The coach who energized U.S. soccer at the World Cup is on the verge of leaving for a job in England

Mauricio Pochettino had the United States on a roll at the World Cup.

The Americans plowed into the knockout stages with fun and furious soccer as rapturous crowds shook the stadiums with “Take Me Home, Country Roads” sing-alongs in front of record television audiences. And Pochettino, a former Argentina player who had coached in some of Europe's biggest leagues, was in the middle of it all, encouraging and embracing the passion building behind the team in a big country with limited soccer success.

The connection between coach and country looked so bright that even when the U.S. exited in another round of 16 defeat, Pochettino signed a four-year extension to lead a group of rising and talented players through the 2030 World Cup.

It may be time to start over.

Pochettino on Thursday was closing in on a deal to be the manager of Manchester United in England's Premier League. The news came two days before the U.S. was set to open CONCACAF Nations League play Saturday against Haiti.

“I can’t thank him enough regardless of if he’s coach or not the coach,” U.S. midfielder Sebastian Berhalter said Thursday. “He’s meant so much to me. He’s helped me develop as a player and as a person. As a player that’s all I can ask for, to have that trust and belief.”

Pochettino had never coached a national team before taking over the U.S. program in 2024. He was best known for his European club stints with Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

A move to Manchester United would put him in charge of one of the biggest clubs in the biggest league in the world. United has won 20 English league titles, tied for the most in history, but the last one was 2013 and the club is currently in 18th out of 20 in the standings.

If the season ended today, Manchester United would be relegated to a lower division. Pochettino would be asked to rescue the team from such humiliation.

American players credited him with instilling a tougher, more resilient mindset. Playing on home soil, the U.S. won consecutive games at the World Cup for the first time since 1930, and advanced from the group stage with a game to spare. The three victories at a single World Cup also set a new mark.

After a 2-0 win over Australia, Pochettino soaked in the singing and celebrations.

“Today, even if I’m not American, after the game I was emotional,” Pochettino said. “It was an amazing and perfect connection between the energy from the stands and the team.”

Berhalter said Pochettino tapped into that with the players.

“He made us even more proud to be American and I think that speaks volumes of who he is as a person and as a coach,” Berhalter said.

The run ended with a resounding 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16. But the good vibes between coach and country were still flowing when Pochettino signed his extension in August and Pochettino reflected on the “magic” of the tournament.

Pochettino wasn't in the U.S. for the announcement. He was at home in Spain. And he also left himself an out.

“Four years' time is a really long period. You never know what can happen in soccer,” Pochettino said. “Today people really love you. In eight weeks time, maybe that change(s), that feeling.”

He has been long admired by Manchester United, and a break clause in his U.S. contract opened the door for United to make its move as the club struggled this season under Michael Carrick, who was fired on Thursday.

The 2030 World Cup will be played in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, and U.S. soccer officials will likely move quickly to find a new coach to start the buildup.

They reportedly have their eyes on one of the biggest names in the sport: Pep Guardiola of Spain.

Guardiola has won big everywhere he's coached in soccer's best professional leagues: three La Liga championships with Barcelona in Spain, three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich in Germany and six Premier League championships with Manchester City in England.

But the 55-year-old has never coached a national team, let alone a U.S. squad that even Pochettino said before the World Cup did not have any players who rank among the top 100 in the world.

That's vastly different from pro teams that spend lavish sums for top players. An investigative report released in September accused Manchester City of circumventing fair play and financial rules to build the rosters of Guardiola's most dominant teams there.

Or U.S. soccer officials could turn to Major League Soccer for the next coach. American coaches have been successful in the past. Bruce Arena led the U.S. to the quarterfinals in 2002. Bob Bradley (2010) and Gregg Berhalter (2022) also took the Americans to the knockout stages.

The next coach will inherit a roster that was among the youngest squads at the 2026 World Cup with an average age of 26. The rising U.S. stars include 25-year-old striker Folarin Balogun, who scored three goals, and 22-year-old defender Alex Freeman.

