Whitecaps’ Sebastian Berhalter follows father’s path to World Cup with U.S. team

Vancouver Whitecaps' Sebastian Berhalter (16) celebrates his goal against the Portland Timbers with Thomas Muller (13) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, on Saturday, April 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

VANCOUVER — Sebastian Berhalter grew up seeing exactly what it took to play in a World Cup.

His dad, Gregg Berhalter, was a defender for the U.S. national team and later took over as coach, and Sebastian went to his first tournament when he was too small to remember the experience.

Watching his dad at soccer’s biggest showcase over the decades, though, showed Berhalter firsthand the endless work and sacrifice that go into being a top-level player.

“Growing up around my dad, it was always about my dad,” said the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder.

“We were trying to get him in the best headspace possible, physically also, to make sure he could be at his best. And that’s something that you don’t take lightly. We were always trying to be quiet when he was napping and make sure he got the right food and stuff like that. Just how seriously he took it was awesome.”

Now Berhalter is using those lessons to write his own World Cup story.

The 25-year-old athlete was named to the U.S. national team Tuesday and could be on the field when the squad kicks off its tournament against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12.

“I’m so fortunate that I even get to be in a mix. It’s incredible,” Berhalter said. “Like, I was just thinking about it yesterday — that I even have a chance to make a World Cup team is something that a year ago would have been hard to believe. So I just feel so honoured that I get to be a part of it.”

Currently in his seventh Major League Soccer season, Berhalter has grown into a star for the Whitecaps and helped power the team to the top of the Western Conference standings with a 10-2-2 record heading into the World Cup break.

He has a team-high 13 goal contributions through 14 appearances this season, including a career-high six goals.

“I think he was always a powerful force for us,” said Vancouver teammate Thomas Muller. ”From one to 90, every minute he is on the pitch, he gives everything.

“And he can provide a lot, not only in his endurance, his power, also his playmaking. He scores goals, he’s giving us some very dangerous set pieces. Overall, he’s a very important player for us, not only on the field but also in the locker room.”

Berhalter was a force for Vancouver last year, too, helping the club to a historic campaign with four goals and 12 assists in 29 MLS regular-season games.

He also recorded three goals and two assists over eight CONCACAF Champions Cup games, helped Vancouver to a fourth straight Canadian Championship title, and saw action in five playoff games, including the MLS Cup final, where the ‘Caps fell to Inter Miami.

With strong MLS play, Berhalter has worked his way into the U.S. national team, making his debut in November 2025. He’s since made 11 appearances with one goal and three assists.

The big numbers he’s put up over the past two seasons follow a lot of hard work, Berhalter said.

“I think you’re seeing the tip of the iceberg,” he said. ”All you’re seeing is this part, but there’s times when I couldn’t get into training, and then I got into training, and it’s just been steadily just believing in myself and just doing the right things.

“The last two years is what you’ve seen, but there’s been four years before that where it’s been a grind, and same thing — it’s been just steadily getting better.”

Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen is wary of taking credit for Berhalter’s ascent.

When the Danish former midfielder took over the team at the beginning of January 2025, he quickly learned about Berhalter’s extraordinary work ethic and witnessed his power and energy.

Sorensen and his staff talked to the young athlete about slowing down his game, and a skill set Berhalter hadn’t previously trusted emerged, the coach said.

He became Vancouver’s go-to player for sizzling set pieces, and a reliable presence who can both set up goals and defend.

“He added, with the experience that he got with the national team and also what we experienced last year, that he was a good player in big games for us,” Sorensen said. “And he added that kind of confidence for him as well.”

There are times, though, that Sorensen and staff need to reel in the infamously indefatigable midfielder.

Berhalter is routinely the last player on the field at training, working on his shot long after everyone else has headed to the showers, and seemingly has an unending motor.

“I know that his whole mindset is to work 24/7 and that’s a good thing,” Sorensen said. “But one of the big things about being a professional athlete is knowing when to rest and knowing that you need all the full force when you have your competitive moments, and that’s also in the games.”

The ceaseless work ethic comes from his family, Berhalter said.

“I think my parents instilled that in me. Being around my dad, just seeing how hard he worked and how seriously he took it kind of bled onto me,” he said. ”And then I want to win. I want to win for my guys, I want to win for the club, for the fans, and it’s easy to get that competitive spirit to kind of fuel you to win games.”

Family continues to be at Berhalter’s core. Though he’s been in Vancouver for five seasons now, he stays in close contact with his parents and three sisters.

He’s been to multiple World Cups with them, supporting his dad first as a player and then as a coach. To know that this summer, they could be following him around North America as the U.S. chases a World Cup title is a special feeling.

“At the last World Cup, I was thinking ‘Wow, if I had the chance to bring my whole family to the World Cup, that would be incredible,’” he said. “And yeah, I think that is the really surreal thing.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press