Pep Guardiola has emerged as a leading candidate to become the next head coach of the U.S. men’s national soccer team, as Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly preparing to leave the position and take over as manager of Manchester United.
Manchester United officially parted ways with Michael Carrick on Thursday morning, with Pochettino now being lined up for a return to club football at Old Trafford. Negotiations are reportedly nearing completion, although the timing of his departure from the U.S. national team remains unclear.
Pochettino could remain in charge for the United States’ two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti, scheduled for Saturday and Tuesday.
With his departure approaching, U.S. Soccer will need to identify a new head coach, and former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly among its preferred candidates, according to The Athletic.
Guardiola, 55, left Manchester City this summer after a decade in charge, during which he won numerous domestic and international trophies. He has not yet returned to management and is reportedly taking time away from football.
According to reports, U.S. Soccer has discussed Guardiola internally at several stages of its coaching search. However, convincing one of the world’s most sought-after managers to take the position would be a significant challenge.
Guardiola was also considered for the Italy national team job earlier this year but ultimately declined. Italian football federation president Giovanni Malagò said the Spanish coach had been taking a break, partly for family reasons, and suggested that had he decided to return, Italy would have been an attractive option.
Nevertheless, Guardiola has previously expressed interest in working in the United States. He spent a year in New York following his departure from Barcelona in 2012, enjoying the opportunity to live relatively anonymously in one of the world’s largest cities.
He has also held discussions with U.S. Soccer in the past. When Pochettino was appointed U.S. head coach in 2024, Guardiola publicly wished him success.
“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,” Guardiola said at the time, highlighting the country’s population, sporting culture and potential.
The timing could work in the federation’s favor. Following the two matches against Haiti, the United States is not scheduled to play another competitive international until March, although a training camp involving primarily domestic-based players is planned for December.
That would give U.S. Soccer several months to conduct its search and potentially allow Guardiola additional time away from the game before considering a return.
Bringing Guardiola to the United States would represent a major appointment for American soccer as the national team looks toward its next stage of development.
