The Curious Case of Sebastian Berhalter: From Almost Quitting to USMNT Stardom

As the U.S. men’s national team looks to name its next permanent captain after Tim Ream's retirement, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter is in the conversation given his newfound status as a core player over the past 12 months.

Now 25, Berhalter has been a late-bloomer of sorts, becoming a USMNT regular at 24 and establishing himself this year, when he played in every one of the team’s games at the 2026 World Cup.

This fall, he’s elevated into an even more prominent role in defensive midfield and on set pieces, scoring two goals and a pair of assists in wins over Chile and Peru to open the September-October international window.

The son of former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, the midfielder was always going to carry the weight of his family name. Yet he’s lived up to it and more; he’s now a star with EFL Championship side Middlesbrough after taking the long road through the Columbus Crew academy, a loan to Austin FC and a meteoric rise alongside German legend Thomas Müller with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

“He can play from the left, can play from the right, can play like a midfielder, box-to-box, but also holding midfielder; he can play as a No. 10, from different positions and he’s always very happy to do anything for the national team,” said U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino after the win over Chile. “To have a player like him is priceless.”

Suddenly, a player who once struggled to carve out a role in MLS at the same age as many of his youthful, teenage USMNT compatriots is one of the best players the U.S. can lean on. How has Berhalter suddenly become such a cornerstone?

The Early Days with Columbus Crew, UNC Tar Heels

Berhalter’s first foray into professional soccer came with the Columbus Crew, when his father managed the team from 2013 to 2018, before taking charge of the USMNT. Berhalter joined the Crew’s academy at 12 and suited up for various age-group teams—often alongside Middlesbrough and USMNT teammate Aidan Morris—103 times, hitting the back 11 times as a more defensively-focused player.

After his time in the Crew academy ended in 2019, Berhalter moved on to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he played 16 games alongside another future MLS talent Jack Skahan, who is now a midfielder with the San Jose Earthquakes.

While Berhalter has always brought intensity and beaming energy to his teams, as his UNC manager Carlos Somoano noted, his breakout wouldn’t come for several years after he re-entered the professional setup.

Finding His MLS Footing

Sebastian Berhalter made his MLS debut in the COVID-19 pandemic | Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Unlike many standout NCAA talents, Berhalter didn’t have to go through the MLS SuperDraft to return to the league, as the Crew already held his rights. In January 2020, he inked a homegrown player deal with the Crew before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out any hopes of a regular rookie MLS season.

After months of waiting, Berhalter made his professional debut on July 11, 2020 against FC Cincinnati at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando. He went on to win the MLS Cup as a rookie under Wilfried Nancy, making nine appearances in total.

The next year, Berhalter wasn’t in the Crew's plans and eventually joined Austin FC in 2021.

Almost Quitting at Austin FC

Making his way to Los Verdes for the club’s inaugural 2021 campaign, Berhalter didn’t settle in easily. He was 19 at the time, playing away from home in a true professional setup for the first time, while his father was embroiled in controversies over the USMNT’s lack of success and a fallout with the Reyna family.

Berhalter described the lack of routine as a struggle in Austin, and admitted he thought he could have been “the worst player on the field” when he looked at the talent around him.

Those struggles, and the single assist he posted in 651 minutes across 18 games, made him consider leaving the sport altogether. Few, including himself, would have thought he would rise to USMNT stardom a half-decade later.

“Going to Austin, I didn't have a lot of routines and processes. I was kind of just playing, and [it was] the first time in my career where I really looked around and thought, you know, I might be the worst player on the field right now,” he revealed in a previous interview with MLS.

“And that was a reality check a little bit. I almost wanted to quit soccer, because it was like, this is terrible. And I’m so thankful that Vancouver took a chance on me, because there was no reason to—I’d just had a terrible season in Austin.”

The Vancouver Move Changed it All

After the 2021 season ended, Berhalter wanted an exit plan. At the same time, the Vancouver Whitecaps were looking for young players to develop through their MLS NEXT Pro system and rise to prominence at the top level.

With a history of developing young players, highlighted by Alphonso Davies’s development, the Whitecaps paid Austin FC $50,000 in General Allocation Money for Berhalter’s MLS services, kickstarting the move that would change Berhalter’s trajectory, personality and profile.

In his first season, Berhalter played 18 games with the Whitecaps but struggled to find a consistent role under Vanni Sartini, logging 1,024 minutes in a big step up while balancing time in a new country and jumping between the first and second teams.

Sebastian Berhalter strikes it so sweetly for 🖐.

His first MLS goal puts the icing on the cake tonight for #VWFC. pic.twitter.com/xSNd43qLHW
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 1, 2023

Now in his 20s, Berhalter was tasked with elevating his game, his strength, fitness and overall preparation. Sartini, previously a manager in the Whitecaps academy with a track record in youth development, pushed him forward gently before moving him into greater prominence.

In 2023, Berhalter improved to two goals, a pair of assists and 1,295 minutes across 28 games, scoring his first goal against the Houston Dynamo and helping the team claim a second Canadian Championship title—one of four he won in Vancouver.

Promoted Under Vanni Sartini in 2024

The 2024 season marked the first year Sartini began trusting Berhalter as a consistent starter and shifted him closer to defensive midfield, largely giving up on his progress as a wide player. There, he enjoyed his first breakout season and formed a potent midfield partnership alongside Paraguayan star Andres Cubas, behind Ryan Gauld and Brian White’s attacking prowess.

Berhalter’s season included another Canadian Championship, and he made 18 starts in 31 appearances, with two goals and five assists, marking his first jump to over 1,800 minutes. This was the season when the noise around a potential USMNT call-up began percolating, fueled by his last name, his intensity and the set-piece and long-shooting ability that began to show more consistently.

