Mauricio Pochettino is expected to make a decision next week on whether he’ll continue leading the US Men’s National Team, and the outcome could ripple well beyond the pitch. The Argentine manager, who took the job in September 2024, has an offer from US Soccer on the table following the team’s round-of-16 exit from a home World Cup.

The money behind the whistle

Pochettino’s compensation package is estimated at $6 million per year, making him the highest-paid coach in US Soccer history. That figure reportedly includes a $2.5 million signing bonus, which gives you a sense of how aggressively the federation pursued him.

US Soccer CEO JT Batson has confirmed that contract renewal discussions are ongoing.

Kraken and Chiliz circle the opportunity

Two notable names from the digital asset world have shown interest in USMNT-related sponsorships tied to the 2026 World Cup: Kraken, one of the largest crypto exchanges by volume, and Chiliz, the company behind the Socios.com fan token platform.

Chiliz operates the infrastructure powering fan tokens for some of the biggest clubs in world football, including Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Its native token, CHZ, serves as the currency within that ecosystem.

If Pochettino stays, the USMNT retains a coaching figurehead with genuine international cachet, having previously coached Tottenham Hotspur in a Champions League final and managed Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. If he leaves, potential sponsors face uncertainty about the team’s direction.

No major token launches tied directly to Pochettino’s USMNT role have been announced as of early July 2026. Chiliz already has the technical platform ready, having rolled out fan tokens for dozens of clubs worldwide.

Traders should watch for any formal sponsorship announcements in the weeks following Pochettino’s decision. History suggests that confirmed partnerships between major sports entities and crypto firms tend to produce measurable, if temporary, price movements in associated tokens.