The USMNT deal with Mauricio Pochettino is becoming one of the longest sagas in this soccer season. It’s been almost a month since he was linked to the U.S. soccer national team job. Yet, the deal is far from done and dusted. Some complications still arise for the nation and the club concerning settlement issues with Chelsea. However, ESPN analyst Doug McIntyre gave his information regarding the situation. And all the fingers point out how the U.S. Soccer Federation will announce the deal in the next 48 hours.

In a post on X by Fox Soccer, McIntyre explained how the compensation issues between Chelsea and the U.S. national team dragged the deal for longer periods. Pochettino signed a two-year contract with Chelsea, but the club left him with a year remaining on his contract. They had to pay him $13 million as a compensation fee. But, Chelsea, known to spend millions on players, did not want to pay from their pockets.

In the meantime, the U.S. Soccer Federation has a fixed budget for how they pay their managers. They don’t spend over the top and only provide the right salary for the perfect candidate. Well, when Poch comes knocking on the door, you got to pay up!

Therefore, McIntyre stated they have decided to settle this once and for all. He also clarified how the U.S. Soccer officials, going to Spain to ‘tie this deal up.’ As tying up the deal became crucial, they canceled that trip to Spain as reported by McIntyre. He mentioned, “That trip [to Spain] didn’t happen. It was canceled at the last minute… this deal remains very very close to getting over the finish line. I think we could see an announcement in the next 48 hours.”

So, get excited about the announcement U.S. Soccer fans. Pochettino is arriving to take control of the team. And how they wish him to be there before the game against New Zealand.

Mauricio Pochettino’s deal couldn’t come soon enough

The USMNT is under the management of Mikey Varas right now. The interim coach stepped up to take the team forward. However, Canada and Jesse Marsch steamrolled past him with a 2-1 victory. If you ask any average U.S. soccer fan about their team’s performance, you can see the disappointment on their faces. I mean, think about the players – Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna.

These are some of the talented players in this blessed country. They need to accomplish something. The team must put on a show with the 2026 FIFA World Cup arriving in the country. The entire world will lay their eyes on the USMNT and Mauricio Pochettino. After their third-placed finish in the 1930 World Cup, the USMNT never had a successful World Cup campaign.

Hence, this is the time. The players have no excuses to give out apart from working hard to achieve their goals. Mauricio Pochettino would need to get hold of his players or, otherwise run the risk of another hyped man who failed at the last hurdle.