Seattle is where I grew up, so making my way up the walkway on Monday with thousands of fans from all over the world reminded me why the World Cup is unlike any other sporting event. Different languages, different jerseys, different traditions. Everyone was headed to the same place for the same reason.
Pele called it the beautiful game, and this is exactly why. It's not just the 90 minutes on the field. It's everything surrounding it. At a time when so much of the world feels divided, the World Cup creates moments where people from every corner of the globe come together to celebrate something joyful.
One of the things FIFA has done well is bringing former players, coaches and even legendary referees back into the tournament. It’s also what the World Cup invites to the world as fans. Each of us from different countries, cultures, ages, backgrounds.
That's part of what makes a World Cup feel like a reunion. You reconnect with old teammates and rivals, swap stories, and remember that no matter where we came from, soccer has always been the common language. We all celebrate. Together.
There’s another reason the World Cup captures our imagination every four years. It’s the impossible dream. The underdog dream. Cape Verde won hearts with its fearless performances. Norway arrived with thousands of supporters creating the unforgettable Viking row. All is possible. All belong. If you believe.
Then there are the iconic super stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić. You can see how much this tournament still means to them. Relies on them. Dreams with them. You can feel the pride their countries have in everything they have accomplished. Even after all they've achieved.
As for the United States, our last match against Belgium was tough. But I still believe in this team, and I still believe in Mauricio Pochettino. He stayed level-headed through the highs and the lows, and that's exactly what a national team coach needs to do. This group played some beautiful soccer for much of the tournament before running into a team that outmatched them in experience and execution. The loss to Belgium stings, but the USMNT and we should be proud.
American soccer has grown tremendously, but we still have much work to do.
The disappointment of seeing the World Cup continue on without the US and watching other teams, better than us, continue on. That hurts. But big picture is we gotta lose to win. It’s a process. And it’s a long road measured by World Cup cycles. But the good news is the USMNT is one step closer to accomplishing what we all want so badly. For the men to be best in the world. One day.
Keep dreaming. And believing. Dreams do come true.
