The most pressing question hanging over the USMNT since their round-of-16 exit to Belgium has been who leads them next, and that answer appears close. Pochettino is reportedly nearing a four-year deal to remain as national team boss through the 2030 World Cup, according to reporting from The Athletic cited by GOAL. His initial contract expired in August, but both parties are keen to continue a relationship that produced the country's first World Cup knockout win since 2002. The prospect of a second cycle gives Pochettino the chance to shape American soccer in a way few coaches anywhere in the world can.

While the managerial situation moves toward resolution, the transfer market is pulling several World Cup players in different directions. Wingback Max Arfsten is finalising a move worth up to $7.5 million to Championship side Middlesbrough, where he would join USMNT teammates Sebastian Berhalter and Aidan Morris. Berhalter himself completed a $2 million switch to the same club from Vancouver Whitecaps earlier this month. Midfielder Gio Reyna, meanwhile, is reportedly in talks with Ligue 1 side Strasbourg after one season at Borussia Monchengladbach, despite an impressive showing at the tournament.

Off the pitch, U.S. Soccer is thinking well beyond the next fixture. Federation leadership, alongside FIFA's Arsene Wenger, has outlined ambitions to overhaul youth development and address pay-to-play barriers, framing the 2026 World Cup as the starting point of a new era rather than a final destination. The Belgium defeat stung, but the direction of travel for American soccer looks forward.