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Pochettino Named United States Head Coach

Former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has been named as the new manager of the United States men’s team.

The Argentine replaces Gregg Berhalter, who was sacked in July following the USA’s group-stage elimination from the Copa America.

The announcement came before the US drew 1-1 with New Zealand in an international friendly game in Cincinnati.

Pochettino, 52, said it was an opportunity “I couldn’t pass up”.

“The decision to join US Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on,” he added.

“The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here – those are the things that inspired me.

“I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of.”

US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker led the search for Berhalter’s successor and spent time at Southampton when Pochettino was in charge at St Mary’s.

“Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams,” said Crocker.

“His track record speaks for itself, and I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad.”

Pochettino joined Southampton after a stint at Espanyol before moving on to take charge of Tottenham, leading Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final.

He went on to manage Paris St-Germain and Chelsea, leaving the Blues in May after one season in charge in which they finished sixth in the Premier League.

The United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup along with Canada and Mexico.

They are ranked 16th in the world by Fifa, one place below Euro 2024 quarter-finalists Switzerland.

Pochettino’s appointment means the US men’s and women’s teams are both now managed by former Chelsea bosses, after Emma Hayes took charge of the women’s team earlier this year.

Great opportunity for Pochettino – analysis
Guillem Balague, European football expert and Pochettino biographer

This is a coveted job which has been pursued by big names – with Rafael Benitez among those who saw it as a great opportunity.

The USA national side has talent in some departments – not so much in others – and needs better organisation, which Mauricio Pochettino will be able to put in place.

The Argentine was interviewed in Barcelona by members of USA Soccer including sporting director Matt Crocker, who led the academy at Southampton when Pochettino was first-team boss.

The role was seen as a great opportunity not just because the next World Cup is in the USA, but also because the US manager will help improve processes within the federation to make things run more smoothly.

Pochettino will meet up again with US women’s team boss Emma Hayes, who he enjoyed a good working relationship while they were both at Chelsea – and they will certainly sit down and exchange information in their respective roles.

Pochettino did not want to leave the Blues, but it became clear the club had other ideas. He has rejected other offers since leaving Stamford Bridge in May, but this move felt like the right step to take.

Players at Chelsea were sorry to see him go but the USA job is the perfect vehicle for him to apply his talent in a project that can make him as happy as he was for most of the time at Espanyol, Southampton and Tottenham – and where he can hopefully take the team to the next level.

In my book on Pochettino and his time at Spurs he mentioned the possibility of one day taking charge of an international side, going as far as to say he would relish the chance to coach England one day.

BBC

News

King Ademola Lookman Brings Out His Love

Like his father opened up, Ademola Lookman is essentially a private person, who prefers to do his stuff without all the media blitz.

But on one of his biggest days, when he was crowned Africa’s best player, he could not but make the first public appearance with the woman in his life – Jayda Love.

‘Adebobo’ would even steal a moment on his big night to kiss his American beau.

The 27-year-old Super Eagles star is still single.

Rumours of this romance first surfaced in the summer when the couple appeared to have spent the holidays together.

This was after ‘Mola’ scored his unforgettable hat-trick for Atalanta to win the UEFA Europa League in super style.

Jayda, an Information Technology specialist is based in Dallas, Texas, graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2021 with a degree in public relations.

She follows Ademola Lookman and his foundation on social media.

She is also known to have visited him at his Italian base.

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FIFA Rankings: Nigeria’s Super Eagles End 2024 Ahead Of Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have ended 2024 ranked as Africa’s fifth-best team in FIFA’s latest global standings, released Thursday morning, Soccernet.ng reports.

Despite a challenging end to the year that saw the team drop eight places to 44th globally, the Super Eagles still managed to hold their own against eternal continental rivals like South Africa, Cameroon, and Ghana.

This year’s ranking represents a mixed bag for Nigeria. While the team retained its fifth spot in Africa, their decline in global rankings was driven by underwhelming performances in key fixtures.

Most notably, the Super Eagles struggled during the final rounds of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, securing just a solitary point in lackluster outings against the Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Nigeria were forced to a scored draw by the Cheetahs in Abidjan only for Samuel Chukwueze’s excellent strike to end up as consolation in a 2-1 home defeat to the Wasps.

Looking at year-to-year standings, at this time in 2023, Nigeria’s Super Eagles were ranked 42nd in the world but sixth on the continent.

Elsewhere, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana showed marked improvement, climbing th

Cameroon and Ghana, however, endured disappointing campaigns. Ghana’s Black Stars finished the year ranked 77th, a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles within the Black Stars setup.

At the continental summit, Morocco retained their status as the continent’s best, finishing as Africa’s top-ranked team in 14th place globally.

Senegal (17th), Egypt (33rd), and Algeria (37th) rounded out the top four, with Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, and South Africa completing the top 10.

Globally, Argentina retained their position as FIFA’s top-ranked team, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil.

With 1,181 international matches played across the calendar year, the rankings reflected consistent dominance from the world’s elite teams.

As Nigeria enter 2025, all eyes will be on the Super Eagles to reignite their competitive spark, with the World Cup qualifiers returning in the first quarter of the year.

News

Mbappé: Would Have Been ‘Fun’ To Play With Cristiano Ronaldo

Kylian Mbappé has said he wishes he could have played with Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s all-time leading scorer.

The France international has been a teammate of other football icons but would have relished playing alongside Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Portugal captain.

“I’ve played with great players: Lionel Messi, Neymar, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Paul] Pogba, [Karim] Benzema…” Mbappé told BeINsports.

“It would have been fun to play with Cristiano Ronaldo — it’s going to be very difficult now — but I was lucky enough to play against him, a legend of the sport.”

Ronaldo, 39, left the Spanish giants in 2018 now plays for Saudi Pro-League side Al Nassr.

Mbappé helped Madrid win the Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday, his second title since joining the Spanish giants in the summer after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.

Speaking to young people with disabilities as part of the BeUNITED program, Mbappe, 25, said he would have never left Paris Saint-Germain had it not been to join Madrid.

“I went to the biggest club in the world,” the 2018 World Cup winner said.

“I have always said that it was the only club I would have left PSG for. If I hadn’t been able to go to Madrid, I would have stayed at PSG all my life.”

Although Mbappé has been prolific for Madrid so far, he has faced criticism for his all-round performances with the team having suffered some high-profile defeats earlier in the season.

“Since I was 14, everyone told me I was going to be great,” Mbappé said.

“But when you’re big, sometimes you feel small…At first I was too hungry and it played tricks on me because I was impatient. But I have passion and this competitive side.

“My dream now is to win trophies with my team, not individual awards. What great title is left for me? The Champions League, but I’m in the best club in the world for that.”