(Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Mauricio Pochettino said Monday his time as the head coach of the U.S. men's national team may not be over after this year's World Cup.

'Who knows what is going to happen,' Pochettino told reporters as the USMNT prepared for Tuesday's friendly against Portugal at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 'We are open. We don't have (a) contract for the future but why not if we are happy and the federation is happy?

'You can never say never. In football, everything can happen. I am very happy. Of course it is tough, it is a massive challenge, it is a bigger challenge than we thought or believed when we came here. But we are a coaching staff that loves a challenge.'

Pochettino signed a contract with the USMNT in the summer of 2024 that expires after the 2026 World Cup. The 48-team competition opens on June 11, with matches taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, and ends on July 19.

The 54-year-old has been the subject of rumors surrounding the head coaching positions with Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, both teams that fired their coaches earlier this season.

Pochettino has at times over the past year expressed his desire to return to coaching in Europe, where he led Southampton, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and most notably from 2014-19 at Tottenham, a team he admits a continued connection with.

'It is impossible to feel nothing wrong about Tottenham, about the club, about the people that work there and about the fans,' he said. 'It was one of the best experiences of my life. Of course it's my wish ... and I think they are going to stay up. With coach or without coach.'

However, Pochettino insisted Monday he has had no discussions with either Tottenham or Real Madrid about taking over after the World Cup and would not do so until after the World Cup.

'Everyone knows that I am committed with the national team here,' Pochettino said. 'It's not a point to talk about the future. At the moment, no one approached. Who knows what is going to happen.'

Tottenham -- which fired coach Thomas Frank in February then mutually parted ways with his replacement, Igor Tudor, after just 44 days - offered Italian Roberto De Zerbi a long-term contract that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the Premier League, The Athletic reported Monday.

Real Madrid's coaching replacement, Alvaro Arbeloa, has engineered an impressive turnaround, winning 17 of 21 games since taking over for the fired Xabi Alonso in mid-January.

--Field Level Media