A World Cup that, all things considered, fell short of expectations – especially after someone like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, half-serious and half-provocative as ever, suggested that Team USA could win it. And yet Mauricio Pochettino, following the four-goal defeat to Belgium in the round of 16, has been rewarded with a contract extension that will keep him in charge of the United States until 2030. A significant vote of confidence from the US Soccer Federation, made even more notable by the size of the Argentine coach’s salary. But there is little a sizeable group of billionaires cannot solve. “Through this renewed commitment,” the federation announced, “Pochettino and the rest of the technical staff will continue to provide the American game with the expertise needed to develop beyond the senior national team. Youth development, coaching programmes, collaboration with professional leagues and other structural areas within our sporting community.”
In short, Pochettino is someone they trust without hesitation. Above all for what he brings with him: the aura of an elite manager, capable of giving American football a different level of credibility and stature. The results may arrive in ways that fall short of expectations, or exceed them. But that the approach to the game around Pulisic and his teammates has changed should be clear to everyone. Pochettino’s remit continues to expand, renewing a faith that apparently survived the abrupt end to a World Cup that had begun amid so much excitement. And financing a coach of his international standing will once again come down to the familiar figures: the businessmen who had already made his arrival possible. His first contract, signed after his spell with PSG and Chelsea, was a two-year deal worth 6 million dollars per season – with the overall cost of the operation, including staff expenses and the buyout for his predecessor, reaching 20 million.
The financial details of the extension have not yet been disclosed, although the US federation’s leadership has confirmed that “the contract is significantly funded on a philanthropic basis”. So Team USA should thank its benefactors. Pochettino’s expected earnings between now and the next World Cup are thought to be around 24 million dollars in total. But the fact that American football – so heavily shaped by business, commercialisation and the constant pursuit of spectacle – still depends on the generosity of private individuals, far beyond the salary of the national team coach, says plenty about its structural foundations. The “greatest World Cup ever” – Gianni Infantino’s words – may not have changed the direction of travel after all. But perhaps don’t tell Mauricio. He leaves this episode, without question, as the bigger winner.