U.S. Men's National Team legend Tim Ream has announced his retirement from international competition, just months after his uncomfortable encounter with President Donald Trump.
Back in June, Trump called the USMNT to wish them well ahead of their FIFA World Cup opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Andrew Giuliani, the Executive Director of the White House's Task Force for the World Cup, opened the conversation, saying: "I'm standing in front of 26 champions and a great coach... They're ready to go and run through a wall."
After Giuliani handed the phone to head coach Mauricio Pochettino, Trump wasted no time in lavishing praise on the manager. "I just called to say you're a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach," the POTUS said, as per The Mirror US . "I think you've got a real good chance of going all the way."
-Credit:Taylor Banner/USSF, Getty Images
Pochettino welcomed the generous words, responding: "Thank you so much for your support, Mr. President. We're going to do everything to make you proud and all the people here in this country."
However, Ream, who was seated directly beside Pochettino, chose to remain silent throughout the exchange and did not acknowledge Trump.
More than three months after his peculiar encounter with Trump, Ream confirmed he would step away from international soccer, drawing the curtain on his 16-year tenure with the USMNT. The 38-year-old accumulated 86 caps with the Stars and Stripes, 60 of which came on the heels of his 30th birthday.
"I know I've said in the past that I won't retire from the national team until I retire completely from the game," Ream told reporters in his hometown of St. Louis ahead of a ceremony honoring his USMNT tenure.
"But the kids are getting younger and younger. And I don't mean my own kids. ... It is retirement. ... That's it for me. And I'm proud of being a part of something for 16 years. But it is time to step away."
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Regarding what's next for Ream - who signed with Charlotte FC in August 2024 and has played in MLS the past two years - the seasoned center back verified he would reach a determination on his club future after the season.
"I always maintained that once I hit 37, 38, then it would be a real conversation about retirement," Ream added. "I think as you start to get towards that time, it's definitely harder to say the word, even though you know you're pretty close.
"And it's just kind of giving yourself a runway and an understanding of how the rest of the world works, not just how the soccer and playing world works. And so that's kind of been, especially since the World Cup ended, like kind of figuring out, 'Hey, how much longer do I really want to do it?' You know, can I continue to do it?
"Yeah, I still feel physically, I feel good. But do I want to do it? Do the long hours before a training session match the time that it takes to recover after a training session?
"So I've kind of just kind of taken each day and week as it comes along. But I know that I'm much closer now than I was six months ago to being finished completely, and we'll see."
