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

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.