Former USMNT goalie Kasey Keller “wouldn’t be surprised” if Mauricio Pochettino left the United States managerial role for a new opportunity following the World Cup.
Keller, who made 102 appearances for the US, said he’s seen a lot of inconsistency from the manager since his hiring in 2024 and expects an announcement about his departure within a week of the United States’ elimination.
“I know there will be options for him with the way he has got the US playing, because there were a lot of question marks in the 20 months leading up to the World Cup,” Keller said in an interview with Ozoon.
Well, the USMNT were eliminated on Monday in a 4-1 loss to Belgium, meaning the clock is ticking.
Following the dismantling in Seattle, Pochettino left the door open for an exit, refusing to directly answer if his tenure as a manager for the U.S. was over.
The Argentine said he will talk to the U.S. Soccer Federation when they are ready and that now is not the right time to talk.
“Right now, it’s about resting a little bit, to think, to have conversations with the federation to see what the decision is,” Pochettino said after the loss. “I’m so happy. We’ve built a very good relationship.”
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With his contract ending after the World Cup elimination, talks began to retain the Argentine manager in May when U.S. Soccer Federation CEO JT Batson asked him if he would be open to a new contract.
Talks with the federation continued during the World Cup, according to ESPN, with U.S. Soccer laying out a plan to keep the 54-year-old through the 2030 World Cup.
If he were to leave, Pochettino a return to club soccer makes the most sense, recently being linked to Italian giant AC Milan, his former club Tottenham Hotspurs, and Real Madrid.
All of which have since filled their vacancies with someone else.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world,” Pochettino told the BBC in 2025.
“Of course I am missing it. I am so happy in America but also thinking one day to come back to the Premier League. It’s the most competitive league.”
