Zinedine Zidane reportedly rejecting the USMNT approach could be a promising sign for the coaching search

Greg Berhalter’s future as head coach of the United States Men’s National Team is in flux, especially after the U.S. Soccer Federation launched. Research “Potentially inappropriate behavior toward multiple members of our staff by individuals outside our organization.”

In a press conference last week, sporting director Ernie Stewart confirmed that a performance review is underway and that Berhalter is still a candidate, excluding the results of independent research. But the Federation also seems to be doing its proper work by reaching out to the available candidates. Zinedine Zidane is the latest example as his camp was contacted by a USMNT representative, according to the French publication L’Equipe Saturday.

While that contact may not have included a concrete offer and felt more like a check-in, it shows that the powers that be in the USSF are at least kicking the tires on the options available to them with expectations as high as co. Hosts the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada.

Zidane’s name is in the news as the French national team extended Didier Deschamps’ contract until the 2026 World Cup on Saturday. The French job has long been wanted by Zidane, with El Equip reporting that he rejected approaches from Portugal and Brazil immediately after the end of the Qatar World Cup in December. The latter approach came from the Americans, who could use a coach with a winning pedigree to take over the reigns. According to reports, he will only work for France at the national team level.

Listen below and follow along In Soccer We Believe: A CBS Sports Soccer Podcast Where three of your favorite former USMNT players cover everything you ever wanted to know about the United States Men’s National Team.

In preparation for their next World Cup qualifying cycle, associations are already filling vacancies or solidifying them. Deschamps was extended to France and a verbal agreement has been reached with former Belgium coach Roberto Martinez to become Portugal’s next coach. So you have the bleak future of the United States, with Claudio and Daniel Reyna, Gio Reyna’s parents, reporting domestic violence between Berhalter and his now-wife Rosalind in 1991 while they were in school at the University of North Carolina.

Berhalter saw his contract expire at the end of the year. Stewart and the federation may want to keep Berhalter for the 2026 cycle before the drama between the two families, but there’s no harm in doing your due diligence and gauging interest in the market for other successful candidates. Meanwhile, Anthony Hudson, one of Berhalter’s assistants on staff, will lead the team for the January camp and friendlies against Serbia and Colombia. Hudson is not expected to be a permanent fixture for the team as they look to build on their Round of 16 exit against the Netherlands.

With Leeds United manager Jesse Marsh not having his hands full of options in the Premier League, USSF needs to cast a wide net to ensure he gets the best manager for the job. In that sense, it’s good to see what Zidane has in store. It makes you wonder if they even approached Martinez before getting the Portugal job. This can lead to an expanded pool of candidates and a better interview process for what should be a desirable job.

They need to reach out to candidates to restore confidence that they are choosing the right person for the job, which may be after more prominent jobs than the United States. The worst the team can hear is no. And if Zidane had ever said yes, they would have unexpectedly won the Champions League, La Liga, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Spanish Super Cup with Real Madrid. It couldn’t have been much better.

But with the lack of confidence in the process following the USMNT, more needs to be done. Just contacting the best trainer is not enough. The next step is having a substantive discussion about what they can bring to the role before appointing the best person for the job to lead the team at the World Cup.