Mauricio Pochettino helped bring some life and spirit back into the U.S. Men’s National Team during his first spell as head coach and the Argentine manager is now focused on creating a new chapter in preparation for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Pochettino officially signed his new four-year deal with U.S. Soccer on Monday, committing his long-term future to the federation and USMNT squad. The 54-year-old was linked with a return to the program and sealed it close to one month after the USMNT’s involvement at the 2026 World Cup on home soil. With the new cycle officially underway around the globe, Pochettino is excited for many aspects of staying onboard as head coach. “There are too many things that I am looking forward to but one of the things is to open a new chapter,” Pochettino said in an interview with U.S. Soccer. “Seeing the potential of our fans and the people of this amazing country during the World Cup makes this a special opportunity to be involved and evolve and develop the next four-year cycle. To be part of and grow the vision that the federation has.“We were talking a lot in the last few weeks and we want to be part of a new cycle not just continue what happened over the past 18-19 months which was arrive at the World Cup in the best condition,” he added. “Now the approach will be and must be different because it’s a four-year cycle and there is pressure to establish different principles. I think all this time since the World Cup we talked about the goal of setting new principles and the vision of the federation is very exciting. Being a partner in this will be an amazing situation.”A total of 62 players earned appearances under Pochettino during his close to two years in charge. Many more will be expected to feature during the next World Cup cycle, especially with a slew of young talent chomping at the bit and multiple competitions set to occur over the next few years. Pochettino praised the growing potential in the player pool, giving recognition to MLS for their help in those efforts. “During the process we met more than 70 players and I think we have the talent but we also have talented 16, 17, 18, 19-year-olds that are appearing and want to be part of the next World Cup,” Pochettino said. “We are seeing amazing potential and also MLS clubs are doing very well with developing players, same with coaches and organizations. We have to congratulate them for an amazing job and we are very optimistic for the future. Being part of that is an honor.”While the 2030 World Cup is what the USMNT is building towards, there will be several other tournaments coming up in preparation. Two editions of the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup, in addition to World Cup Qualifying will also be on the USMNT’s schedule, giving Pochettino ample opportunities to work with his players and continue the squad’s relationship with the fanbase. Pochettino knows that the USMNT’s road won’t be pretty, but is ready to help grow the program for success both on and off the field. “To work together, the journey, I think we have built an amazing relationship with the people,” Pochettino said. “I can’t just say one thing that excites me, it’s everything to be part of this new four-year project. We know we need to work a lot ahead of the next World Cup and there are going to be ups and downs, but we are very confident that we can start from zero and create a new challenge and new approach in everything, not only on the pitch but off the field. I think it’s a great opportunity for us and we are so grateful of the federation for their trust in us. I want to say thank you for trusting us.”“Connection is key and it’s very important,” he added. “During the world cup the connection was amazing and we saw what people can create and I think that soccer can become the main sport in the U.S. I felt we created a very good connection based off of our performances on the field. Now going forward we know we will have the support of our fans whether it is a World Cup, unofficial match, Nations League, Gold Cup, Copa America and building that relationship will be important.”