Clint Dempsey invokes broken nose, heart procedures to show how much playing for USMNT in World Cup meant

Every subordinate representing their state successful the 2026 FIFA World Cup volition bash immoderate it takes to spot triumph connected the world’s biggest signifier successful soccer.

For the United States men’s nationalist squad (USMNT), it means a small spot much being that the World Cup volition beryllium played connected location ungraded this summer.

All 26 men who was announced to the authoritative roster cognize what’s astatine stake, arsenic the location fans are acceptable to cheer for the Stars and Stripes successful an accidental of a beingness for these players. In turn, Clint Dempsey, a three-time World Cup subordinate with the USMNT, believes this radical volition bash what helium did connected this signifier during his playing days.

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United States guardant Clint Dempsey plays against Belgium during the circular of 16 lucifer astatine the 2014 World Cup astatine Arena Fonte Nova. Belgium defeated the U.S. 2-1 successful overtime. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

"As you tin see, I’ve already gave my nose. Broke that. I’ve already travel backmost from 2 bosom procedures to effort to suffice for 2018 [World Cup]. There’s a batch of sacrifices radical marque to correspond their country. I deliberation there’s nary greater honor," Dempsey told Fox News Digital, portion highlighting his enactment arsenic a mentor for the "Abbott Dream Team," a programme from planetary wellness person Abbott and shot nine Real Madrid.

During the 2014 World Cup, Dempsey was deed successful the face, and humor rushed from his chemoreceptor which helium suspected to beryllium broken. He was correct, but that wasn’t figured retired until aft the match.

Dempsey, the team’s captain, led by illustration arsenic helium played done the symptom during the U.S. triumph implicit Ghana, 2-1. He scored the archetypal extremity conscionable 34 seconds into the match, and it didn’t substance an accidental shin deed him quadrate successful the face. He wasn’t leaving the pitch.

Then, Dempsey underwent 2 abstracted bosom procedures to lick an irregular heartbeat. The U.S. didn’t suffice for the World Cup successful 2018, but Dempsey tried his hardest to get backmost into that azygous to correspond his country.

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After all, it has ever been his imagination to play successful the World Cup for his nation, and adjacent if helium had done that already 3 times, helium was going to bash his champion to play again.

"As a kid , that’s what I prayed astir erstwhile I went to slumber – playing for my state and playing successful World Cups," helium added.

For immoderate connected the USMNT, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, this volition beryllium their 2nd clip having the privilege of doing so. For others similar Ricardo Pepi, Alex Zendejas and Sebastian Berhalter, their dreams volition beryllium fulfilled connected June 12 against Paraguay astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, California.

Clint Dempsey of the United States receives attraction for a chemoreceptor wounded during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Group G lucifer against Ghana astatine Estadio das Dunas successful Natal, Brazil, connected June 16, 2014. (Alex Livesey/FIFA/Getty Images)

But it’s overmuch much than conscionable stepping ft connected that writer and taking connected countries from astir the globe. The accidental to constitute this USMNT into the past books, connected location soil, is ever contiguous for the 26 men embarking connected this World Cup journey.

Dempsey knows this radical has what it takes to marque a run, and helium besides has implicit religion they volition instrumentality pridefulness successful their state and usage the location fans to their vantage conscionable similar helium would.

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While it’s astir the emotion of the game, the World Cup is besides a showcase of tremendous pridefulness successful wherever idiosyncratic comes from. For Dempsey, patriotism runs deep, and ever will.

"I was connected the podcast the different time with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, and I deliberation there’s nary truer happening to accidental than they were talking about, ‘If you were with a nine team, what nine squad would you person picked among each the teams you were with?’ I was like, ‘How astir we enactment it similar this, if you were going to hide maine successful a coffin, what jersey would I have? It would beryllium the U.S. jersey,’" helium said.

"So, that lets you cognize however I consciousness astir representing my state and however overmuch that meant to me."

THE ABBOTT DREAM TEAM

For the 2nd consecutive year, Dempsey is helping Abbott and Real Madrid with the "Abbott Dream Team," a programme encouraging young shot players aged 18-19 passim the U.S. to enactment successful a once-in-a-lifetime improvement acquisition with 1 of the champion shot clubs successful the satellite successful Madrid.

Selected participants volition beryllium grooming with Real Madrid’s coaches astatine the team’s facilities, portion bask unsocial experiences similar attending a lucifer astatine Bernabéu Stadium and gathering immoderate squad legends. Abbott’s wellness experts and Real Madrid’s aesculapian squad volition besides proceed providing those players with the latest advancements successful sports wellness and nutrition, helping them amended recognize their bodies, physique healthier habits, and scope their highest show connected and disconnected the pitch.

Clint Dempsey looks connected earlier the Concacaf Nations League semifinal lucifer betwixt the United States and Panama astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, Calif., connected March 20, 2025. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

"It’s awesome, man. Any clip you tin springiness backmost and springiness kids the accidental to pursuit their dreams, that’s what it’s each about," Dempsey said astir his relation successful this. "I person kids of my own, and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to assistance them execute their dreams, instrumentality them to each their shot practices, and springiness them the champion accidental imaginable to bash thing great. This is 1 of those things wherever you person a tryout, you person Real Madrid coaches present watching you, and nary substance what, you instrumentality thing distant from this experience.

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"Just being here, letting [the players] cognize this is important, and I’m arrogant of them for betting connected themselves and putting themselves retired determination to adjacent effort retired for thing similar this."

Other than Dempsey, Real Madrid fable Marcelo volition besides articulation this year’s Abbott Dream Team arsenic a mentor.

Tryouts person already taken spot successful Miami, Washington, D.C. and Houston, wherever Dempsey was connected Wednesday morning. There are inactive tryouts acceptable for Kansas City (June 2), Los Angeles (June 4) and Chicago (June 9).

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