Manchester United have confirmed Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach, ending a frantic 24 hours at Old Trafford with one of the biggest managerial appointments of the season. The 54-year-old Argentine will take charge from November 18 on a two-and-a-half-year contract that runs until June 2029, with his first match in charge away to Liverpool on November 22.
The announcement came on Friday, November 13, a day after United sacked Michael Carrick. In a short statement, the club said: “Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the Manchester United men’s head coach from 18 November. The club has reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation for Mauricio and his staff to be released after the conclusion of their responsibilities with the U.S. Men’s National Team.”
Pochettino leaves the United States national team after just over two years in the job, and he becomes the eighth permanent manager or head coach at United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
A deal done in days, not weeks
United moved fast once the decision on Carrick was made, agreeing terms with Pochettino and settling his release from US Soccer within a day of the sacking.
Reports put the compensation at around $10 million to release Pochettino from his US contract, with a further $2 million reported for his coaching staff. Pochettino had only signed a four-year extension with US Soccer in August, a deal meant to keep him in charge of the Americans through the 2030 World Cup. Instead, he will cut that short after leading the United States at their home World Cup this summer.
He will not walk straight into the Old Trafford dugout, though. Pochettino will first see out his final duties with the United States, overseeing the two legs of their Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti, with the first leg in Miami on Saturday and the return leg on Tuesday. Only then will he fly to Manchester.
Why United acted now
The decision to sack Carrick was driven by results. United sit 18th in the 20-team Premier League after 10 games, inside the relegation zone, after what has been described as the club’s worst league start in 40 years.
Carrick was dismissed on Thursday after 15 games in charge. He had been appointed in January 2026 and, despite a strong finish to last season, could not stop the slide this autumn. The board decided that waiting until the next international break, or until the situation worsened further, was not an option.
That is the scale of the job Pochettino inherits: a 20-time English champion fighting at the wrong end of the table, and a new head coach who will be judged from his very first week.
An emotional goodbye to the US job
Pochettino did not hide how hard the decision was. At a news conference alongside US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone and chief executive JT Batson, he choked up as he spoke about leaving the American job, calling it a really tough decision.
He also made clear why he took it. The chance to manage Manchester United, he said, was simply too big to turn down, a dream job that he could not let pass. It is a line United supporters will cling to: a manager who wanted this club, not one who had to be persuaded.
His record gives them reason for hope. Pochettino built his reputation at Tottenham Hotspur, where he took the club to the 2019 Champions League final, and he has since managed Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He knows the Premier League and the pressure of a big club, and his teams play high-energy, aggressive pressing football built around young players.
What happens next
The calendar gives Pochettino no gentle introduction. After the two Haiti matches, he arrives in Manchester on November 18 and has four days with his new squad before the trip to Anfield on November 22.
That Liverpool match will be his first test, but the real work starts the morning after: points to climb out of the bottom three, a settled team, a working defence, and goals from a forward line that has misfired all season.
The contract, running to June 2029, suggests United want a long-term appointment rather than another short fix. Whether it becomes one will depend on the next few months, starting at Anfield.
Frequently asked questions
When does Mauricio Pochettino start at Manchester United?
He takes charge from November 18, 2026, after finishing his final matches as United States head coach.
Who did Pochettino replace at Manchester United?
Michael Carrick, who was sacked on November 12 after 15 games in charge, with United 18th in the Premier League.
How long is Pochettino’s contract?
Two and a half years, running until June 2029.
What is Pochettino’s first match in charge?
Away to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, November 22, 2026.
How much did Manchester United pay to release him from the US job?
Reports put the release fee at around $10 million, with a further $2 million reported for his coaching staff.
Manchester United have their man, and the clock is already ticking. Pochettino arrives on Wednesday, and by Sunday he will know exactly what he has walked into.
