Tim Ream led the US team into the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup as the host nation beat Paraguay 4-1, thanks to an own goal, an impressive brace from Folarin Balogun and a last minute heroic attempt from Giovanni Reyna.
“This is more than a dream come true,” Ream said at a news conference Saturday alongside coach Mauricio Pochettino. “It’s the highest honor for me.”
The 38-year-old had given up on his soccer dream 3 years ago and now here he is. As the USMNT planned for Qatar, Ream planned a family vacation to Disney World. When his phone rang about the offer he had to make one of the hardest choices, Disneyland or soccer? He thought about disappointing his kids, who’d been talking for weeks about Disney.
“Is that something that I’m prepared to do, selfishly, to reach a goal of mine,” he asked himself, “and to make a dream come true?”, The New York Times reported.
“If this is such a big thing … are you really prepared to let it pass?” asked his wife. Tim reportedly looked her in the eyes and, said: “OK. I’m going to call [Berhalter] tomorrow. I’m going to go to the World Cup. And I’m going to play every single game.”
“He’s amazing,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino recently raved. “So lucky to have a player like him, with his personality and his character, involved and helping the young players.” Eventually Pochettino announced that Ream, now 38, will be the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup captain – “my captain”, the Argentine said.
Who is Tim Ream?
Ream, born and bred in St. Louis, took the longest of long roads to this grand stage. He rose from youth clubs, through high school, to Saint Louis University. After a four-year college career, the New York Red Bulls drafted him in the second round of Major League Soccer’s “SuperDraft.”
From there, after two pro seasons, he went to Bolton Wanderers in England. At Bolton and then Fulham, he spent more than a decade bouncing between the Premier League and the second tier, gradually asserting himself as an unremarkable but reliable defender. After nearly four years without a U.S. start, he worked his way into 2015 lineups. Then he fell away. Following the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, at age 31 in 2019, Berhalter brought him back but at 34 he asked out. When he received the callup this time, Ream couldn’t imagine letting go of this opportunity.
He now decided that Disneyland could wait, although breaking this news to the kids was the hardest part. They made their peace with it and Ream went to Doha instead of Disneyland, as per reports.
Ream is here, three and a half years later – stronger and better.
“You just feel that leadership, you feel the experience when he talks,” Sergiño Dest reportedly said. “Tim is that grounding force, he’s calm and all-knowing in a lot of aspects,” fellow U.S. defender Miles Robinson told The Athletic.
Ream, after today’s game, became the oldest player to ever appear for the U.S. at a men’s World Cup, making history. He has given this sport his all and continues to at the world cup.
(By Harini Oviya)
