Jesse Marsch makes admission about USA job as Leeds United coach addresses 2026 rumours

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch is just another United States-supporting American, albeit with a quite considerable footprint in the camp. The 49-year-old released two of his Whites players last month to join up with the US Men’s National Team ahead of the Finals, before Tyler Adams was nominated captain for the tournament by his peers, including clubmate Brenden Aaronson.

It has been speculated upon that Marsch may see himself as a future USMNT head coach and there is credence to such claims given the Leeds boss is currently the most high-profile managerial figure, who also happens to be a US native, outside the States. In addition, 23-year-old Adams’ installation as his country’s captain – a player nurtured by Marsch at New York Red Bulls, coached at RB Leipzig and then signed by Leeds – supports such speculation.

Currently, the USMNT are led by Gregg Berhalter, a former international during his playing days and fleeting ex-teammate of Marsch’s during the early 2000s. Berhalter has been in charge since 2018, when the US side failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals in Russia, but this time around, their young and inexperienced squad has made it to the Last 16 where they face the Netherlands on Saturday.

Speaking to the Men In Blazers podcast, Leeds head coach Marsch admitted it would be ‘fun’ to coach the current crop.

"They're young, they're athletic, they can play with intensity. There's obviously differences, but in general it's a fun team. It'd be a fun team to coach you know,” the American said.

“When I say these things, everybody thinks I'm positioning myself but it's just like looking at it from a perspective of a coach. You could see how fun it would be to work with these young, talented, aggressive, fearless players every day,” Marsch added.

The Leeds coach was quick to distance himself from any suggestion linking him with the USA job, after rumours emerged since taking the Leeds job, touting him to take charge of the USMNT for the 2026 World Cup which will be jointly-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.