USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has found extra motivation to guide his team to the 2026 World Cup final, after finding out the game will be played in his own backyard.

Soccer’s elite international tournament is heading to the USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026, with FIFA chiefs announcing on Sunday that the final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

And incredibly for Berhalter, who will lead the US men’s team on the biggest stage possible, that venue is just a short drive from where he grew up in Englewood.

‘It would really be a dream come true. ‘We really want to make the country proud.’

MetLife is located just outside of New York City and plays host to two of NY’s three NFL teams in the Jets and Giants, along with a handful of other major events through the year.

USA manager Gregg Berhalter has found extra motivation to reach the World Cup Final in 2026

The final is being held in MetLife Stadium, 15 minutes from where he grew up in Englewood

However, Berhalter’s USA team will begin their World Cup journey with games on the opposite coast, after it was announced they will play two group stage games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and one at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

‘I don’t think we could have went wrong,’ Berhalter said. ‘We’re going to have great home support.’ 

The US boss then highlighted Morocco’s miracle run to the semifinals of the last World Cup as an example his team should be trying to emulate on home soil.

‘If you think of Morocco before the last World Cup, you know, anything can happen, right?’ Berhalter said. ‘You get into the semifinals, you’re one game away from, from the final.

‘The diversity in our team is exactly what America is. And that’s the beauty of our group. You hope that Americans see themselves in our team. And, when they see us play, they can identify with our group.’