Balogun praised Pochettino for raising the standard of play for the U.S. team.

“He’s laid the foundation and I think us the players have that ownership, to not just do that because Poch was in charge,” Balogun said. “Whether he’s here or whether he’s not, the U.S. will look to replace him with another top coach.”

AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino walks from the field following the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

U.S. Men's National Soccer Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino walks on the pitch during practice, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Fayetteville, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino celebrates with his players following the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino walks off the field after the United States lost a World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Belgium in Seattle, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Thursday that he will run for Senate Majority Leader in the next Congress, setting up a challenge to Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer after the party swept to power in the midterm elections.

Van Hollen said in a statement that “the American people called for change” and that is why he is running.

“It’s now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership,” Van Hollen said. “This is not about any one person — it’s about answering the call of the American people. That is why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.”

Schumer has said he has the necessary support to win the race, which will be the first contested election for Senaet Democratic leader in decades. The closed-door, secret-ballot election will be held in early December.

The question of whether to reelect Schumer has already divided the caucus and many senators have declined to say publicly how they will vote, even before Van Hollen entered the race. They have privately deliberated about what message to take from the election and many are torn — Schumer recruited many of the party’s winning candidates and raised money for them, but progressive groups are pushing for his removal.

Making the pitch for his reelection, Schumer has been working with Democratic senators one-on-one to form an agenda for 2027. In private caucus meetings this week, Schumer opened discussion on a broad plan for their first 100 days in power that included health care and tariff legislation and efforts to stop the Iran war.

“I’m going to win it,” Schumer told The Associated Press in an interview last week.

In a statement after Van Hollen’s announcement, Schumer said he welcomes any discussion about the future of the caucus.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together — 55 seats and counting is an amazing result — and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader,” Schumer said. “I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people.”

While Schumer is the favorite to win, Van Hollen’s run exposes a rift in the party that opened in the spring of 2025, when Schumer was put on the defensive after he sided with Republicans on a spending vote.

Even as Schumer has redeemed himself within his caucus since then — leading them through a government shutdown last year and orchestrating huge wins in the election — many in the Democratic base are agitating for generational change.

Van Hollen, 67, is not that much younger than Schumer, 75. But he has positioned himself as a new face in the party. He has also said he is considering a run for president.

While most Democratic senators have either said they are supporting Schumer or are undecided, Van Hollen has at least two backers: Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, who won a competitive election in his state last week, and progressive standard bearer Bernie Sanders.

El Sayed posted on X Thursday night that their majority will need “bold leadership.”

“I called on Sen. @ChrisVanHollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience,” El-Sayed wrote. “We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority.”

Sen. Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, held a press conference Tuesday announcing he would not support Schumer. He posted Thursday night that the American people “want a Democratic Party that will stand up to powerful special interests, take on the billionaire class and fight for working families. That is why I am supporting Senator Chris Van Hollen to lead Senate Democrats.”

Van Hollen has not yet laid out his own agenda, but he has criticized Schumer for his ties to Israel and other special interests.

While Schumer has a long history of support for Israel, he has strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his handling of the war in Gaza.

Several senators have said they are backing Schumer, including incoming Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who beat Republican Sen. Jon Husted last week. Beyond the election wins, those who support him say being the leader is a difficult job, experience is necessary and Schumer has proven himself with legislative successes when they held the Senate under President Joe Biden.

“Why would you fire the manager when you just won the World Series?” posted Maine Sen. Angus King, another independent who caucuses with Democrats and votes in the leadership election.

“Chuck Schumer is one of the principal architects of the most successful election in modern history, and I see no reason to change the leadership that helped make that success possible,” King wrote.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., also posted her support Thursday evening:

Cortez Masto said Schumer was key in “securing a historic majority. I will be supporting him as our Democratic leader.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., listens during a news conference after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., speaks during a panel at Crooked Con at the Walter E Washington Convention Center, in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)