Tim Ream Gets His Flowers, Reflects on 16-Year Journey
The 38-year-old center back announced his retirement from international soccer and was honored prior to the match between USA-Chile in his hometown of St. Louis
ST. LOUIS – Tim Ream looks uncomfortable even thinking of saying the word, “retire.” It makes him shudder, as if he’s trying to shake something irksome off his shoulders.
The 38-year-old prefers to use the word “finished,” which is how he described his closure with the U.S. Men’s National Team. After accumulating 86 caps, Ream decided now was the right time to hang up his international boots and lower the curtain on his career with the National Team.
“I’m proud of being part of something for 16 years, but it’s time to step away and stay away from playing with the National Team,” he said.
His career with the USMNT spans 16 years, starting with his debut on Nov. 17, 2010 in a 1-0 win vs. South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, and concluding at the USMNT’s Round of 16 appearance against Belgium in FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 6 in Seattle, Wash.
DaMarcus Beasley is the only field player in USMNT history to have a career spanning longer than Ream’s.
“It’s long overdue that he’s finally gotten his flowers,” center back Chris Richards said of his former teammate Ream. “He’s been the main focal point of this team. Obviously, we’re going to miss him because of his experience, but what he brings off the field as well as a lot of wisdom and even some youth to him. It’s crazy to say that when he’s pushing 40, but he definitely has a lot of youth to him. It’s something we’re definitely going to miss for this team.”
This past summer, head coach Mauricio Pochettino named Ream captain for the USMNT for the FIFA World Cup. When the U.S. manager made the announcement at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in front of media, Ream didn’t seem to fully expect it and got emotional at the responsibility and meaning of the appointment.
“It’s always going to be an amazing part of my career because to meet a person like him, the human being and everything, [he] was massive for me to adapt here to the USA culture,” Pochettino said. “He was humble enough. He was always defending his teammates but had empathy for us in helping with every single decision… he fully deserves all the honors and recognition that he’s going to receive in his hometown and in the country.”
What Ream modeled for the U.S. was not only leadership but longevity. Of his 86 caps, 60 came after the age of 30. As the fourth most-capped member on the U.S. squad that competed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, the defender wasn’t sure if he could make through the next four-year cycle.
But he made it his goal to reach 2026 – and he achieved it. He went on to start four of the USA’s five matches in a memorable World Cup run that captivated the hearts of so many Americans. Ream played a full 90 minutes in all four appearances and became the oldest field player to appear in a FIFA World Cup in program history.
“To be a part of something that is so much bigger than you, at the end of your career, it gives you a really big appreciation for all the time and effort put in – not just of yourself and the time that you put in yourself, but the time that that your loved ones don't get with you, the time and effort that they put in to help you get to reach those goals,” he said.
The decision to retire came after several conversations once the U.S. closed its chapter on 2026 and kicked off a new cycle toward FIFA World Cup 2030. Ream, who turns 39 years old on Oct. 5, realized the transition was the right time for him.
“The kids are getting younger and younger,” he said. “And I don’t mean my own kids.”
There was clear proof of that on Ream’s recognition night at Energizer Park. The U.S. Men’s National Team had two young players make USMNT history for their contributions – Red Bull New York forward Julian Hall became the youngest player to score a goal in each of his first two caps, and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mathis Albert, at 17 years and 131 days old, became the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history.
The historic night was a fitting setting for Ream, who grew up in St. Louis, the site of the USMNT’s most recent win, a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Chile. Ream was born and raised in the city and played college soccer at St. Louis University. Earlier this week in St. Louis, he joined Soccer Forward, New York Life, Missouri Youth Soccer Association and Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Louis to bring more opportunities to local youth at the Matthews-Dickey Clubhouse.
He left St. Louis when he was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in 2010. After spending nine seasons at Fulham FC in England, Ream returned to MLS and signed with Charlotte FC in August 2024. The Queen City is where Ream currently plays club soccer and will continue to do so, saying he hasn’t made a decision on when he will say goodbye fully to the sport.
“The full focus is on the fact that we're sitting in fourth at a minute,” he said. “We're pushing to move a little bit further up the table, trying to get that third or that second spot, and focus on the playoffs. Once the season finishes, then you figure it out from there. But that won't be a decision made or vocalized until after the last ball is played.”
As someone whose international career covered two distinct decades, and many USMNT eras, Ream has a unique perspective on how he’s seen the sport change. One aspect he’s noticed is more people pay attention to soccer. The game has “evolved,” he said, amassing more fans and drawing more eyeballs, evidenced this summer when USA-Belgium, a game that Ream captained, became the most-watched soccer game in American history with more than 30 million viewers.
“There’s so much more attention on the players themselves and the sport,” he said. “It drives players to continue to improve themselves on a daily basis.”
Ream’s 16-year international career has featured many highs, as well as some he calls “bumps in the road.” He departs the international scene having represented the U.S. at two World Cups. The defender played every minute in all four matches for the U.S. in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, leading the backline to two shutouts. He also was a part of two Concacaf Nations League championships in 2019 and 2023.
When asked if there was one moment in particular that came to mind, Ream refused to name just one. To do so, in his opinion, would be a disservice to the whole journey.
“I would say the whole thing,” Ream said. “You can break down years, you can break down cycles, you can break down managers. And at the end of the day, they’re all part of the same thing. They’re all part of the 16 years. They’re all a part of whether I was left out, whether I was in every camp, whether I was in, sometimes not. It’s what makes the journey the journey.”
As a husband and father to three children, and many more rescue pups, Ream said that what he’s most looking forward to now is more family time. Stepping away from international soccer means getting the chance to spend more time at home, returning some of what he’s borrowed from his family while they were supporting his career, as he explains:
“I’ve missed so much of my kids’ sporting events. Being away not just for club but you’re away for weeks with country. Just being able to go to a swim meet on a Saturday and watch my kid swim all day and be a cheerleader is something I'm looking forward to.”
