Hiring top talent means paying top dollar, and in the case of the next coach of the U.S. men’s national team, the U.S. hiring process for a premium international manager typically boils down to “Show me the money.”
In terms of the sum and the methods of payment for that manager, Soccer Federation is ready to comply. The USMNT manager’s salary was exclusively funded by federation funds during the duration of the USSF’s existence. Over time, that sum has largely increased, though it has fluctuated to some extent.
USSF financial filings state that then-manager Bob Bradley received $941,647 for the 2011 fiscal year, which includes the 2010 World Cup. The stakes were raised significantly in 2011 with the hiring of Jürgen Klinsmann.
Klinsmann received $3.2 million during the 2014 World Cup fiscal year. In addition to a $900,000 incentive for making it to the 2022 World Cup, Gregg Berhalter received a salary of $2.3 million for his World Cup year. The impression that the USSF couldn’t afford a coach with a larger profile was fueled by the federation’s ostensibly tiny pay expenditure for the USMNT manager. In contrast, reports claim that former England manager Gareth Southgate made £5 million ($6.4 million) a year.
The federation is expected to search abroad for a replacement for Berhalter, who was fired two weeks ago. ESPN verified a story by Fox Sports stating that U.S. Matt Crocker, the sporting director of soccer, traveled to Europe last week with the intention of recruiting a foreign manager. It will probably be far more expensive to hire such a talent than it has been for the USSF to fill similar positions in the past.
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who was everyone’s fantasy option, was reportedly earning €50 million annually when he left the Reds at the conclusion of the 2023–2024 season.
Author: Quique Lopez
Quique Lopez doesn’t just cover soccer—he deconstructs it with the precision of a veteran and the wit of a storyteller. A former player who sees the pitch as both a tactical chessboard and a cultural stage, Quique balances sharp critiques with a genuine love for the game’s soul. He’s as quick to call out the ego of a superstar as he is to find the hidden beauty in a local derby.