'Why not?' - Ream eyes another World Cup as USMNT resurgence continues
Amid a career renaissance at Fulham, Ream made his first World Cup squad at age 35 and went on to play every minute for the U.S. men's national team in Qatar.
It was a remarkable turnaround for a player who, prior to being selected for the World Cup roster, hadn't played for the USMNT in more than a year. But after the World Cup, the center back didn't harbor any illusions about running it back on home soil in three and a half years.
"I was 35 at the time. And I was thinking, 'OK, that was my one and only World Cup,'" Ream told reporters in the mixed zone on Wednesday.
The Charlotte FC defender was speaking after the USMNT defeated Guatemala 2-1 in the semifinal of the Gold Cup, a tournament in which the prospect of the veteran making yet another World Cup squad has grown ever more plausible.
Though many would have expected Mark McKenzie to partner Chris Richards at center back for the Gold Cup, Ream has instead captained the team and played every minute alongside the Crystal Palace man.
"Tim is a very experienced player," Richards said. "I've tried to learn a lot off of him over the last few years. And I think it's just our moment right now."
Ream put in another strong performance on Wednesday in his hometown of St. Louis, helping fend off a Guatemala side inspired by a crowd filled with its own supporters.
Playing home games in front of hostile crowds may have been new for some of the USMNT's inexperienced players, but Ream told his teammates that it's all part of the territory.
"The guys were actually asking me," Ream said. "They looked at me and they're like, 'What is that?'
"I said, 'Honestly, if we're playing Central American teams, that's just what you're going to get.'"
He added: "That right there is vitally important for the guys who haven't experienced it. I told them, 'This is Concacaf. This is what it is. So take a breath and get used to it.'"
Ream's experience and wisdom are important, but they wouldn't mean much if he wasn't also still contributing on the pitch. For the Gold Cup at least, Mauricio Pochettino has determined that Ream, even at 37 and no longer in the Premier League, is still the best option.
The USMNT isn't blessed with a plethora of center back options. Richards has entrenched himself as a clear starter but alongside him, the race appears to be open.
Suddenly, another World Cup doesn't seem like such a distant possibility for Ream, who will be 38 when the tournament kicks off in the United States next summer.
"The more I thought about it I was like, 'Well, why does it have to be [my only World Cup]?'" Ream said.
"Everyone else can try to retire me, but I'm still going, still playing. Why not? Why not continue on? Why not put that goal out there of getting to another one?
"So I did, and that's where I am. Whether I get there or not, it's not solely down to me I know, but it is solely down to me as well."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's presence at Chelsea's trophy lift was a fitting coda to a misguided tournament
For the first four weeks of the 2025 Club World Cup, there had been the danger that the tournament would soon be largely forgotten. There is no danger of that after the final. There had been unease after the 2022 World Cup final at the way Qatar inserted itself into the trophy presentation by draping a bisht over Lionel Messi, but at least the Emir kept his distance. Donald Trump, by contrast, placed himself front and centre of the celebrations – and he was soon joined by the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, who has a pathological fear of missing out, and must follow his great ally in all things. And so we were presented with a grimly perfect image of this misguided tournament, a celebrating football team struggling to be seen from behind the politicians who took centre stage. The confusion of Cole Palmer and Reece James at Trump's continued presence was clear. History, and not just football history, will not forget such shameless grandstanding, or Fifa's complicity in allowing football to be hijacked by a national leader. Advertisement Related: From Palmer and domes to Musiala and turf: Club World Cup winners and losers It was a day the ramifications of which will be sifted for years. As a footballing spectacle, it was remarkable, a game in which Palmer produced a performance to elevate him to global stardom, in which Robert Sánchez did much to quiet his many critics, in which Enzo Maresca announced himself as a tactician of the highest rank. There had been plenty of intrigue earlier in the tournament – Al-Hilal's last-16 victory over Manchester City and Real Madrid's capitulation in the semi-final perhaps most notably – but they had always been undercut by doubts as to how seriously each side was taking it. But PSG's determination to add the world title to the Champions League crown they won in May was obvious and, in the final, they were outplayed to a startling degree. Luis Enrique's side had essentially been untouchable since the turn of the year, not just winning games but looking sharper than opponents, on another tactical level. They had outclassed Madrid in the semi-final to the extent that the game was done within 20 minutes. Yet the