César Luis Menotti, Carlos Bilardo, and Marcelo Bielsa””Nothing but a list of some of the most iconic Argentine managers that soccer has been blessed with. Today, their legacy is being kept alive by a new generation of talented tacticians, with Mauricio Pochettino leading the pack. While achievements may not speak greatly enough, the 52-year-old has firmly established his reputation as a ‘big-name’ coach in the managerial world. However, today we shift our focus away from the pitch and shed light on the lesser-known aspects of his personal life.

The early life of Mauricio Pochettino

Born on March 2, 1972, Mauricio Pochettino spent his childhood in Murphy, Argentina. Technically, he is of Italian descent, as his great-grandfather moved from Italy to Argentina many years ago. He was born to his father, Hector Pochettino, and his mother, Amalia Pochettino. While his mom was a homemaker, Mauricio’s dad worked in a cattle farm just like his grandfather and great-grandfather. It explains where his love for the beautiful game comes from as father Héctor loved playing soccer.

However, grandfather didn’t allow Mauricio’s dad even the slightest to dream about being professional, especially for the eldest child, who left school at 12 to work on the family farm. Mauricio was lucky that Hector wasn’t harsh over the idea of pursuing a dream in soccer. At 14, Mauricio moved to Newell’s Old Boys where he kicked off his journey. Idolizing Germany icon Franz Beckenbauer, he played as a defender.

He struggled a lot in his earlier days. After attending agricultural school, he would take a three-hour bus ride to Rosario once a week. There he used to train with Rosario Central, one of Argentina’s oldest clubs, in the evening and the following morning, he’d take the bus back home to play with his hometown team on the weekends. Starting at Newell’s Old Boys, he moved to Espanyol in 1994/95, then to Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, and represented Argentina in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

After a stint at Bordeaux, he returned to Espanyol in 2004 and retired at 34, transitioning into coaching and taking over in January 2009. He later moved to the Premier League, coaching Southampton in 2012/13, and joined Tottenham in 2014/15, where he led them to the 2019 Champions League final. After a brief sabbatical, he returned to PSG before taking charge of Chelsea for a year.

As the only child, father Hector and mother, Amalia supported Mauricio to pursue his dreams. Growing up, not only did he become a successful player and then coach, but he also created his own family.

Meet Pochettino’s wife and children

Karina Pochettino, Mauricio’s wife, also hails from Argentina and was born in 1973, a year younger than Poch. Growing up, she studied pharmacy at the City’s National University. The two love birds first crossed paths in 1991 at a nightclub. Coincidentally, the two locked eyes when Mauricio came to celebrate his triumphant score for Newell’s Old Boys.

After establishing his career in soccer, Mauricio took the next step in his life and tied the knot with his three-year-long girlfriend in 1994. Both share two sons. The elder child Sebastiano was born on January 24, 1995, while the younger one, Maurizio, was born in Barcelona on March 30, 2001. Among the two sons Maurizio, who aims to follow in the footsteps of Pochettino.

Joining the youth ranks of Southampton during his father’s tenure there, he moved to Tottenham as well, in 2015. Having got his first professional contract in 2019 from Spurs, he joined Watford two years later before joining Spain’s Primera Federación club Gimnàstic in 2022. This year, Maurizio transferred to CD Ibiza.

Meanwhile, elder brother Sebastiano didn’t choose the beautiful game and instead studied European Baccalaureate of Sciences at St Paul’s School in Barcelona. After completing his bachelor’s degree in sports and exercise science from Solent University and a master’s degree in science from Université Paris-Saclay, Sebastiano began working as a first-team fitness coach at PSG, before joining Chelsea.

Learning all of this about Pochettino shows just how far he has come. While his children are thriving in their own lives, he enjoys a happy life with his beloved wife during his managerial sabbatical.

Trophies, awards, milestones, and key achievements of Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino’s career has often been judged through the lens of near misses, yet his portfolio tells a more complete story. From Espanyol’s touchline to managing Paris Saint-Germain’s star-studded squad, the Argentinian has navigated some of football’s most demanding environments. His latest appointment, as head coach of the United States men’s national team, marks his first step into international management at a decisive moment for American soccer.

The 53-year-old arrives with a resume shaped by steady progression. He began coaching at Espanyol in 2009, moved to Southampton in 2013, and within months earned the Premier League Manager of the Month honor for October. Tottenham Hotspur provided the stage where he refined his reputation, leading the club to the Champions League final in 2019 and collecting further managerial awards, including recognition at the London Football Awards. Paris Saint-Germain then supplied his first major silverware, the Trophée des Champions in 2020, the Coupe de France in 2021, and Ligue 1 in 2022. A brief spell at Chelsea followed, where his side reached the EFL Cup final.

The most significant theme in his story is how close he has often come to ultimate success without securing it. Champions League and domestic cup runner-up medals at Tottenham, and another at Chelsea, underscore both his consistency and his frustrations. With the United States preparing to host the 2026 World Cup, his new role may offer the chance to convert those near triumphs into defining achievements.

