Sebastian Berhalter turned his father’s tough truth into World Cup breakthrough

Sebastian Berhalter’s path to the World Cup is not that of a young prodigy who had an easy way onto the U.S. men’s national team — despite what some might think of the son of storied former player and head coach Gregg Berhalter.

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The 25-year-old midfielder will tell you that his father was the one to tell him four years ago, before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, that he wasn’t good enough. It “wasn’t even close,” he joked to reporters last week after this year’s roster was announced.

So he watched from the stands in Qatar as his father coached the 2022 team he dreamed of playing on. At one point during the tournament, the young midfielder spotted a miniature replica of the World Cup trophy at the concession stands. He took it home as a symbol of affirmation that he would be at the World Cup in 2026.

“That was a goal I had, and people would’ve thought I was crazy,” he said. “That’s how I’ve been my whole life. I always believed. If you don’t believe, no one else is going to believe. So for me, I knew it was possible.”

Everything in the four years since Gregg Berhalter gave his son that hard truth is proof that it was not the defining moment of his potential, his father told NBC News. That type of resilience, focus and mental endurance is the exact skill set that his son will need at the largest soccer tournament in the world this summer, he said.

“It’s really about where he’s come and his mental strength to get there, and you know, the journey is what I’m most proud of,” Gregg Berhalter said. “He’s such a hard worker, he’s humble, he has a process, he’s dedicated, he’s focused — you know, you name it. You can deal with setbacks, and you know, to me, that that’s really the mark of true mental strength.”

Sebastian Berhalter returned to playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2022 with a new mindset that led to finally becoming a starter and the creation of more opportunities in front of the net. Only 14 games into this year’s MLS season, Berhalter has already scored six goals and offered up seven assists.

It’s the result of years of working to sharpen his technical skills.

“I feel like if I can just keep the ball and have a quicker touch and use my body, I think that’s the biggest thing,” he said.

Almost a year after his father was replaced as the head coach of the men’s team, Sebastian Berhalter received his first call-up to the national team under the reign of Mauricio Pochettino. He recorded two assists at the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup from set pieces, one of the aspects of the game Berhalter said last week that he spent some time working on.

Just a few months later, he scored his first international goal with the senior team at a friendly against Uruguay in Tampa, Florida.

And on Sunday, just days after he was announced as a member of the World Cup squad, Berhalter was the last starting player to be subbed off in the friendly against Senegal. Pochettino described Berhalter as a “monster” who gives his best in any type of game, whether it’s a tournament or training or playing with friends.

“He’s the type of player that they’re going to train, they’re going to train, they’re going to train, and sometimes you need to say, ‘Go inside,’ you know? As a coach, it’s always a pleasure to have a player like him,” Pochettino said.

Giving 200% on the field isn’t a new concept for Berhalter, who said he always knew that if he were to make the national team under his father he would be expected to give double compared to everyone else. But he also says he’s been “so lucky” to have a father who could help him develop from his childhood well into his professional career.

“I’m so fortunate to have him in my corner,” he said. “After games, and even just in general, anytime, we’ll just go back and forth on things.”

On the day American players learned they were making the squad, Gregg Berhalter had been aware that emails were sent because of his new role as the head coach of the Chicago Fire. He had just heard that his goalkeeper, Chris Brady, had a call-up when his mind turned to his son.

Moments later, he got a FaceTime call from Sebastian.

Sebastian Berhalter described his father as “so proud” during that call. And pride is the first emotion his father feels when he thinks about the fact that for the first time, he’s going to be on the sidelines watching his son play on the world stage.

“You know, sharing the experience of participating in a World Cup with him is unbelievable, because I can try to describe it all I want, but until you’re in it, you know, you don’t understand it,” he said. “And now we’re going to have that shared experience, and that means the world to me.”