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.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.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.”Gregg Berhalter, U.S.
team manager, on the sidelines during a World Cup match between England and USA in Al Khor, Qatar, ...