Guardiola, the chosen one

The United States Soccer Federation has positioned Pep Guardiola as their main option to take over the national team bench amid the imminent departure of Mauricio Pochettino, who is one step away from becoming the new coach of Manchester United.

According to the British portal The Athletic, the leaders of the U.S. governing body consider the Catalan coach to be the ideal figure to lead their international project, taking advantage of the fact that he is currently free after ending his time at Manchester City.

🚨🇺🇸 Sources: U.S. Soccer is expected to make Pep Guardiola a top target to become next USMNT head coach. Obviously the pursuit would not be straightforward nor easy. But likely to start with call to Pep. w/ @PaulTenorio @HenryBushnell https://t.co/zHaggH9J7i

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) November 11, 2026

The mediation of private donors and Guardiola's attraction to the United States

The USSF's attempt has a prior financial structure designed to support a world-class salary. During the search process following Gregg Berhalter's departure in 2024—where Pochettino, Klopp, and Guardiola himself were among the favorites—the federation recruited high-net-worth donors to finance the contract of a top-level coach, a mechanism that would be reactivated immediately.

The U.S. federation's interest in the Catalan coach dates back several years through its former president Sunil Gulati, with whom he has a personal connection. Additionally, Guardiola's affinity for the country, where he resided during his sabbatical in New York in 2012, along with his statements in 2024 describing the sporting potential of the United States as "enormous and fascinating for building a long-term project," adds to the context.

A four-month window after the rejection of the Italian national team

Although Guardiola turned down a formal offer to coach the Italian national team at the beginning of the year—circumstances confirmed by Giovanni Malagò citing the need for a family disconnection period after a decade of demands in England—the international calendar favors U.S. aspirations.

Pochettino will lead the U.S. in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Nations League against Haiti before finalizing his departure to Old Trafford. From that moment, the USSF will have a four-month window without official commitments until March 2027, allowing Guardiola to extend his rest before returning to competitive activity.

The leadership of the USSF will initiate exploratory contacts with Pep Guardiola's environment as soon as Manchester United pays the 10 million dollars for Pochettino's release clause. If the Catalan strategist agrees to take the leap to the national team benches, the United States will formalize the most high-profile hiring in its sports history to start the journey towards 2027.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Guardiola, el elegido