Pochettino stays USMNT top pick despite World Cup exit
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- J.T. Batson said U.S. Soccer is in "active discussions" with Mauricio Pochettino and his staff, with the pre-World Cup contract renewal offer still on the table and Pochettino remaining the federation's top pick for the 2030 tournament.
- The USMNT exited the World Cup on July 6 with a 4-1 loss to Belgium, their fourth successive round-of-16 elimination, after a summer of record fan engagement including watch parties and fan fests across the country.
- U.S. Soccer is operating without a sporting director following Matt Crocker's April departure, with COO Dan Helfrich currently overseeing sporting decisions and a departmental restructuring expected in the coming months.
- Folarin Balogun was reinstated by FIFA on probation in a rare decision before the Belgium match after his red card in the round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and told CBS Mornings he learned of his return on the team bus.
- Donald Trump took credit for FIFA's decision after calling FIFA president Gianni Infantino, though FIFA denied presidential involvement; Batson said the president "is able to do what the president wants to do."
- Steve Cherundolo, the ex-U.S. international and former LAFC coach, was hired as U-23 head coach for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with Pochettino's staff actively involved in the selection process.
Why it matters: By keeping Pochettino through 2030 despite a fourth straight round-of-16 World Cup exit and operating without a sporting director since Crocker's April departure, U.S. Soccer is concentrating its 2026 recovery and 2030 ambitions around one coach while the structural rebuild remains unfinished.
