Sebastian Berhalter Selected to Represent United States in FIFA World Cup 2026™
MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Sebastian Berhalter Selected to Represent United States in FIFA World Cup 2026™

Published on May 26, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC News Release


VANCOUVER, BC - U.S. Soccer confirmed on Tuesday that Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Sebastian Berhalter has earned a spot on the United States' final 26-man roster for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

One of three host nations, the United States was drawn into Group D at the World Cup, beginning their journey on June 12 in Los Angeles against Paraguay. The U.S. team will then head to Seattle to face Australia on June 19, before returning to Los Angeles to close out the Group Stage against Türkiye on June 25.

This marks Berhalter's fifth selection to the U.S. senior men's national team since debuting with the squad in 2025. The midfielder most recently joined the squad for a pair of friendly matches in the March window, where he appeared as a substitute against Belgium, and started against Portugal.

The 25-year-old notably started in all five of his appearances in last summer's Concacaf Gold Cup, registering two assists and helping his country reach the final. The American international now has 11 caps for the senior team, including nine starts, three assists, and his first international goal in a 5-1 win over Uruguay during last year's November window.

Coming off of a 2025 season in which he was named to the Concacaf Champions Cup Best XI, MLS All-Star Game, and MLS Best XI, Berhalter has had a standout MLS season so far in 2026. After 14 league games, he has already registering 13 goal contributions with six goals and seven assists. His six goals are an MLS career high and ranks him third for most goals by a midfielder, while his seven assists ties him for sixth most across the league. Outside of goal contributions, Berhalter ranks in the top 10 in five other major statistical categories including corner kicks (67, first in MLS), crosses (29, second in MLS), big chances created (11, tied for third), total chances created (36, sixth), and key passes (37, tied for seventh).

In his fifth season in Vancouver, Berhalter has been named to the MLS Team of the Matchday six times. His most recent nod came after registering his second-ever career brace on May 13 at FC Dallas, becoming the first Whitecaps FC player to produce a goal or an assist in nine of the opening 12 MLS matches in a season.

Including the Concacaf Champions Cup, the midfield talisman has started 17 of his 18 appearances across all competitions, with his seven total goals bringing him one away from his career high of eight set last year.

Berhalter becomes the fifth active Whitecaps FC player in the MLS era to be selected for the FIFA World Cup, joining Steven Beitashour (Iran, 2014), Kendall Waston (Costa Rica, 2018), Lucas Cavallini (Canada, 2022), and Rayan Elloumi (Tunisia, 2026). The 2026 tournament also marks the fourth consecutive to feature active Whitecaps FC players.

To date, five Whitecaps FC first team players have been called up for the upcoming FIFA international window, including Berhalter, Elloumi, Ralph Priso (Canada), Bruno Caicedo (Ecuador), and Liam Mackenzie (Canada U-20).

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