Manchester United Appoint Mauricio Pochettino as New Head Coach

admin · November 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Football manager silhouette on the touchline of a floodlit stadium with red seats at dusk

Manchester United Appoint Mauricio Pochettino as New Head Coach

Manchester United have confirmed Mauricio Pochettino as their new men’s head coach, ending a decade of speculation about the Argentine taking charge at Old Trafford. The 54-year-old will start work on November 18, after finishing his duties with the United States men’s national team.

United announced the appointment on Friday, November 13, a day after dismissing Michael Carrick. Pochettino has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract reported to run until 2029, and becomes the club’s eighth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

A Club in the Relegation Zone

Pochettino inherits a team in crisis. United sit 18th in the Premier League, in the relegation zone, after winning just one of their first 10 league matches this season. They have eight points from those games, their worst start to a league campaign in four decades, and their lowest position at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986-87.

Across all competitions, United have won only three of 15 matches this season and sit one point above bottom side Crystal Palace. Supporters booed the players off the pitch after a recent home defeat by Bournemouth, and the pressure finally told on Carrick this week.

Michael Carrick was sacked on Thursday after a 4-4 home draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, two weeks after a humiliating 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth. Carrick had rejoined the club in January 2026 and guided United to a third-place Premier League finish last season, but the new campaign unravelled quickly.

From the USMNT to Old Trafford

Pochettino has been in charge of the United States national team since 2024 and led the Americans to the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup on home soil. United said they had reached an agreement with the United States Soccer Federation for Pochettino and his coaching staff to be released after completing their national-team responsibilities.

He will remain in charge of the United States for the two legs of their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against Haiti, on Saturday and next Tuesday, before travelling to Manchester. U.S. Soccer confirmed the departure on Friday, saying Pochettino would continue to coach the two matches against Haiti.

British media reported United would have to pay compensation of about $10 million to release Pochettino from his U.S. Soccer contract, which had been due to run until the 2030 World Cup. Sky Sports had earlier put the release clause in his newly signed U.S. contract at around £7 million.

The club’s announcement carried no quotes from a club representative, out of respect for the fact that Pochettino remains a U.S. Soccer employee until his national-team duties end. He is expected to address the media as United head coach for the first time towards the end of next week, after arriving in Manchester.

Why This Matters

For United, the appointment is a calculated gamble on a coach whose teams have often impressed without consistently delivering major trophies. Pochettino built his reputation in England at Southampton, then transformed Tottenham Hotspur into regular Champions League contenders and led them to the 2019 Champions League final. Later spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea produced mixed results: he won the Ligue 1 title with PSG but failed to deliver the European success the club craved, and his brief time at Chelsea ended without a major trophy.

That record contrasts sharply with the history of the club he now joins. United have gone without a league title since 2013, and since Ferguson’s retirement they have struggled to find a manager capable of restoring sustained success. Repeated managerial changes have done little to resolve deeper structural and sporting problems.

For American soccer, the departure is a major moment. The United States must now find a new head coach after Pochettino’s exit, with the program coming off a home World Cup. His final two matches against Haiti will be his farewell in the role. The international break has already produced headlines for England, where Harry Kane broke England’s caps record this week, and Pochettino’s move adds another.

A Brutal First Test

There will be no gentle introduction. Pochettino’s first match in charge is an acid test against rivals Liverpool at Anfield on November 22, giving him only a few days to work with the squad. United then travel to Sporting CP in the Champions League before his first home game, against Brentford on November 28.

Pochettino is understood to have signed a deal through to the summer of 2029, and his appointment had the unanimous endorsement of the club’s leadership and ownership. He was the only coach United spoke to directly as a potential successor to Carrick. Details of the backroom staff who will join him are expected to be confirmed in the coming days, with his long-time assistants Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino and Antonio Jimenez expected to follow him to Old Trafford.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Mauricio Pochettino start at Manchester United?

Pochettino officially takes charge on November 18, 2026, after completing his final two matches as United States head coach against Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals.

When is Pochettino’s first match as Manchester United head coach?

His first match is away at Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, November 22, 2026, in the Premier League. His first home game is against Brentford on November 28.

How long is Pochettino’s Manchester United contract?

He has reportedly signed a two-and-a-half-year deal running until the summer of 2029, becoming the club’s eighth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Why did Pochettino leave the United States national team?

Manchester United reached an agreement with the United States Soccer Federation to release Pochettino and his coaching staff from their duties after the Haiti matches. He had been U.S. head coach since 2024 and led the team to the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.

United have answered the immediate question of who leads them next. Whether Pochettino can turn one of football’s most storied clubs around from the relegation zone will be judged quickly, starting at Anfield.