IRVINE, Calif. – A glorious and bright Tuesday in Orange County brought with it a special contingent to take in portions of U.S. Men’s National Team training as the group continues preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage showdown with Australia on Friday, June 19 at Seattle Stadium.
Joining the cluster of media and broadcast members were friends and family of USMNT players. Tim Ream’s children ran on the patch of grass just outside of where the training pitch was blocked off for the team. Tina McKennie, one of the stars of the second episode of the HBO Documentary “U.S. Against The World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team,” watched practice with a proud smile, filming her son, Weston, as the midfielder warmed up with his teammates.
The close-knit, supportive atmosphere at the Orange County Great Park reflects what it’s been like for the U.S. to host FIFA World Cup 2026. Having a base camp in Southern California has given more family and friends access to offer their support and create that comfortable feeling of being close to home.
“Being here has been amazing,” forward Tim Weah said. “You have your loved ones and family around, you have your teammates around, and you have your supporters. There’s nothing like being at home. It’s definitely a wonderful feeling.”
“Our driving factor, in most people’s careers, is the family and their support system, and being able to see them makes all this worth it, being able to share this wonderful moment in our careers with our family,” fullback Antonee “Jedi” Robinson said. “Seeing them kind of distracts us from the pressure that we might face. [Enjoying] our time when we get the right chance to has been amazing.”
Feeling right at home extends to the group of 26 players donning the Stars & Stripes in this year’s tournament. Many of these U.S. players have spent years together as part of the program. Thirteen are returnees from FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, and several played together on U.S. Youth National Teams. More time spent together over the years means that the players know each other pretty well. “We’re at a point where everyone is best friends,” Weah said on Vanity Fair’s Quiz Show with Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie.
With family as a touchstone for the U.S. in this year’s tournament on home soil, here are a few specific connections highlighted during FIFA World Cup 2026 so far:
Alex Freeman
Excelling in football runs in Alex Freeman‘s family – only, his father excelled at a different form of football. Antonio Freeman is a Hall of Famer who spent all but one season of his nine-year professional career with the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL).
So, what kind of valuable wisdom does a Super Bowl winner impart on his 21-year-old son competing in his first FIFA World Cup? According to Alex, his father counseled him on one aspect specifically in his pre-game speech:
“He knows that being myself has gotten me to this point, so why change that?” Alex said. “Continue to do what you’ve been doing, consistency, be able to eat right and be able to make the choice to be 100 percent in the game knowing that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
That consistency paid off for the U.S. in the incredible 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 12 to open Group D. Freeman earned a spot in head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI, marking the defender’s FIFA World Cup debut and 18th career cap. He played a full 90 minutes and squeezed in an assist on midfielder Gio Reyna’s stoppage-time stunner in the final moments of full-time. Freeman finished the match as co-lead in interceptions (two) and tied for second-most duels with 14, flanking a defense that thwarted an aggressive and feisty Paraguay side.
For Freeman, being the youngest member of the U.S. World Cup squad speaks to his incredibly rapid rise. Roughly one year has passed since Freeman made his debut with the senior team on June 7, 2025. Since then, he was selected to the MLS AllStar Team, the MLS AllStar Skills Challenge, and the MLS Best XI as a member of Orlando City SC. He made the move from Major League Soccer to play overseas in Spain’s top-flight league and saw minutes in nine matches for Villarreal in La Liga’s regular season.
From Orlando to eastern Spain, to international friendlies and now a FIFA World Cup, the youngster has experienced soccer in a variety of places and at a variety of levels – all before his 22nd birthday.
“It’s being able to be consistent and dealing with adversity, knowing that I’ve been in different environments and situations,” he said. “It’s how can I be consistently good, consistently solid, consistently making a difference. That’s something that I’m going to have to resonate, especially now in the World Cup, in another different environment. It’s about how can I be consistently able to help my team in whichever way I can.”
Weston McKennie
Talking to midfielder Weston McKennie‘s father might suggest he and Antoino Freeman are in close confidence. Similar to Antonio’s advice to his son, John is a big believer in consistency when it comes to his son Weston’s second FIFA World Cup cycle.
“My expectations for Weston is to do what he’s consistently done, which is go out and give 100%, be respectful, and have fun with the game,” he said. “I hope that his team rallies behind him, that they play as a cohesive unit and leave it all out on the field.”
