United States midfielder Sebastian Berhalter has signed with English Championship team Middlesbrough after moving from the Vancouver Whitecaps, as confirmed by both clubs on Tuesday.
Berhalter’s contract with the MLS side was set to expire at the end of 2026, and he has transferred to England’s second division for an undisclosed fee. Vancouver will retain a percentage of any future transfer involving Berhalter.
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The 25-year-old contributed to all five U.S. matches in the recent FIFA World Cup, making his sole start in a group-stage defeat against Türkiye, where he scored a goal and provided an assist.
After coming on as a substitute in the U.S. round of 16 loss to Belgium, Berhalter did not make any further appearances for the Whitecaps.
“This is where I want to be,” Berhalter stated in a Middlesbrough announcement. “I am eager to continue improving as both a player and a person, and this is a fantastic place for that.”
Berhalter joined the Whitecaps from Columbus Crew in February 2022, making a total of 167 appearances and contributing 20 goals and 34 assists across all competitions.
At Middlesbrough, he will reunite with former Columbus and USMNT teammate Aidan Morris.
“I’ve been following the club closely over the last couple of years because of Aidan, and I’ve really come to admire them, particularly in the past year with their style of play and determination,” Berhalter remarked.
The son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, Sebastian was recognized in last year’s MLS Best XI after helping the Whitecaps reach the MLS Cup final, where they lost to Inter Miami.
“Through his development at our club and his consistent performances, it was only expected that Sebastian would receive attention from multiple clubs,” stated Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster. “We maintained open discussions with Sebastian and his representatives regarding his future. It was clear that if the right opportunity in Europe arose, he wanted to seize that challenge. However, we also understood that if the timing wasn’t right, we would continue collaborating on his long-term future with our club.”
Berhalter joins a Middlesbrough team that narrowly missed out on the Premier League this season after losing to Hull City in the Championship playoff final in May.