Cap-Tim America: How USMNT’s World Cup captain, ‘grandpa’ defied Father Time

Tim Ream, now 38 years old, will captain the USMNT at the 2026 home World Cup despite nearly missing the 2022 Qatar tournament entirely. After being left off rosters for over a year, he was called up by coach Gregg Berhalter just weeks before Qatar 2022 while playing strong soccer for Fulham in the English Premier League. Ream initially hesitated to accept the late call-up, even considering a planned Disney World family vacation with his three children before ultimately rejoining the national team.