USMNT look at Thierry Henry as possible coach replacement for Berhalter

US Soccer continues its search for the USMNT’s new head coach; after Patrick Vieira’s name emerged, another French legend has since joined the list.

USMNT are wading through murky waters towards the 2026 World Cup and are going through a period of huge uncertainty. After the departure of Gregg Berhalter as coach of the Stars and Stripes national team, US Soccer have been forced to activate an emergency plan and go in search of a new coach to lead the way towards the World Cup at home.

The elimination in the group stage of the Copa América meant panic stations and red, swirling alarms for the United States: despite the buzz after winning the CONCACAF Nations League, at the top level, against higher-ranked opponents, the team made up of Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic were simply not up to the task.

This led to the departure of Gregg Berhalter, who, despite achieving some positive results, failed to make the leap in quality expected by US Soccer, who are now looking down their list of names for a replacement for the coach.

One of those candidates is Patrick Vieira, who is a strong option to take over the USMNT and, as recently reported by media outlets such as TUDN, has in fact already initiated conversations with the federation.

In addition to Patrick Vieira, another big name that has been linked to the USMNT is former French soccer player Thierry Henry. According to journalist and serial Tweeter, Fabrizio Romano, Henry is indeed another name that US Soccer are analysing in their search for a new leading figure.

However, the only obstacle that exists between US Soccer, the USMNT and Thierry Henry is that the former player is currently in charge of France’s Olympic team, so all kind of contact and conversations will have to wait until the Olympic Games are over, meaning the process to choose the U.S. coach could take a few months.

“One more name that the USMNT has started discussing besides Patrick Vieira is Thierry Henry. Henry is currently busy with the Olympics and the French national team, but after that we have to keep an eye on what happens with Henry, because he is another name they discussed internally at US Soccer,” he explained.