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Alexa Vernice Pacis

All eyes are on the 2026 Fifa World Cup, and fans are eagerly awaiting their national teams and favourite footballers to hit the field, but is that … Gladiator? Social media users can’t help but notice that Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team (USMNT), bears a striking resemblance to Kiwi actor, Russell Crowe.

Mauricio Pochettino has mysteriously turned into Russell Crowe. #USAAUS pic.twitter.com/tPsLL2thiv
— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) June 19, 2026

Many have commented on their similar appearances. Even Pochettino himself is aware, jokingly saying that he’s “much more handsome”.
Pochettino, who was born in Argentina to a family of Italian descent, has had a career in football since he was around 13 years old, playing professionally until he was 34. He began his managerial career in 2009, and has since coached a number of acclaimed teams including Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Yes, we've seen the comparisons. #USMNT x @LaColombeCoffee pic.twitter.com/gAiLdPV9Xb
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 17, 2026

Besides Pochettino’s football career, he’s also a big family guy, with a loving wife and two sons. “For me, family and football are the most important things, they are in the same level,” said Pochettino to the Buenos Aires Times in 2018. “It isn’t easy to find a balance, but I am lucky because my family also loves football.”
Here’s all you need to know about Pochettino and his family.
Who is the Pochettino family?

Pochettino is married to Karina Grippaldi, who is also Italian-Argentinian. The couple met at a nightclub in Argentina in 1991, when Pochettino was playing for Newell’s Old Boys, per The Sun. Grippaldi studied pharmacy at the City’s National University.
Pochettino and Grippaldi married in 1994, and have two sons named Sebastiano and Maurizio, who both followed in their father’s footsteps. Sebastiano, born in 1995, works for the USMNT with his father as a fitness coach and sports scientist. His younger brother, Maurizio, was born in 2001 and plays for Andorran club Inter Club d’Escaldes.
While the Pochettinos keep their personal lives relatively private, it’s evident that the football manager is a family man, judging by the photos he posts of his wife and sons when he’s off the field.
Where has the Pochettino family lived?

Due to the nature of Pochettino’s career as a football player and manager, the family has moved around several times. They lived in Barcelona, where Pochettino was playing for Espanyol; both his sons were born there. They’ve also lived in Paris and Southampton – Pochettino both played for and managed Paris Saint-Germain, and was manager of the Premier League club.
What’s Mauricio Pochettino’s relationship with his wife Karina Grippaldi like?

Pochettino has said that his fiercest critic is probably his wife, per Football London. The USMNT manager has often said that his wife has been his rock throughout his career, but also admitted that she would criticise him and advise him. “In the last few years, the one thing that she criticises most is my press conferences,” he said in 2018.
“It’s normal. It is your family, they suffer a lot when you are not happy when you lose the games, and of course, they feel part of the project, part of you, part of the job and the passion that is football,” he continued. “Sometimes they try to help you. But sometimes they kill you, no?”
Who are Mauricio Pochettino’s sons married to?

The Pochettino brothers both seem to be in their own happy relationships. Sebastiano, 31, is married to Constantia Timotheou, an admin assistant to the senior buyer for Marks & Spencer and a graduate of the University of Southampton. The couple also have a daughter.












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Maurizio, 25, tied the knot with Becca Sarah Byford at the end of 2025. The couple have been together since at least 2020.


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Before the World Cup, Pochettino played for and coached teams including PSG and Espanyol – football runs in the family, and his 2 sons both work in the sport


Before the World Cup, Pochettino played for and coached teams including PSG and Espanyol – football runs in the family, and his 2 sons both work in the sport.


Is that Russell Crowe, or the USMNT coach? All about Mauricio Pochettino and his family

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Before the World Cup, Pochettino played for and coached teams including PSG and Espanyol – football runs in the family, and his 2 sons both work in the sport

Before the World Cup, Pochettino played for and coached teams including PSG and Espanyol – football runs in the family, and his 2 sons both work in the sport