One day before the USMNT opens its home World Cup, FIFA has given American fans a reason to reach for the tissues. In the latest installment of its Letters That Unite series, released Tuesday, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter sits down on camera to read a letter from his father — former US men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter — and barely makes it through.
The series, per FIFA, captures players receiving and reading letters from the people who know them best as the tournament arrives; earlier editions featured Alisson Becker, Ricardo Rodriguez and Andy Robertson. This one cuts deeper for American fans: it's a letter from the man who coached the USMNT through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, written to the son now wearing the shirt at the 2026 edition.
'The ball always seemed to follow you'
"From the very beginning, your life has been connected to this game," Gregg writes. "From growing up in Europe to back home in the United States, the ball always seemed to follow you. But what has always stood out to me was not just your talent, it was your genuine love for the game and how dedicated you were to getting better."
The elder Berhalter urges his son to soak up every bit of the experience — the anthem, the pressure, the privilege — before landing the line that gives the video its weight: "Together we get to share an experience that very few fathers and sons ever will. There's no way to explain how special that is."
Sebastian, who describes his dad as his best friend, is visibly emotional by the end. "Hopefully I can be half the father he is," he tells FIFA. "He's taught me everything I know and I just want to go make him proud." He adds: "To hear your dad say he's proud of you, it means a lot. It means everything. Thank you, man. I love you. I appreciate you. I wouldn't be here without you."
From coach's kid to World Cup midfielder
Sebastian's road to this roster ran through his own breakout, not his last name. He emerged as one of MLS's best midfielders with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025, and announced himself in a USMNT shirt with a goal against Uruguay in a November friendly in Tampa — earning his place under Mauricio Pochettino, the coach who succeeded his father. Now father and son get the World Cup moment neither got to share from the same sideline.
Watch the video, then watch the match downtown
The full video is on FIFA.com, and it's the emotional warm-up act for Friday night: the USMNT opens Group D against Paraguay at 9 p.m. ET from Los Angeles, the first men's World Cup match on US soil since 1994. Our full match preview covers the stakes and likely lineups. Downtown, Cosm Atlanta is showing the match pitchside in Shared Reality at Centennial Yards, the FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park opened the longest event in the park's history today, and you can expect packed houses at watch parties across the neighborhood.
Friday's match will mean a little more knowing what's riding on it in one American household.
Source: FIFA (Letters That Unite, June 9, 2026).