John’s advice to his son has certainly resonated. As one of the most versatile members of the group, Weston has always been willing to give 100 percent and play whatever position is needed to help his team. Off the field, Weston brings good energy, one of the “vibes guys,” according to teammates. Even prior to training today, he showed up in the back of the mixed zone, beaming as he listened to his teammate Sebastian Berhalter answer questions from reporters, quite impressively, in German.
Furthermore, Weston and his father both seem aware of the long-term effects that FIFA World Cup 2026 on home soil will have on a rising generation of Americans. Watching a tournament of this scale and magnitude will turn many people toward the sport of soccer. As Pochettino said after the match against Paraguay, the U.S. is “adding more fans” to the sport during this summer’s tournament, shown clearly and heard loudly in the country’s united, energetic support.
The exciting moments and impressive goals this summer will ignite a nation and a whole new generation. For parents with kids who will watch and participate as soccer catches fire in America, John offers the following advice:
“The best advice that I give them is don’t push it on your kid,” he said. “Let your kid have fun with it. If they want to do it, let them do it. For Weston, it was like, ‘Anytime you feel like this is not fun for you, man, you can stop, just let us know.’ He had other outlets as well, other sports, other activities that he liked to do, so it wasn’t just soccer 24/7.”
Sebastian Berhalter
Four years ago, USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter was in the stands at FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. He watched the U.S. compete from the perspective of an onlooker, and after the final whistle, he waited for his father, Gregg, the then-head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team to meet him in the stands.
Four years later, the two Berhalters have traded places.
This summer, Sebastian is the Berhalter on the pitch, in the thick of it, wearing the U.S. crest. His father, a former USMNT defender who played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, has taken the position of supportive family member, rooting for his son and his teammates from the stands, just as he did Friday night at Los Angeles Stadium for USA-Paraguay.
Sebastian entered the match at halftime, replacing starter Christian Pulisic who took a knock to the calf. With his cap, Sebastian and Gregg made history, becoming the second father-son duo to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team at a FIFA World Cup. The first family to have a father and son represent the USMNT were the Reynas, Claudio and Gio.
The moment after Friday’s match when Sebastian met his father in the stands was one the 25-year-old called “special,” especially coming off his FIFA World Cup debut and a soaring win in front of a high-energy crowd. That special moment comes days after another one when Sebastian received an emotional letter from his father. Gregg told his son how proud he was, reflecting the depth of their relationship and the historic marker the two have made on the U.S. program.
“The letter was unexpected,” Sebastian said. “When you hear the words that your dad is proud of you, it means a lot.”
Tim Weah
Generally regarded as one of the all-time great African soccer players, there’s one accomplishment George Weah, father to USMNT forward Tim Weah, was never able to fulfill in his 18-year career as a professional soccer player.
Playing in a FIFA World Cup.
George’s home country of Liberia never allowed the 1995 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year winner to show his talents on the global stage. Instead, for former President of Liberia has experienced the competition through the eyes of his son, who returns for his second FIFA World Cup this year after previously representing the U.S. in 2022 in Qatar.
Tim entered the match against Paraguay as a substitute and in 18 minutes, plus stoppage time, completed 100 percent of his passes in the final third and was part of the passing sequence, working off Freeman, that led to Reyna’s stunner that sealed the USA’s exciting 4-1 win.
“He’s honestly living in the moment, living his World Cup dream through me,” Tim said of his father. “It’s a wonderful feeling, being able to [have] my family here with the National Team in the World Cup. He’s loving every moment. He’s going to be at every game. Hopefully, I can make him proud.”
Originally from Queens, New York, Weah has gotten some extra motivation from watching one of his hometown teams lift a trophy this past week. He celebrated enthusiastically when the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals, the first title for the Knicks in 53 years, igniting a “Broadway bedlam” throughout New York City.
The Knicks captured the league title on the heels of the USMNT winning its group stage opener, a soaring feeling that the Weah hopes to carry over into the team’s next group stage match on June 19 in Seattle.
“It’s something we’ve been dreaming about for a long time,” Weah said the atmosphere at Los Angeles Stadium for the opener. “Seeing that pop off was amazing. Having that energy in the stadium… it was beautiful.”
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