USMNT captain Tim Ream says team's World Cup mindset is simple: 'Let's win the thing'

Tim Ream talks to Fox News Digital about his journey to being on the roster, how playing in his home country will feel and more.

Tim Ream, the U.S. men’s national team captain, is thinking big for the World Cup, and doesn't care who knows.

Ream, 38, said that there is no reason to shy away from embracing the team’s goals: winning it all.

"The mindset is let's win the thing. Let's win the World Cup," Ream told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

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United States defender Tim Ream reacts after the game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on May 31, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

"I don't think there's any reason to shy away from saying it, and every team will want to win, right? And there's no reason for us to shy away."

The United States reached the Round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup despite being an inexperienced group, and Ream said the team wants to build on that experience. Ream said the team has taken on the mindset of trying to win it all from the first day of training.

For Ream, the process of being selected for the World Cup squad was different from 2022. In 2022, he said he had none of the buildup and made the team after a last-minute call, while this year it felt like time was crawling.

The St. Louis native called it a relief to make the team.

"I would say it was relief this time around. It was such a long drawn-out — I wouldn't say process, but it just felt like the weeks were going by so slow until that announcement," Ream said.

United States defender Tim Ream passes the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose, Calif., on June 15, 2025. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

"I dropped everything and called my wife, and I choked up.