Soccer is not the most popular sport in Puerto Rico, but one member of the USA men’s team describes himself as “half Puerto Rican.” Sebastian Berhalter’s mother, Rosalind “Roz” Berhalter was born Rosalind Santana in New York and is of Puerto Rican heritage. Roz Berhalter won four national championships with the University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels women’s soccer team.
Sebastian Berhalter family and early life
Berhalter was born in London while his father, Greg Berhalter, was playing professional soccer. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, but his father played for teams in the Netherlands, England, and Germany, giving Berhalter a more international outlook. Greg Berhalter also played college soccer at the University of North Carolina before going professional. He played for and coached the U.S. men’s national team, with multiple appearances at the World Cup, and now coaches and directs the Chicago Fire. His touching letter to his son as Sebastian Berhalter prepared to play in the World Cup brought tears to Sebastian’s eyes. A FIFA video of his reading of the letter has had more than 20,000 views at YouTube.
Berhalter is a U.S. citizen even though he was born in London. The children of U.S. citizens who are born abroad are usually U.S. citizens. Berhalter is an U.S. citizen and therefore is eligible to play on the U.S. national team.
“Half Puerto Rican”
In an in interview at USASoccer.com, Berhalter answered the question, “What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?” with “I’m half Puerto Rican.” He has said on social media that his family did not speak Spanish at home, something true of many stateside Puerto Ricans, especially if their families have lived outside of Puerto Rico for multiple generations.
Behralter was invited to play for the Puerto Rico Soccer Federation, according to social media, but chose to join the national team. He made an important goal in the game between the USA and Türkiye in the 2026 World Cup.
