U.S. Soccer’s Pursuit Of Pep Guardiola Reportedly Hits A Snag

The pursuit of Pep Guardiola to take over the U.S. men’s national team could be short-lived.

The Telegraph reported Sunday that Guardiola would reject any offer from U.S. Soccer to take over the head coach role because he is set to sit out a full year following his departure as Manchester City’s manager earlier this summer. That comes on the heels of a report from talkSPORT on Saturday that said U.S. Soccer would begin “initial negotiations” with Guardiola this week.

Guardiola won multiple trophies during his 19 years managing Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. He wouldn’t have any shortage of suitors if he wanted to return to the touchline. Italy’s soccer federation reportedly offered Guardiola $11 million per season to lead its men’s national team, but the 55-year-old Catalan manager turned it down with the intention of taking a year off.

On Friday, outgoing USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed he will be heading to Manchester United following the two Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti. The U.S. beat Haiti 6-0 in Saturday’s first leg in Miami, with Tuesday’s second-leg in Cincinnati serving as Pochettino’s send-off match. 

Pochettino, 54, previously managed Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Southampton while also leading Paris Saint-Germain and La Liga side Espanyol. He was hired in September 2024, and his U.S. tenure included a fourth-place finish at the 2025 Concacaf Nations League, a runner-up finish at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup and a round-of-16 appearance at the 2026 World Cup.