After weeks of speculation, Mauricio Pochettino is the new U.S. men's national team coach.
On Tuesday night, U.S. Soccer confirmed Pochettino's employment, two days after the board of directors authorized his contract through the 2026 World Cup.
USMNT coach Pochettino will miss Tuesday's friendly against New Zealand. After flying to the U.S. this week, he will hold an introduction news conference in New York on Friday. He'll lead the team for the first time in October.
Since Pochettino apparently accepted the job on Aug. 14, the announcement was delayed nearly a month. Chelsea, who fired Pochettino in May after one season, and U.S. Soccer administrators negotiated with his team, lawyers, and officials for a month.
Chelsea owed him millions for his second guaranteed year. It was unknown what severance terms and agreements were made this summer. However, all parties achieved a settlement that relieves Chelsea of some of its financial responsibilities and allows U.S. Soccer to pay less for Pochettino.
Pochettino missed his September USMNT coaching debut due to the chaos. However, reports say it did not affect his appointment.
Instead, Pochettino will debut next month when the U.S. plays friendlies against Panama in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 12 and Mexico in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Oct. 15.
Pochettino's contract details were not disclosed by U.S. Soccer. The federation stated in their statement that "Pochettino’s appointment is supported in significant part by a philanthropic leadership gift" from Ken Griffin, a billionaire hedge fund manager and one of the world's 100 richest people.