Soccer isn’t the most popular sport in Puerto Rico, but one member of the U.S. men’s national team calls himself “half Puerto Rican.” Sebastian Berhalter’s mother, Rosalinda “Roz” Berhalter, was born Rosalinda Santana in New York City and is of Puerto Rican descent. Roz Berhalter won four national championships as a member of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels women’s soccer team.
Family and early life of Sebastian Berhalter
Berhalter was born in London while his father, Greg Berhalter, was playing professional football. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, but his father played for teams in the Netherlands, England and Germany, giving Berhalter a more international perspective. Greg Berhalter also played college football at the University of North Carolina before turning pro. He played and coached the U.S. Men’s National Team, competed at multiple World Championships, and now coaches and manages the Chicago Fire. His touching letter to his son as Sebastian Berhalter prepared to play at the World Cup brought tears to Sebastian’s eyes. The FIFA video of him reading the letter has received more than 20,000 views on YouTube.
Berhalter is a US citizen, although he was born in London. Children of US citizens born abroad are usually US citizens. Berhalter is a US citizen and is therefore eligible to play for the US National Team.
Derivative US Citizenship in Puerto Rico? Not so fast.
“Half Puerto Rican”
In an interview with USASoccer.com, Berhalter answered the question: “What would people be surprised to know about you?” with “I’m half Puerto Rican.” He stated on social media that his family does not speak Spanish at home, which is true for many Puerto Ricans in the United States, especially if their families have lived outside of Puerto Rico for generations.
According to social media, Beralter was invited to play for the Puerto Rico Football Federation, but decided to join the national team. He scored an important goal in the game between the United States and Turkey at the 2026 World Cup.
