The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Tuesday that Matt Crocker is stepping down from his role as sporting director to take on what the organization described as “another opportunity in international soccer.”
According to Fox Sports, Crocker is moving to a comparable position with Saudi Arabia’s soccer federation.
The departure takes effect right away, occurring roughly two months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off.
The U.S. Soccer Federation stated that chief operating officer Dan Helfrich will oversee sporting operations while working alongside assistant sporting director Oguchi Onyewu and women’s development head Tracey Kevins.
“Over the past several years, U.S. Soccer has grown significantly across every part of our sporting organization, and we thank Matt for the role he played in that progress,” JT Batson, U.S. Soccer CEO and secretary general, stated. “Matt helped guide important steps across our sporting organization, and we’re grateful for his contributions. We’re confident in our strategy, leadership team, coaches, and technical staff. We will continue building the right structure for the future, and we’re well positioned to make the decisions needed in the short, medium, and long term.”
Crocker served in his U.S. Soccer Federation role for almost three years, playing a key part in bringing aboard women’s national team coach Emma Hayes and men’s coach Mauricio Pochettino.
“It has been a privilege to be part of U.S. Soccer during such an important period for the sport in this country,” Crocker commented. “I’m grateful for the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with across the Federation, from our coaches and players to our technical and administrative staff. I’m proud of what’s been built together and confident the team in place will continue to move the game forward and drive success on and off the field.”
The U.S. men’s team begins World Cup group stage action on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Following that match, the Americans face Australia on June 19 in Seattle before meeting Turkey on June 25, returning to Los Angeles.
“I anticipate zero impact on World Cup preparation as a result of Matt’s decision,” Helfrich told Fox Sports on Monday. “Mauricio and his staff have full control of the preparations for this summer’s tournament, and we have full confidence in them. This transition in no way impacts those plans, which have been long-established.”
Multiple media sources indicate that Nasser Larguet is anticipated to step down from his technical director position with Saudi Arabia this month.
“If you’re going to compete at the highest levels in the sporting world, you expect that team members will have other opportunities,” Helfrich explained to Fox Sports. “Soccer in our country and the federation overall are in a better place than several years ago when Matt joined, and we’re grateful to him for those contributions.”
