Clint Dempsey on 2026 World Cup USMNT roster and representing America

Every player representing their country in the 2026 FIFA World Cup will do whatever it takes to see victory on the world’s biggest football stage.

For the USA men’s national team (USMNT), it means a little more that the World Cup will be played at home this summer.

All 26 men announced for the official list know what is at stake as the home fans are ready to cheer on the Stars and Stripes in an opportunity of a lifetime for these players. In turn, Clint Dempsey, a three-time World Cup participant with the USMNT, believes this group will do what he did on this stage during his playing days.

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“As you can see, I’ve already given my nose. Broke it. I’ve already come back from two heart procedures to try to qualify for 2018 [World Cup]. There are many sacrifices people make to represent their country. I think there is no greater honor,” Dempsey told Pakinomist Digital while highlighting his work as a mentor for the “Abbott Dream Team,” a program of global health leader Abbott and soccer club Real Madrid.

During the 2014 World Cup, Dempsey was hit in the face and blood poured from his nose, which he suspected was broken. He was right, but it was only calculated after the match.

Dempsey, the team’s captain, led by example as he worked through the pain during the U.S.’s 2-1 win over Ghana. He scored the first goal just 34 seconds into the game, and it didn’t matter that a random shin hit him square in the face. He didn’t leave the field.

Dempsey then underwent two separate heart procedures to address an irregular heartbeat. The United States did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but Dempsey tried his best to get back in that uniform to represent his country.

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After all, it has always been his dream to play at the World Cup for his nation, and although he had already done it three times, he would do his best to play again.

“As a kid, that’s what I prayed for when I went to sleep – to play for my country and play at the World Cup,” he added.

For some on the USMNT, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, it will be their second time having the privilege to do so. For others like Ricardo Pepi, Alex Zendejas and Sebastian Berhalter, their dreams will come true on June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Clint Dempsey of the United States receives treatment for a nose injury during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Group G match against Ghana at Estadio das Dunas in Natal, Brazil on June 16, 2014. (Alex Livesey/FIFA/Getty Images)

But it is much more than just setting foot on that grass and welcoming countries from all over the globe. The opportunity to write this USMNT into the history books, on home soil, is ever-present for the 26 men embarking on this World Cup journey.

Dempsey knows this group has what it takes to make it and he also has every confidence they will do their country proud and use the home fans to their advantage just as he would.

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While it’s about the love of the game, the World Cup is also a showcase for immense pride in where someone comes from. For Dempsey, patriotism runs deep and always will.

“I was on the podcast the other day with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, and I think there’s nothing truer to say than when they talked about, ‘If you were with a club team, out of all the teams you were with, which club team would you have picked?’ I thought, ‘How about putting it this way, if you were to bury me in a coffin, what shirt would I wear? That would be the American jersey,” he said.

“So that tells you how I feel about representing my country and how much it meant to me.”

ABBOTT’S DREAM TEAM

For the second year in a row, Dempsey is helping Abbott and Real Madrid with the “Abbott Dream Team,” a program that encourages young soccer players ages 18-19 across the United States to participate in a unique development experience with one of the best soccer clubs in the world in Madrid.

Selected participants will train with Real Madrid coaches at the team’s facilities while enjoying unique experiences such as attending a match at the Bernabéu Stadium and meeting some team legends. Abbott’s health experts and Real Madrid’s medical team will also continue to provide these players with the latest advances in sports health and nutrition, helping them better understand their bodies, build healthier habits and reach their peak performance on and off the pitch.

Clint Dempsey looks on before the Concacaf Nations League semifinal match between the United States and Panama at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on March 20, 2025. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

“It’s great, man. Anytime you can give back and give kids the opportunity to chase their dreams, that’s what it’s all about,” Dempsey said of his role in this. “I have my own children and that’s what I try to do. I try to help them achieve their dreams, take them to all their football training sessions and give them the best possible chance to do something great. This is one of those things where you have a trial period, you have Real Madrid coaches here watching you and whatever, you take something away from this experience.

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“Just being here and pretending [the players] know this is important and I’m proud of them for betting on themselves and putting themselves out there to try something like this themselves.”

In addition to Dempsey, Real Madrid legend Marcelo will also join this year’s Abbott Dream Team as a mentor.

Rehearsals have already taken place in Miami, Washington, DC and Houston, where Dempsey was Wednesday morning. There are still tryouts for Kansas City (June 2), Los Angeles (June 4) and Chicago (June 9).

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