(NEXSTAR) - Sebastian Berhalter is competing for a roster spot on the United States men's national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Berhalter is looking to continue a family tradition established by his father, Gregg Berhalter, who was both a player and a coach for the national team. While many players in the current U.S. talent pool compete for clubs in Europe, Berhalter is one of the few national team contributors to play exclusively in Major League Soccer. He has spent the last five seasons playing for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Berhalter's connection to the tournament began as a child when he traveled with his father to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He noted that these early experiences shaped his career aspirations even though he was a toddler at the time. "Being there, not remembering that much, but just understanding how big it was, I think that's when I realized, okay, this is something I want to be a part of," Berhalter said. Before playing for Vancouver, Berhalter began his soccer career in Columbus, Ohio. He joined the local club during a period when the organization was establishing its identity. "I think it's just where I fell in love with playing soccer," Berhalter said. "I'm super grateful that I got to be in Columbus at that time when the Crew was trying to almost build their identity a little bit and kind of figuring out what the club was." Five years after starting his professional career for the Columbus Crew in the MLS, Berhalter received his first call-up to the national team in 2025. He appeared in nine matches for the United States during that year. Berhalter described the opportunity to play for his country as one of the highest honors a player can receive. "First playing for your country, but then even in your home country and playing a World Cup, there's only a select group that's ever done that," Berhalter said. Berhalter continues to vie for a roster spot as the 2026 World Cup approaches this summer. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published.