The parents who shaped Mauricio Pochettino’s life

The roots of Mauricio Pochettino’s life in football stretch back to a small town in Argentina, where childhood afternoons were shaped as much by family conversations as by the games played on dusty fields. Before he ever stepped into the world’s great stadiums, the defining voices around him were those of his parents, whose steady influence grounded his earliest ambitions. The path from Murphy, Santa Fe, to the sidelines of international football carried with it the echoes of those formative years.

Born in the farming community of Murphy, Pochettino grew up under the care of Amalia and Héctor Pochettino. His father, a farm laborer, passed on both discipline and affection for sport, while his mother provided the support that held the family together. Their household, rooted in Italian heritage from Piedmont, offered more than stability. It gave him a cultural and personal identity that traveled with him into his career. It was with Héctor, at the Centro Recreativo Unión y Cultura, that he first watched the 1978 FIFA World Cup—a memory that linked father and son to the game in lasting ways.

Meet the only sibling of Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino grew up with an older brother, Javier Pochettino. While Javier did not pursue a career in football, he remained part of the family’s close-knit upbringing in Murphy, Santa Fe. Their shared childhood experiences contributed to the strong sense of discipline and unity that marked Mauricio’s early years.

Mauricio Pochettino’s net worth and earnings in 2025

Mauricio Pochettino’s journey from a modest upbringing in Argentina to the forefront of international football has been marked by steady progress and high-profile appointments. Once a rugged central defender, he has since built a reputation for leadership and tactical insight, guiding elite clubs in Europe before assuming responsibility for a national team project across the Atlantic. His career path has combined the resilience of his playing days with the precision of a strategist, earning him both admiration and considerable financial reward. It is this financial standing, shaped by decades in the sport, that has become a point of significant interest today.

The Argentine coach, now leading the United States men’s national team, has secured one of the most lucrative managerial contracts in international football. Official figures place his annual salary at $59,88,500.80, which translates to roughly $4,99,041.73 each month, $89,58,13,608.04 per week, and $23,032.70 per day. These earnings, combined with past income from European club roles and endorsements, have positioned him among the wealthiest figures in the coaching profession. His estimated 2025 net worth reflects this accumulation of salary, bonuses, and long-term investments.

Mauricio Pochettino’s endorsement deals and sponsorship earnings

Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival in the United States has done more than change the technical direction of the men’s national team. His appointment has drawn attention to the financial commitments required to secure a coach of his stature, including the intricate role of sponsorship money and commercial support in shaping his compensation. US Soccer confirmed that his hire was “supported by gifts from Kenneth C. Griffin and Scott Goodwin alongside other commercial partners,” a detail that underscores the unique structure behind his new contract.

At Chelsea, Pochettino earned approximately $13 million annually. While his U.S. Soccer salary of $6 million falls short of that figure, it still surpasses former coach Gregg Berhalter’s $2.2 million by more than double and makes him the highest-paid coach in American soccer. The federation has been forthright about the necessity of outside support, with reports citing that sponsorships were essential in bridging the gap. Nike, Coca-Cola, and Volkswagen, already major partners of U.S. Soccer, are positioned to benefit from this arrangement, aligning Pochettino’s presence with the federation’s wider commercial strategies.

This brings the discussion to Pochettino’s endorsement portfolio and how such partnerships fit within his overall earnings. As a manager with long exposure in Europe’s top leagues, he has historically been associated with global sportswear and beverage brands, though his endorsements have never rivaled those of high-profile players. With U.S. Soccer’s commercial framework designed to underwrite part of his contract, Pochettino’s sponsorship earnings now form a tangible component of his income. The federation’s use of corporate backing ensures his salary remains competitive, while simultaneously binding his personal brand more closely to the institutions funding American soccer’s ambitions ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

What is Mauricio Pochettino’s nationality, ethnicity and religion?

Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival in September gave the United States men’s national team a figure whose résumé already carried the weight of European club competition. For supporters, his presence alone signaled a turning point in ambition, the type of appointment usually reserved for nations with deeper pedigrees. The World Cup looms on the horizon, and his past with Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea has convinced many that he can shepherd the squad through a period of expectation that has not often accompanied American soccer. That sense of heightened anticipation, however, has also sharpened the focus on his background, the details of who he is beyond his touchline demeanor.

Pochettino was born on March 2, 1972, in Murphy, Argentina, to Hector and Amalia Pochettino, who came from a farming family. His childhood in Santa Fe Province was shaped by Italian ancestry, which continues to define his cultural roots. He identifies as Argentine by nationality, with Italian descent marking his ethnicity. Religion also holds a place in his personal identity, as Pochettino is a Roman Catholic. These aspects of his upbringing and faith accompany his career accomplishments, giving dimension to a coach who has lived within both the rural rhythms of Argentina and the elite arenas of European football.