The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially here, and the U.S. men's national team is preparing for its final send-off match against Germany in Chicago on Saturday. Years of work have led up to this moment, from current players and coaches to former members of staff. For the Berhalter family, it's a unique blend of both circumstances.
USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter's father is current Chicago Fire FC director of football and head coach, Gregg Berhalter, a former player, and, most notably, the previous manager of the USMNT ahead of and during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The team finished second in the group, two points behind England, and reached the first round of the knockouts, but were eliminated with a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands. He was then released from his head coaching duties in 2024 following a poor showing in the 2024 Copa America.
The U.S. Soccer Federation decided to take action with a home World Cup looming just two years away, and landed on Mauricio Pochettino for the role. Now, with his MLS side a contender in third place, he's rooting for his former national team squad and son, Sebastian Berhalter, as the U.S. men prepare to compete in the 2026 World Cup.
"It's a great feeling, and mostly because of him and how he got into this spot. You know, he's taken a lot of hard work, it's taken a lot of perseverance, and you know he had to be patient, but he also had to keep believing in himself. And that's what I think I'm most proud of, is that he, that self-belief never wavered, and he was so determined," Berhalter told reporters on Friday.
Sebastian's path to making the 2026 roster is distinctive. Where just four years ago he was in the stands in Qatar, supporting his father on the sidelines and cheering for the USMNT. Now he'll get the rare chance every soccer athlete dreams of, representing and playing for your home nation in a World Cup.
Following a trade from the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2022, stringing together performances through limited minutes led to a breakout year in 2025. His six goals and four assists through 13 MLS games earned him All-Star honors, and his presence on the national team under Pochettino became more frequent. For his dad Gregg, it's all part of his longer story to represent the county and to follow one's dreams.
"You know, there's a story that is not widely known, but in Qatar, you know, they have these markets, and they sell all these little trinkets and stuff, and it was so important to him to buy this little World Cup replica trophy," Gregg told the media.
"So he got it, and you know, my wife was like, 'Why do you have that?' and he says, 'I'm going to put it in my apartment, and every single day I'm going to look at it, and that's going to be a reminder where I want to go.' Think about that, and now you know, four years later, he is in this position, so really, really proud of him and all his effort.
"All the training sessions. I would write it down on paper, I still have a whole stack of them written down, and it was amazing," Gregg recalls about his time with the national team.
"But I think for Sebastian it's really just being a guy, you know, me and my wife both had the mentality that we're going to give him the tools and give him the guidance, but he has to eventually do it for himself, because we can't do it for him, and we took a very hands-off approach. We never spoke to coaches. Never spoke to agents. It was really just about him and what he was going to be able to do on his own, but we supported him to the end," he explained.
With Major League Soccer taking a break in the regular season, the Berhalter family will be actively watching and rooting for their son when the first game kicks off. As a former national team coach and former USMNT player, Berhalter is there for his son, and many of the players used to be under his tenure. He refers to them as "kids" and "babies" during the time "I had them," and plans to just take it all in like the current squad will.
"With the rest of the guys, you know, I stay in touch with a lot of them, and I just have a lot of love for those guys. You know, we've been through a lot together, and I wish them all the best, but I really want them to understand that this is their moment, this is what they've been building for."
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