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Tim Ream, the captain of the US men’s national team, is thinking big for the World Cup and he doesn’t care who knows it.
Ream, 38, said there’s no reason to avoid embracing the team’s goal: winning it all.
“The mentality is to win. Let’s win the World Cup,” Ream told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview.
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U.S. defender Tim Ream reacts after the game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Image Images)
“I don’t think there’s any reason to avoid saying it, and every team will want to win, right? And there’s no reason for us to avoid it.”
The United States reached the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup despite being an inexperienced group, and Ream said the team wants to take advantage of that experience. Ream said the team adopted the mentality of trying to win it all from the first day of training.
For Ream, the process of being selected for the World Cup team was different than in 2022. In 2022, he said he had no preparation at all and made the team after a last-minute call, while this year it seemed like time was moving slowly.
The St. Louis native considered it a relief to be part of the team.
“I would say this time it was a relief. It was a very long process; I wouldn’t say a process, but it felt like the weeks were going by very slowly until that announcement,” Ream said.
U.S. defender Tim Ream passes the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose, California, on June 15, 2025. (Jeff Chiu/AP)
“I dropped everything and called my wife, and I choked up. I’m not going to lie. There was a little bit of relief and that release of pressure and the thought of, okay, everything you’ve done is worth it, right? Everything you’ve been through, all the decisions you’ve made between 2022 and now, it’s been worth it.”
Ream said playing in the United States for the World Cup adds some additional meaning, but the expectations are the same regardless of where they play.
“I think it definitely has a little different meaning. I don’t think the pressure or the expectations change. I think some people get it a little wrong, which is that it’s a World Cup. It doesn’t matter where you play it. It’s a World Cup. The expectations and pressure will be there,” Ream said.
“The difference is that hopefully, and we would love to, we will have stadiums full of American fans and people from all over the country supporting us. To feel that energy and that excitement in every city we are in.”
Ream said he wants to make sure he enjoys the moment, absorbs as much as he can and sees how far the team can go.
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Defender Tim Ream performs during the United States men’s national soccer team roster announcement in New York City on May 26, 2026, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Eduardo Muñoz Álvarez/AP)
At 38 years old, Ream has not thought about whether this would be his last World Cup, but he recognizes his age and what awaits him.
“I’m not really thinking about it yet. I said after 2022, oh, that’s probably it. And here I am sitting here again in 2026. So, I haven’t really thought about it. I’m not stupid, I know that at 38 years old I’m already past what most people would consider a major (player) or someone who can be here regularly after this,” Ream said.
“I’ve done so much to put myself in this position of being part of this group, of being part of a World Cup at home, that I’m not even thinking about what happens next. I think once the World Cup is over, then I’ll think about where I go from there.”
Good night
About one in six children experiences bedwetting between the ages of 3 and 12, and Ream experienced bedwetting until she was 11 years old. It teamed up with Goodnites, an underwear brand, to show kids who might feel isolated or embarrassed by bedwetting that it’s a common part of childhood and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
“(As) someone who’s been through this,” Ream said. “I don’t need to feel ashamed, that doesn’t define who I am. It doesn’t take away from what they dream of doing or their future.”
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U.S. defender Tim Ream controls the ball in the first half at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Image Images)
“It’s about inspiring kids. It’s about helping parents, like I said, and reminding families that bedwetting is a common part of childhood and nothing to be ashamed of.”
Ream is a father of three and said he and his children will use Goodnites in bed to help protect their confidence and normalize the experience.
“It’s really as easy as saying, ‘Hey, listen, guys, we’re going to use this tonight. It’ll protect you. You’ll sleep well at night. It’s nothing I said, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. And it really was the best. You’d wake up feeling good. We wouldn’t have nighttime wake-ups where we were all struggling to try to calm people and kids down and get them back to sleep,” Ream said.
