Pochettino appointed Manchester United head coach

Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed Manchester United head coach, leaving the U.S. national team after agreeing to a two-and-a-half-year contract. United said he will take over on November 18, following the U.S. team’s two Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti.

The announcement on Friday completes a move that had been reported as imminent. Pochettino and his assistants will remain with the United States for the Haiti matches before departing for Manchester, U.S. Soccer said. The fixtures are scheduled for Saturday and Tuesday, with the second in Cincinnati.

United are in the Premier League relegation zone after 10 matches. The club announced Pochettino’s appointment a day after firing Michael Carrick, who had been in charge for less than six months. Pochettino, 54, is the club’s eighth permanent coach or manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Pochettino took charge of the U.S. team in 2024 and led it to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup. His departure comes three months after U.S. Soccer announced a contract extension that was intended to keep him through the 2030 World Cup. The federation has not named a permanent successor.