The 2026 FIFA World Cup is doing something no recent tournament has managed for the US Men’s National Team: turning the most grueling stretch of international soccer into something that actually resembles quality family time.
Father’s Day landed on June 21 this year, right in the thick of World Cup group stage action. And because the tournament is being hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico, USMNT players and staff didn’t have to choose between the biggest games of their careers and being present for their families. They got both.
The Berhalter connection
The most compelling storyline belongs to the Berhalter family. Gregg Berhalter, the head coach steering the USMNT through a home World Cup, is doing so with his son Sebastian on the roster as a player. That makes them only the second father-son duo to represent the US at a World Cup.
Gregg’s own history with the national team, both as a former player and now as coach, adds layers to the moment. He’s been on the pitch and in the technical area. Now he’s watching his son wear the same crest he once did, during the same tournament, in the same country.