The Whitecaps fell in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs to LAFC, ending Sartini’s time on the touchline. Yet, the next move pushed Berhalter on further.

Jesper Sørensen’s Elevation and a Dream Season

The 2025 season is where everything truly changed for Berhalter and the Whitecaps. Under new manager Jesper Sørensen, largely unknown at the time, the American became a key starter from the start of the season and continued to flourish alongside Cubas.

His long-range shots and set-piece ability took on greater importance when Gauld, previously the team’s talismanic leader, went down with a knee injury in a March matchup against CF Montréal, keeping him out for most of the season. It meant the Whitecaps needed energy and leadership, two marquee qualities Berhalter brings.

Sebastian Berhalter seals it for the Whitecaps! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mjr8RMPSus
— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) May 1, 2025

He played a critical role in helping the Whitecaps reach their first Concacaf Champions Cup final, recording three goals and two assists in eight games. Unfortunately, yellow card accumulation kept him out of the final, and the Whitecaps were lost without him, falling 5–0 in Mexico City as he looked on from the press box, facing the thousands of fans who had made the trip.

Thomas Müller Enters the Chat

Thomas Muller, Sebastian Berhalter — Thomas Müller (left) became a formative person for Sebastian Berhalter (right) | Rich Lam/Getty Images

Vancouver and Berhalter took the Champions Cup loss in stride, though. It led to the eventual sale of Pedro Vite, a player brought in with a similar elevation and transfer goal as Berhalter, and the Whitecaps remained at the top of the MLS Western Conference through the spring.

That’s when the possibility of Thomas Müller, the 2014 World Cup champion and Bayern Munich star came into the picture. Led by former Bundesliga sporting director Axel Schuster, the Whitecaps sold Müller on an MLS move after his European farewell, and his talents, presence and experience further pushed Berhalter.

The two became quick friends; with Berhalter’s German background, they often played golf, attended NHL games and enjoyed other off-field activities. Müller even pushed Berhalter into the USMNT conversation, repeatedly mentioning his talents.

Berhalter ended the 2025 season with four goals and 12 assists in 29 MLS games, with a career-high 2,296 minutes. His talents led the Whitecaps to the MLS Cup final, where they fell to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.

“Thomas is rare in the fact that he wants to win every time he’s on the field. He gives 110% and wants people to be better. Some guys come into the league, put up their numbers and go about their business,” Berhalter told DARBY Magazine of the Müller bromance. “He actively seeks out others to help and improve their game. That’s been the coolest thing—he’ll go to 19-year-olds or 32-year-olds and say, ‘Hey, let’s work on this,’ or ‘What do you think of that?’ He’s even come to me showing clips from games and saying, ‘Let’s look at a couple of these.’

“It’s surreal. As a football fan, you think, wow, this guy really cares. I’ve already asked him how I can be better and what steps I can take. Him doing little things like that means a lot—hopefully I can just keep learning from him.”

USMNT Calls Start to Come in 2025

Sebasitan Berhalter — Sebastian Berhalter starred at the Gold Cup and in the 2025 November friendlies. | Michael Pimentel/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Amid Berhalter’s 2025 breakout and the Whitecaps run to MLS Cup, he earned his first USMNT call for summer friendlies and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. He made his debut in a July friendly against Switzerland in Nashville, then tallied two assists in the Stars and Stripes’ run to the Gold Cup final, where they fell to Mexico.

In a group stage match against Saudi Arabia, he gave the first glimpse of a now common sight for the USMNT, serving in a free kick for Chris Richards to head in, a moment which now stands far more consequential than it felt at the time.

While the Gold Cup didn’t end in glory, Berhalter enjoyed an even grander USMNT breakout in November, when he scored and assisted in a 5–1 beatdown against Uruguay, establishing himself as a key piece in Pochettino’s 2026 World Cup vision.

2026 Brings the Next Step: The World Cup and Europe

Going into the 2026 season, it was evident that Berhalter’s time in Vancouver was limited. He had just one year left on his contract, and the Whitecaps had a history of letting players go when they wanted to move on. He stayed in extension conversations in Vancouver before the two sides decided it was best to see what the summer transfer window could bring.

In MLS, the Whitecaps and Berhalter hadn’t skipped a beat. He returned to his electrifying best, scoring at an incredible clip with six goals and seven assists in 14 regular-season contests, earning a call to Pochettino’s World Cup squad.

Few realized Berhalter’s May brace in a 3–2 win over FC Dallas would mark his final goal contributions in Vancouver’s colors.

By the time the summer roster decisions came around and Christian Pulisic’s health struggles emerged, Berhalter had established himself as a potential key piece of the USMNT’s plans in midfield and on set pieces. He impressed with 45 minutes in the tournament opener against Paraguay, helped shut down Australia’s late-game push in a 16-minute showing and then scored his first World Cup goal in the group stage finale against Türkiye.

With his energy in the squad, it became clear that he could be a key piece for the USMNT moving forward. His performances also caught Middlesbrough's eye, and they signed him from the Whitecaps for a $2 million transfer fee. The MLS club opted to cash in on the expiring player rather than hold him for a trophy push.

Berhalter teared up in his Vancouver farewell.

Berhalter’s start has gone swimmingly in the U.K., with two goals and two assists in his first 10 games for Middlesbrough alongside fellow USMNT talents and former Crew teammates Morris and Max Arfsten.

That form has translated right to the international stag this fall and has earned incredible praise. For Berhalter, though, it was far from a smooth ride to this point, and he doesn’t share much with the squad’s teenage prodigies beyond a hopeful outlook for the USMNT's future.

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