Before Christian Pulisic was making headlines in Europe and American soccer was drawing real attention, John O'Brien was already doing it the hard way. He broke through at AFC Ajax in the late 1990s at a time when U.S. players rarely made it at that level and at his peak, several teammates considered him the best American the game had produced.
O'Brien earned his first senior cap against Austria on April 22, 1998, and went on to play a significant role for the national team across multiple tournaments.
He helped the U.S. finish fourth at the 2000 Summer Olympics, was a standout during the 2002 FIFA World Cup under Bruce Arena, and made the squad again for the 2006 World Cup in Germany before a lingering injury cut his tournament short after the opener against the Czech Republic. He never played professionally again after that.
Now, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, O'Brien has been speaking on what the current U.S. squad needs to get right before they step onto that stage.
O'Brien's Message to USMNT
During an appearance on Golazo America, O'Brien kept his advice grounded and direct.
"It's always managing pressure to start with the World Cup coming around every four years," O'Brien said. "And there are some simple things around that, where you're just trying to simplify as you get closer to the game. Pressure, sometimes for people, can make us want to try harder. It's kind of counterintuitive. What you actually have to do is not try harder. You have to let your nervous system be relaxed in that kind of calm, but activated state to perform well. Do all the things you do to try to get yourself in that state and enjoy it."
O'Brien also acknowledged how the scale of the World Cup changes everything around the game. The attention grows louder, every detail gets amplified, and the stakes feel bigger than anything these players face at club level.
But beneath all of it, he reminded them that the fundamentals don't change. Same field, same game, same habits, they've been building their whole careers.
The 2026 World Cup carries real weight for the United States, both as a host nation and as a team with something to prove.
There's growing pressure to make a deep run and beyond the results, the hope is that the tournament leaves a lasting mark on the sport in North America and brings in a new generation of fans.
