Sebastian Berhalter lived his dream of playing in a World Cup. The 25-year-old midfielder has been included in the United States’ final squad for the 2026 tournament, which begins at home.
Two years earlier, however, his own father, Gregg Berhalter, then the team’s coach, had said that his son did not have the level to play for the national team. The conversation took place before a training camp in January 2024. At the time, Sebastian was just a reserve at MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps.
Gregg didn’t hide the difficulty of giving that feedback. “Part of my job is to tell the truth,” he told The Athletic. But that moment marked the beginning of a transformation. The son took responsibility for the dream and intensified the pace of work.
Gregg sent a letter to his son as part of FIFA’s “Letters That Unite” series, released this week. In it, the former coach reports seeing Sebastian’s look of disappointment, but also the immediate change in attitude. “I watched you take control of your dream,” he wrote.
Born into a football family, Sebastian grew up surrounded by the national team. His father played for the USA in 44 games and played in Germany, where the family lived for six years. Still, the young man was not considered a precocious talent. At 16, he was released from a youth team camp and kept the coach’s name to motivate himself.
He turned doubts into fuel. During the 2020 pandemic, he trained with strict plans written on paper by his father. He jumped fences to train on makeshift fields and faced exhausting sessions. “No matter what happens, I won’t stop,” Sebastian said about that phase.
This mentality led him to win a starting role at the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025. He earned a call-up to the main team, established himself in the Gold Cup and became a reference of intensity for coach Mauricio Pochettino. Teammates call him a “freak” for his physical preparation and dedication.
When he found out he was called up for the World Cup, Sebastian first called his father. Gregg, dismissed from the national team in 2024 and now with the Chicago Fire, showed pride. Moments later, mother Rosalind and son cried together on the phone. “He did everything alone”, highlighted Gregg, relieved that he was not the one who decided to include his son.
The Berhalters’ story takes on a special shape in the 2026 World Cup. Father and son join other rare cases of family duos in the American team, such as the Reynas. Sebastian debuts with the team in Group D, against Paraguay.