Jurgen Klopp Turns Down USMNT Managing Offer Ahead Of 2026 World Cup

Recently departed Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has reportedly declined an initial offer by the United States men’s national soccer team to take over an open managing position for the 2026 World Cup. Klopp has previously said that he intends to step away from the sidelines for a time due to general fatigue.

Klopp has been near the top of many fans’ lists as the United States looks to replace former manager Gregg Berhalter, who was fired after the team’s group-stage exit from the 2024 Copa America Tournament. According to the Independent, it seems that the United States agrees with public opinion and has already tried to recruit the legendary German manager.

“The Independent understands that initial contact was made with Klopp over the possibility of replacing the 50-year-old, as the United States gears up for the 2026 World Cup,”  The Independent‘s Miguel Delaney reported Wednesday. “But Klopp has turned down the opportunity to enter into formal discussions with the United States Soccer Federation.”

Klopp’s reputation in Europe makes him an ideal, if unrealistic, candidate to take over a rebuilding American men’s soccer program. After an encouraging early coaching run straight out of his playing career with FC Mainz 05, Klopp took over for Dortmund. He helped the team win two Bundesliga titles over Bayern Munich before leaving in 2015 for a position with Liverpool.

In his nine years in the U.K., Klopp turned Liverpool into an international powerhouse. The team won the 2018-19 Champions League, as well as the 2019-20 league title and 2021-22 FA Cup.

In January this year, Klopp announced that he was stepping away from his position at Liverpool, citing a desire to simply stop coaching for a while.

“I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything,” Klopp said in a statement earlier this year. “But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take. It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.”

Based on Klopp’s conviction in leaving a situation in Liverpool he seemed to truly appreciate, it could be an uphill battle to convince him to relocate to the United States for a new coaching opportunity. The team’s willingness to pursue the long-shot candidate, however, demonstrates an urgent desire to right the ship in time for 2026, when the team will play on home turf in the World Cup.

Article by Patrick Moquin