St. Louis, Tuesday afternoon. Tim Ream is home, sitting in front of reporters in the city where he grew up, and he is about to end 16 years with the U.S. men’s national team. “That’s it for me,” he says.
The 38-year-old defender, captain of the national team at this summer’s World Cup, announced his international retirement ahead of the friendly against Chile at Energizer Park, where a ceremony honored his 86 caps. Thirty-two of those came wearing the armband, Goal reported. Sixty of the 86 arrived after his 30th birthday, according to AOL.
“The kids are getting younger and younger”
Ream had said before that he would not leave the national team until he left the game altogether. He explained the change of heart with a line that drew a smile: “the kids are getting younger and younger, and I don’t mean my own kids.”
The decision, he said, was not sudden. It was discussed before this camp, and everyone agreed he would no longer be part of the squad. The word they settled on was “recognition,” though he admitted nobody was sure how to label it. “I’m proud of being a part of something for 16 years,” he said, “but it is time to step away and stay away from playing with the national team.”
A career with gaps
It was never a straight line. Ream debuted in November 2010 and collected seven caps across 2010 and 2011. Then came a pause until 2014, none at all in 2018, and 14 caps in 2019. A surprise recall followed for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he went straight into the starting lineup. Among outfield players, only DaMarcus Beasley has a longer stretch between first and last cap, Goal noted.
He played at two World Cups and lifted the CONCACAF Nations League in 2020 and 2024. This summer he captained the team and started four of five matches until the Americans lost to Belgium in the Round of 16 on July 6 in Seattle. AOL also noted he was part of four national teams that reached the Gold Cup final.
Asked for a single favorite moment, he refused to pick one. “It’s what makes the journey the journey,” he said. The last four years, he added, were the most enjoyable he has spent with the team.
What comes next
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino praised him as “humble enough,” always defending teammates “but always with empathy” for the coaching staff. The team now needs a new captain, and Pochettino said the search would begin. AOL named former Red Bulls player Tyler Adams as one possibility.
Ream still plays club soccer for Charlotte FC. His plans there are open. “We want to try to win a trophy,” he said, and any decision would wait until “the last ball is kicked.”
Sources
- 'Part of something for 16 years' – 2026 World Cup captain Tim Ream announces retirement from USMNT | Goal.com India
- USMNT captain Tim Ream retiring from international soccer after 16-year run – AOL
