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Manchester United have appointed Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach, the club confirmed on Friday 13 November 2026, ending a frantic 24 hours at Old Trafford after Michael Carrick was sacked the day before. The 54-year-old Argentine has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract running until June 2029 and will take charge on Wednesday 18 November, once he has finished his final duties with the United States men’s national team.
Pochettino arrives with United in the Premier League relegation zone after one win and eight points from their first 10 games, their worst start to a league campaign in 40 years. His first match in charge will be the trip to Anfield to face rivals Liverpool on Sunday 22 November 2026.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Manchester United appointment — key facts
| Detail | Confirmed position |
|---|---|
| New head coach | Mauricio Pochettino, 54, Argentina |
| Announced | Friday 13 November 2026 |
| Contract | Two and a half years, until June 2029 |
| Takes charge | Wednesday 18 November 2026 |
| Replaces | Michael Carrick, sacked Thursday 12 November 2026 |
| First match | Liverpool away, Anfield, Sunday 22 November 2026 |
| United’s league record | 1 win, 8 points from 10 games; relegation zone |
| Previous role | United States men’s national team head coach, since September 2024 |
| USMNT farewell fixtures | Haiti, 14 November in Miami and 18 November (CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final) |
| Reported release fee | Around $10 million (USA Today); about £7.4 million (Sky Sports) — figures differ by outlet |
| Permanent managers since Ferguson | Eighth since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013 |
Why United moved for Pochettino now
United’s board acted within a day of dismissing Carrick, and the speed of the appointment says plenty about the state of the club. One win from 10 league games left the 20-time English champions in the relegation zone, a position no Manchester United side has occupied this deep into a season in living memory. The club’s statement said it had reached an agreement with the US Soccer Federation for Pochettino and his staff to be released after their national-team responsibilities, a deal that shows how far United were willing to go to land their first-choice candidate.
Pochettino had been the favourite for the role from the moment rumours about Carrick’s departure surfaced, and his availability was never in doubt once United agreed to meet the release terms in his US contract. Managerial changes at the top of the game always invite instant judgement, as the recent head-coach story of John Harbaugh taking the New York Giants job showed. The Argentine returns to club football after two years away, and to the Premier League, where he built his reputation across spells at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. For a club that has cycled through seven permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, the hope inside Old Trafford is that the eighth finally brings stability.
The Carrick exit and the relegation-zone reality
Carrick’s dismissal on Thursday 12 November followed what Al Jazeera described as a disastrous start to the season, and the numbers behind it are stark. Eight points from a possible 30 is relegation form by any measure, and it is the club’s worst opening to a league campaign in four decades. Carrick, 46, had been appointed to steady the side, but results never turned, and the board decided a change could not wait for the international break to pass.
The timing also explains why United moved before the weekend rather than waiting. With a trip to Anfield looming on 22 November, the club wanted its new head coach in place, however briefly, before the fiercest fixture on the calendar. Pochettino will meet the players on Thursday 20 November, giving him two days on the training ground before the Liverpool game. Few new managers inherit a harder first assignment.
What the US Soccer deal means for the next week
Pochettino does not walk away from the United States job overnight. He remains in charge of the USMNT for the two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against Haiti, with the first leg in Miami on Saturday 14 November and the return on Tuesday 18 November, the same day he formally starts at United. US Soccer confirmed the arrangement on Friday, and Pochettino spoke about the split with visible emotion, calling the decision to leave “a really tough decision” and “a very sad decision” at a press conference held alongside US Soccer chief executive JT Batson.
The arrangement is unusual but practical. Pochettino only signed a new US contract in August 2026, extending his stay through the 2030 World Cup after leading the hosts to the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup on home soil. United’s reported payment of around $10 million to trigger his release, a figure Sky Sports put at about £7.4 million, underlines how determined the club was to get its man now rather than wait for a cleaner break. Whoever succeeds him with the USMNT inherits a team two years out from a home World Cup cycle that has already been planned around him.
Pochettino’s road back to the Premier League
Few managers know English football as well as Pochettino, and his record explains why United pursued him so aggressively. He took charge of Espanyol in 2009, then arrived in England with Southampton in 2013, where his high-pressing side won admirers across the league. Tottenham appointed him in 2014, and over five years he turned Spurs into title challengers and took them to the 2019 Champions League final, the furthest the club has ever gone in Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain came next, bringing a Ligue 1 title in 2021–22, before a single season at Chelsea in 2023–24. Football’s great managerial eras keep producing new chapters, from Zinedine Zidane’s time on the touchline to the quieter life of his wife Veronique Zidane away from it. His playing career was equally well travelled: a defender for Newell’s Old Boys in his native Argentina, then Espanyol, Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux in Europe, alongside his international career with Argentina. When the United States appointed him in September 2024, he became the highest-profile coach in the national team’s history, and his World Cup run on home soil in 2026 only added to his standing.
What changes first at Old Trafford
The first question Pochettino faces is not tactics but belief. A squad sitting in the relegation zone after 10 games needs points before it needs a philosophy, and the Liverpool trip on 22 November offers no gentle introduction. United’s statement outlining five reasons for his appointment pointed to his record of improving players and building competitive sides on modest resources at Southampton and Tottenham, qualities the club clearly believes it needs now.
Beyond the short term, Pochettino’s reputation for developing young players fits a club that has always prided itself on its academy. His Tottenham side was built around players he improved rather than stars he bought, and United’s recruitment in recent years has been criticised for the opposite approach. Whether he gets the time to rebuild in his own image is the open question. Seven permanent managers have tried and failed since Ferguson left in 2013, and none of them walked into a relegation battle. Pochettino’s first task is to make sure this United side is not still in one by Christmas.
Frequently asked questions
When does Mauricio Pochettino officially start at Manchester United?
He takes charge on Wednesday 18 November 2026, after completing his final USMNT fixtures against Haiti on 14 and 18 November.
How long is Pochettino’s Manchester United contract?
Two and a half years, running until June 2029, as confirmed by the club on 13 November 2026.
Who did Pochettino replace as Manchester United head coach?
Michael Carrick, who was sacked on Thursday 12 November 2026 after United won one of their first 10 Premier League games.
When is Pochettino’s first game as Manchester United head coach?
Away to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday 22 November 2026 in the Premier League.
How much did Manchester United pay to sign Pochettino from US Soccer?
USA Today reported a release fee in the region of $10 million, while Sky Sports put it at about £7.4 million. The exact figure has not been officially confirmed.
Why did Pochettino leave the USMNT job?
He said the chance to manage Manchester United was too big to turn down, while calling the decision to leave the United States role “a really tough decision” at his farewell press conference.
Setting the record straight
“Pochettino starts at United immediately.” Not correct. He remains USMNT head coach through the Haiti fixtures and formally takes charge on 18 November 2026.
“US Soccer sacked Pochettino.” Not correct. He left by agreement after United met the release terms in his contract, which he had extended in August 2026 through the 2030 World Cup.
“Carrick was sacked after one bad result.” Not correct. He was dismissed after United managed one win and eight points from 10 league games, their worst start in 40 years.
“Pochettino has never managed in England before.” Not correct. He managed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the Premier League before taking the USMNT job.