final was lost by half-time as their left flank was repeatedly over-run. Khvicha Khvaratskelia, whose defensive work is usually so striking, didn't make a single tackle or interception (PSG's front three as a whole managed just one regain between them) and Fabián Ruiz was bypassed so that Nuno Mendes, who for a year has seemed obviously the best left-back in the world, was repeatedly exposed, sometimes to Malo Gusto but sometimes, more dangerously, to Palmer. Advertisement Related: Club World Cup dismissed as a Fifa 'fiction' by head of players' union Palmer produced one of the great final performances, scoring the first with a great finish, the second with a great finish after a dummied pass of almost comical effectiveness and then setting up the third with a barrelling run and perfectly calibrated pass for João Pedro. Perhaps PSG were disadvantaged by having played in the second semi-final; perhaps in the extreme heat an extra 24 hours of rest makes a huge difference. Still, it's been a long time since anybody has taken Luis Enrique's PSG apart like that – even if it took two exceptional saves from Sánchez to prevent PSG getting a second-half goal that might have made the denouement more anxious than it was. There have been plenty who have doubted Maresca's tactical approach, his apparent over-caution, his obsession with avoiding risk. But on Sunday, he clearly got the gameplan right. Using Pedro Neto as an auxiliary wing-back helped negate the forward surges of Achraf Hakimi but it was on the other flank, the way space was created for Palmer, that the game was won. These were moments that will define careers and, in so doing, offer legitimacy and prestige to the Club World Cup. As world champions, after a performance like that, with a squad of such depth, Chelsea have to be considered serious contenders for the Premier League title. But in the end, the football seemed an afterthought. There is always something uncomfortable to the European mind in the militarism of US sporting fanfare (which has begun, regrettably, to seep into the FA Cup final). Why was the Star-Spangled Banner played before kick-off? When has the host's anthem ever previously been played like that at a Fifa event? Why was there a fly-over of military planes? Advertisement By the trophy presentation, that had become something much more sinister. Was the US hosting football, or was football hosting the US? Or rather a particular vision of the US represented by Trump? Fifa has just opened offices in Trump Tower: Infantino's alliance with the president is both committed and alarming. And having pushed through his vision of the Club World Cup with all its flaws without meaningful consultation, what next for Fifa? Checks and balances simply don't apply any more.
New York Post
33 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump's shared FIFA Club World Cup celebration ‘confused' Chelsea's Cole Palmer
President Donald Trump's presence during Chelsea's FIFA Club World Cup victory celebrations Sunday at MetLife Stadium left star midfielder Cole Palmer 'a bit confused.' As the club commemorated its 3-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain, Trump stayed on stage during the trophy celebrations, typically reserved for team personnel, which baffled the 23-year-old. 'I knew he was going to be here, but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused,' Palmer said. 5 The U.S. president stayed on stage with the victors after their 3-0 triumph against Paris Saint-Germain. FIFA via Getty Images 5 Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer was 'a bit confused' over President Donald Trump's presence during Chelsea's trophy lift at the FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13, 2025. FIFA via Getty Images In footage of the festive scene, Palmer is seen standing beside his Chelsea teammates and Trump, 79, with lip-readers suggesting Palmer was asking why the U.S. president was still there. Trump, who took in the Club World Cup final in a suite with wife Melania and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, presented Palmer with the Golden Ball, which is given to the top player of the tournament. Palmer scored three goals throughout the competition, including two in Sunday's finale. 5 Cole Palmer in action for Chelsea at the FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13, 2025. Getty Images 5 Cole Palmer (10) received the Golden Ball prize from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and President Donald Trump. Getty Images 'To score the goals was a great feeling,' Palmer said. 'But I think the way the team showed fire, and obviously the gaffer's game plan was spot-on.' Entering Sunday, Chelsea hadn't played in a competitive match against Paris Saint-Germain since 2016. 5 Cole Palmer lifts the FIFA Club World Cup trophy while celebrating with teammates. Getty Images The club had plenty of support from the 81,118-person crowd at MetLife Stadium, many of whom backed Chelsea. 'We showed we were here to give it our all,' Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said. 'You can give a detailed plan to your players, but they need to execute it.' MetLife Stadium is one of the venues across North America playing host to the World Cup next summer.
