USMNT boss Pochettino states position on potential Tottenham return after the World Cup

Martin Macdonald

• 28 Feb 2026 06:30 CST
• 4 min read

News

Mauricio Pochettino has suggested he's open to a return to Tottenham this summer after the World Cup.

The next edition of the World Cup takes place in a few months and Pochettino holds one of the most pressurised jobs in the tournament as the head coach of one of the host nations, the United States.

However, his contract expires at the conclusion of that competition which could allow him to return to club management, should he desire.

In his career so far, the Argentine has coached Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and now the USA.

His most notable managerial spell came at Tottenham as he took Spurs to their first-ever Champions League final, which they lost to Liverpool.

Pochettino is still loved by sections of the Spurs support and so was linked with a return after Thomas Frank was sacked earlier this month. Igor Tudor is currently in place on an interim basis as the club finds itself in a very real relegation battle.

"There are always rumours, I’m always linked [to clubs]. To Tottenham, just like at one time I was linked to Espanyol, or to other clubs," he told Radiogaceta de los Deportes.

"In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren’t going well, people tend to fall back on emotions and say, ‘Well, with Mauricio we played good football,’ or whatever it may be.

"But no. We’re focused on the World Cup, on the United States. My contract runs until after the World Cup, so after that we’ll see what might happen. Open to everything, right?"

The USA have been drawn in a group alongside Australia, Paraguay and the winner of an intercontinental playoff contested by Turkey, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo.

Pochettino back to Spurs?

According to Ben Jacobs, Pochettino is on Spurs' shortlist to become their new permanent manager.

The Argentine recently claimed that he will one day win the Premier League and the Champions League.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Pochettino appeared to admit that he views his stint as USMNT boss as nothing but a brief intermezzo between stints at the club level.

When asked what competitions he wants to win most, his thoughts immediately returned to club football. "For me, Champions League and Premier League," he said.

"Of course, the World Cup, but Champions League and Premier League for me are things that, I don't know how, but I will touch, for sure. I don't know which club."

He also insisted that winning the Europa League is not sufficient for a club the size of Tottenham, after the club achieved that feat last season under Ange Postecoglou.

"To win a Europa League that the team won is good, but it’s not enough," Pochettino insisted. "It is not enough to challenge for the Carabao Cup, or the FA Cup, or the Europa League, or the Conference League.

"It’s a club that should be, or needs to be because the fans, what they expect is, to be in the Champions League, fighting for the Champions League, trying to believe that you can win the Champions League and also fighting for the Premier League and believing that you can win the Premier League."

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