Mauricio Pochettino was visibly emotional as he confirmed his departure from the United States men’s national team to become Manchester United’s new head coach, admitting that despite signing a contract extension until 2030 just months ago, the opportunity at Old Trafford was simply too big to reject.
Speaking at a farewell press conference before the USA’s Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti, Pochettino broke down in tears as he addressed the move.
“Yes, I had signed a new deal until 2030, but the Federation know not so many opportunities appear in your life like Manchester United,” he said. “You can’t turn it down” .
He described the decision as “a very sad decision,” acknowledging the difficulty of leaving a project he had committed to just months earlier .
Pochettino has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with United running until the summer of 2029 . United will pay approximately £7.4 million ($10 million) to trigger the buyout clause in his US Soccer contract, with a further $2 million for the departure of his coaching team .
His long-time assistants Jesús Pérez, Miguel D’Agostino, Toni Jiménez, and his son Sebastiano Pochettino are expected to follow him to Manchester .
Pochettino will oversee the USA’s two matches against Haiti on Saturday and next Tuesday before beginning work at United on Wednesday, November 18 . He will meet his new squad for the first time on Thursday and take training, before his first match in charge against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, November 22 .
Pochettino’s departure comes just three months after he signed a contract extension with US Soccer through the 2030 World Cup, following a strong showing at the 2026 tournament where the USA won their group before losing to Belgium in the round of 16 .
But the pull of Manchester United—a club he had been linked with on multiple occasions over the past decade—proved impossible to resist. The Athletic had reported that while some might view United as “toxic and unfixable,” Pochettino might see turning the club around as “walking on the moon”—a challenge too enticing to pass up .
Pochettino replaces Michael Carrick, who was sacked on Thursday after United’s worst start to a Premier League season in four decades. The club sits 18th in the table with just eight points from 10 games, having won only once .
United’s statement said the club had “come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions,” while describing Carrick as “a Manchester United legend” .
Carrick had initially taken over as interim boss in January 2026 following the departure of Ruben Amorim, winning 12 of his 17 matches to guide United to third place and Champions League qualification. That form earned him a two-year contract in May, but the current campaign has been a disaster .
The 54-year-old Argentine takes over a club in crisis, with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust calling on the owners to back him fully.
“We warmly welcome Mauricio Pochettino to the club,” the Trust said. “When he arrives in Manchester, he will find a fanbase that, whilst furious with the owners, always gives the manager and team on the pitch full-throated support. We now hope the club backs the new manager and gives him all the power, resources and tools he needs to succeed” .
One immediate issue is the future of captain Bruno Fernandes, who is understood to have rejected a second contract offer, though club insiders view that as a normal part of negotiations .
Pochettino is expected to be backed in the January transfer window as he attempts to steer United away from the relegation zone and rebuild a club that has not won the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 .