Hamilton Spectator
42 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The sky's the limit when it comes to hospitality packages for 2026 World Cup
TORONTO - Tickets to the 2026 World Cup are now available for Canadians, although only for those willing to pay a premium. The first wave of tickets comes in deluxe packages, provided by On Location, FIFA's official tournament hospitality partner. They range from $2,500 for a single-game package to the sky's the limit. Canadians will have two other ways to get match tickets, without the frills. Canada Soccer is expected to unveil its revamped Canada Red program at the end of July, with different membership levels offering access to a lottery for Canadian game tickets. The more expensive the membership, the better the odds of getting a ticket. FIFA says its ticketing program, which has taken the form of a worldwide lottery in the past, will launch in the fall. On Location is willing to make your sporting dream come true, at a price. Leah Linke, senior vice-president of event production for On Location, recalls a Super Bowl package for a well-heeled client who requested brunch with former star quarterback Tom Brady in a two-level private suite with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. 'I can't divulge how much they paid,' she said. Starting Monday in Canada and Mexico, On Location offers a variety of World Cup packages, with the quality of seats and hospitality service improving as the price rises. 'We are not selling tickets. We are selling experiences of a lifetime,' said Linke. 'We all know you go through life, you collect all these materialistic things,' she added. 'But when it's all said and done, what we all end up with are memories. Memories of our families, memories with our friends. And that is what our goal is — to create memories, once-in-a-lifetime memories.' On Location offers single-match and venue series packages for all games. You can also curate your own package or follow your team in the early rounds (although not for co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S.). Different packages offer access to a variety of private lounges, ranging from $2,500 per person for single-match access to the so-called FIFA Pavilion (outside the stadium) to $5,350 for the in-stadium Pitchside Lounge, with several other options in between. Each package offers a ticket and access to the lounge three hours before kickoff, during halftime, and two hours after the final whistle. 'All you can eat, all you can drink,' said Linke. The higher the price, the better the seat, easier access to stadium and lounge, the more premium food, drink and entertainment and the better the gift that comes with the package. Private suites are also available, although On Location did not provide pricing. If money is no concern, On Location offers the 'Platinum Access Program.' Flights or helicopter needed? No problem. Looking to take the pitch after the game to take a penalty against a star goalkeeper? They can make it happen. 'This truly is the creme de la creme … The sky really is the limit,' said Linke. Linke boasts that On Location is partnering with Michelin-star and James Beard Award-winning chefs, plus a consortium of 'guest experience experts' and a 'team of mixologists.' She expects On Location to service more than a million fans across the tournament's 104 games at 16 different venues. The expanded 48-team competition features 13 games each in Canada and Mexico and the remaining 78 in the U.S. The 28th-ranked Canadian men will open June 12 at Toronto's BMO Field before shifting to Vancouver for its remaining group games June 18 and 24 at B.C. Place Stadium. Should Canada win its group, it would stay in Vancouver for the Round-of-32 game and, if it wins that, stay put for the Round-of-16 contest. On Location was originally spawned by the NFL, looking to take advantage of the secondary market. It was eventually purchased and expanded by Endeavor Group Holdings, formerly William Morris Endeavor and WME-IMG, in January 2020 for a reported US$660 million. Linke says On Location provides hospitality to some 36,000 on Super Bowl Sunday. It was also the official hospitality partner for the Paris Olympics. It will repeat the role at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. It also provides hospitality packages from everything from Major League Baseball and NASCAR to the UFC and WWE. On Location has already started selling tournament packages south of the border. 'And I've got to tell you, they are already flying off the shelf,' said Linke. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025
