reasons for US Soccer to try. Guardiola lived in New York City during his year-long sabbatical after leaving Barcelona in 2012.

He has also spoken warmly about the job before. When Pochettino was appointed in 2024, Guardiola called the role “fascinating” and pointed to the country’s potential.

“The USA is fascinating to try to build a project for many years and being able to get the national team to the next step,” he said.

A record few can match

US Soccer’s interest is easy to understand. At City, Guardiola won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the club’s first Champions League. He also won three league titles each at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and three Champions League titles in total.

He has stayed close to City since leaving, and was expected at the Etihad for their Champions League game against PSG last month.

What happens next with Pochettino?

For now, Pochettino is still the USA head coach. He led training on Wednesday and is expected to take charge of both Concacaf Nations League quarter-final games against Haiti later this month.

After that, the next competitive fixtures are not until March. That gives the federation about four months to find a successor if Pochettino leaves.

United have not yet announced a decision on Carrick. Catch up on how Man Utd moved to finalise the Pochettino deal and the first contact between the two parties. Read Harry Kane’s verdict on his former boss and our analysis of what Pochettino would change at Man Utd. For more, visit our Premier League news hub.

Pep Guardiola USMNT FAQ

Is Pep Guardiola going to manage the USMNT?
Nothing is agreed. US Soccer is expected to target him if Pochettino leaves, but Guardiola has shown little recent interest in returning to management.

Who is the USMNT head coach now?
Mauricio Pochettino. His contract runs until the 2030 World Cup.

Did Pep Guardiola turn down Italy?
Yes. Italy approached him this summer, but he chose to take a sabbatical.