Gregg Berhalter has more than two years to prepare the U.S. men’s national soccer team for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place on home ground. It’s a long runway without the hazards of qualifying but with heightened expectations for a program overdue for a global breakthrough.
His plans will play out at training camps, international tournaments and one-off matches, such as the one announced Tuesday: a June 8 friendly vs. Colombia at FedEx Field.
But his work is also taking place in the basement game room of a downtown Washington beer hall, next to a row of Pop-a-Shot and Skee-Ball machines, where Berhalter answered questions and posed for photos with a few dozen soccer fans Tuesday.