From Pochettino to MLS, the giants of American finance keep making big promises about the future of U.S. soccer

Two moves this week, on top of a deal struck earlier this year, point to the same shift: the giants of Wall Street (and Wall Street South) are now central to how American soccer builds toward its next decade.

U.S. Soccer confirmed Monday that Mauricio Pochettino will remain the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach through 2030, in a deal supported in significant part by a philanthropic leadership gift from Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of the hedge fund and financial services giant Citadel.

Griffin is again the lead donor (additional support comes from Scott Goodwin, Adam Freede and several commercial partners) behind the move, according to a person familiar with the gift, extending a role he first took on in 2024, when his gift helped U.S. Soccer secure Pochettino ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The same day that Pochettino’s return was confirmed, Major League Soccer named its third commissioner, succeeding Don Garber: Larry Berg, a co-owner of the marquee MLS franchise LAFC and a roughly three-decade veteran of private equity — and now private credit — giant Apollog Global Management. Berg eventually rose to senior partner at Apollo before joi...