2026 World Cup last in New Jersey is additional inspiration for Gregg Berhalter

For U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, having the 2026 World Cup last played in New Jersey includes another layer of reward.

Berhalter grew up not far from MetLife Stadium, the location that will host the champion match of the broadened 48-nation, 104-game competition.

“If there wasn’t inspiration currently to shot to get to the last, there’s a little bit of additional inspiration now to be playing, possibly 15 minutes away from where I grew up, in a World Cup last,” Berhalter stated in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday. “It would truly be a dream come real … We actually desire to make the nation proud.”

FIFA granted the July 19 last to the home of the NFL’s New York Jets and Giants, which opened in2010 It will cap the veryfirst competition spread throughout 3 countries, with Mexico and Canada hosting 13 matches each.

The U.S. group will train at their nationwide training center in rural Atlanta ahead of the World Cup and play their opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June12 Sticking to the verysame time zone, the Americans play 7 days lateron at Seattle’s Lumen Field and surface the group phase at SoFi on June 25.

“I wear’t think we might have went incorrect,” Berhalter stated. “We’re going to have excellent home assistance.”

Since reaching the semifinals of the veryfirst World Cup in 1930, the U.S. has innovative to the quarterfinals simply assoonas. That occurred in 2002 with Berhalter being part of the group that lost 1-0 to Germany in South Korea.

The benefits of playing at home with their core of gamers — led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, all still in their mid-20s — are alluring for Berhalter, who coached the U.S. to the last-16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

That’s where Morocco had a stirring run to the semifinals, endingupbeing the veryfirst ever African group to reach that phase in the competition. Berhalter desires his group to objective high.

“If you believe of Morocco before the last World Cup, you understand, anything can occur, best? You get into the semifinals, you’re one videogame away from the last,” Berhalter stated. “The variety in our group is precisely what America is. And that’s the appeal of our group … You hope that Americans see themselves in our group. And, when they see us play, they can determine with our group.”

As host, the U.S. won’t be playing World Cup qualifiers. The group will be hectic this year with 2 competitions, the CONCACAF Nations League and the Copa América, both at home.

They are the protecting champs of the CONCACAF competitors, dealingwith Jamaica in the semifinals on March21 Mexico and Panama will play in the other semifinal videogame. At the Copa América, they will play Bolivia, Panama and Uruguay in the group phase.

Berhalter verified that protector Sergiño Dest will be on the lineup for the Nations League regardlessof being suspended for the match versus Jamaica.

“I’m not sure for this group to continue to establish that we requirement World Cup qualifiers now,” Berhalter stated. “It’s about how do we beat the finest of worldwide soccer.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.