Ahead of 2026 World Cup, USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter serves as coach and envoy

Ahead of 2026 World Cup, USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter serves as coach and envoy

Gregg Berhalter has more than two years to prepare the U.S. men’s national soccer team for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place on home ground. It’s a long runway without the hazards of qualifying but with heightened expectations for a program overdue for a global breakthrough.

His plans will play out at training camps, international tournaments and one-off matches, such as the one announced Tuesday: a June 8 friendly vs. Colombia at FedEx Field.

But his work is also taking place in the basement game room of a downtown Washington beer hall, next to a row of Pop-a-Shot and Skee-Ball machines, where Berhalter answered questions and posed for photos with a few dozen soccer fans Tuesday.

He attended the Washington Capitals’ game later in the day at Capital One Arena, then was scheduled to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet the Congressional Soccer Caucus, lawmakers with an affinity for the game.

As coach of a World Cup host country — and in a country where soccer has made grand strides but remains less popular than other sports — Berhalter sees himself as an envoy for his team and the sport at large.

After all, the 2026 tournament will take place at 16 venues in the United States, Mexico and Canada — its first visit to North America since the U.S.-hosted event in 1994 — and will provide another enormous opportunity to grow the sport.

“It is a bigger role for all of us,” Berhalter said in an interview with a handful of reporters. “We all share that responsibility. First off, representing the United States to the best of our ability, but then also letting people see who we are and letting people see who the players are, giving people access and really giving them something they can be proud of.”

With the World Cup approaching, the U.S. Soccer Federation said it plans to increase outreach efforts on all fronts. Before Tuesday, Berhalter had done few small-scale public events during his U.S. tenure, which began in late 2018 and, after a six-month pause amid controversy following the 2022 World Cup, resumed last summer.

The USSF has started to send Berhalter to markets ahead of games scheduled there. On Tuesday, instead of issuing a news release, the federation arranged for him to join Washington Commanders executives in announcing the June 8 game.

Last month, the U.S. team played Slovenia at a small stadium in San Antonio. The June match will be the first in the D.C. area since 2019 and the first in Landover in 12 years. It’s a break from the routine of matches in Ohio and Texas, among other usual locations. (The venue for a June 12 friendly against Brazil has not been announced.)

Berhalter’s primary job is preparing his team for a deep run in the World Cup following a round-of-16 appearance in 2022 in Qatar. He acknowledges he will need to prove to the public that he is up for the job; like most national team coaches, he is under constant scrutiny. His reappointment did not sit well with many hardcore fans.

“I’m always trying to prove myself, but it’s about just wanting to win and wanting to be successful,” he said. “I understand this job’s going to be based on results. And that’s how it is. When it’s all done, they’re going to look at the record. They’re going to look at the achievements. … I am competitive by nature. So it’s not just proving to fans. We want to win.”

Berhalter understands he won’t win everyone over: “The national team job is such an easy target,” he said. “That’s the thing about it — there’s one national team coach.”

While Berhalter prepares for the World Cup, there is no guarantee he will be there. His contract runs through 2026, but with the tournament a long way off, his bosses will have ample opportunities to gauge progression or regression.

First, there are the Concacaf Nations League finals next month in Arlington, Tex., which also feature Mexico, Jamaica and Panama. The Americans won the first two editions of the tournament.

The biggest test, though, comes this summer with Copa América, the esteemed South American event that will take place at 14 U.S. venues. The Colombia and Brazil friendlies in June are the tuneups. Group play starts June 23 against Bolivia in Arlington, Tex.

“It’s really trying to do something impactful,” Berhalter said in his address to fans at Astro Beer Hall in Northwest Washington. “Can we position ourselves to try to win this thing? We know it’s difficult. We know it’s challenging … and we want to learn how to beat those teams.”

Berhalter emphasized the importance of getting his players to believe they can beat world powers in consequential matches.

At the 2022 World Cup, with the youngest starting lineup in the tournament, the Americans were knocked out by the Netherlands, a seasoned opponent.

By 2026, he and the public will expect more.

“It doesn’t matter what color the jerseys are on the other side of the field. We should expect to win the game,” he said. “It’s really easy for us to just talk about that, right? And it’s something we need to build because it’s not there yet. When we play against Argentina or Brazil, I want the guys to be confident in themselves, confident we can win the game.”

Notes: The U.S.-Colombia match will kick off at 5:37 p.m. and air on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max and Peacock. Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday at 10 a.m. …

Berhalter plans to scout players in Spain, France and Italy in about two weeks. Most notably, he said he will attend midfielder Johnny Cardoso’s match with Real Betis against Atlético Madrid.