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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.
Pochettino’s Father’s Day, from a different time zone
Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine-born coach who took over the USMNT program, brought his own family dimension to the tournament. His son is on staff, meaning Father’s Day wasn’t just a calendar holiday for the Pochettino household. It was a working holiday, spent together on the sidelines of the biggest sporting event on the planet.
For a coach who built his reputation at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, the shift to international management, and specifically to the US program, represented a different kind of challenge. Having family embedded in the operation isn’t just a nice perk. It’s a psychological anchor.
Family dynamics inside the camp
The family atmosphere extended well beyond the coaching staff. Christian Pulisic, the team’s most recognizable face internationally, was spotted interacting with teammate Tyler Adams’ son during the long training camp.
The 2026 World Cup’s North American hosting has changed the equation fundamentally. Families can drive to matches. Kids can visit training sessions. The logistical nightmare of traveling to Qatar or Russia simply doesn’t exist when the games are a domestic flight away.
That accessibility has created what multiple people around the team have described as a uniquely supportive environment. Players who might otherwise be grinding through homesickness during a month-long camp are instead getting regular doses of normalcy.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) · 