Days after halting Lionel Messi and keeping Inter Miami scoreless in a stunning 3-0 victory in the Leagues Cup final in early September, Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan received a surprising phone call while on vacation.
«I answered in front of my wife, someone that has encouraged me and has given me a whole lot of confidence,» Roldan told ESPN. «I had to get on a flight about five hours later.»
Roldan was returning to the U.S. men’s national team for the first time in two years.
Nine months out from the World Cup at the time, he had yet to play for U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, and it wasn’t as if he was an up-and-coming prospect or playing for a major European powerhouse. «I always had a slight belief that I could make a [national team] return, but the belief was dwindling down, if I’m being honest,» he said.
Months later — make that weeks later — the MLS veteran went from the outside looking in to one of Pochettino’s unforeseen favorites in a roster filled with Europe-based stars. After the United States‘ 2-1 win over Australia last month, in which Roldan provided two assists, Pochettino praised the midfielder as a «perfect player.»
– How the USMNT combats jet lag: Fly kits, supplements, sleep masks
– As the World Cup approaches, can the USMNT impress in final tests of the year?
– MLS Cup playoffs Round 1 talking points: Messi, favorites move on
A member of MLS’ Best XI for 2025, Roldan is on the cusp of not only raising his stock even further when the U.S. plays friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay this month but also becoming an irreplaceable figure as he continues to fight for a roster spot in next summer’s World Cup.
Doing so would mark an incredible resurgence for a player whose national team chapter seemed to have already closed. It would also be a testament to the perseverance of the 30-year-old, who is still finding ways to evolve.
It’s 2015, and Roldan is at his first day of training with Seattle after being selected as the No. 16 pick in the MLS SuperDraft. The budding youngster from the University of Washington is likely still learning the names of his teammates, when suddenly …
«Ozzie [Alonso] just comes and just tackles the s— out of Cristian,» Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer told ESPN.
Alonso, a hard-nosed defensive midfielder who was 10 years older than the rookie on the ground, had read a quote in an article in which Roldan noted that he respected Alonso, but also wanted to one day take his place. The moment might have petrified other youthful signings, but this wasn’t the case for the eventual two-time MLS Cup winner.
«He came right back in training and still competed; [he] wasn’t in awe,» Schmetzer said. «Ozzie sent the message, but Cristian didn’t back down.»
Roldan soon became a favorite among his Sounders colleagues. In his early days at Seattle, he would cut his teammates’ hair. Easygoing, friendly and able to float between different groups and different personalities with his ability to speak both English and Spanish, he later solidified himself as a likable teammate off the field and in the starting XI.
He received his first call-up to the U.S. men’s national team in 2017. Matt Besler, a former USMNT player and five-time MLS All-Star, remembers the young 20-something who was getting his first opportunities at a national team level.
«You could tell right away he was mature for his age. He’s a professional. He shows up and trains hard, he pays attention. Smart player, competitor,» Besler said. «He was respectful and he was asking the right questions, but he also wasn’t afraid to kind of show off his personality.»
1:43
Pochettino explains Gio Reyna’s USMNT return
Mauricio Pochettino explains why he’s decided to recall Gio Reyna into his USMNT squad for the friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.
Roldan became a familiar face over the next few years, eventually earning a place on the United States’ 2022 World Cup squad. Then, in 2023, his dry spell began. After Panama stunned the U.S. in that year’s Gold Cup semifinal, in which Roldan’s last touch for the U.S. was a missed penalty in the shootout, the Seattle player’s lengthy absence from the national team began. By the 2024 Copa America, the U.S. had moved on to a midfield and attack that was composed entirely of players from European clubs.
With Roldan nearing his 30s and plying his trade in the more modest MLS, it seemed like a natural transition away from the national team spotlight. Roldan wasn’t the first or last aging player in the domestic league to lose his USMNT relevance. But during that time away, he found a new role at club level that changed his career.
Schmetzer moved the attack-minded winger to a more deep-lying central role last year when injuries plagued his gameday setup. «It was by necessity,» he said. «That’s when it blossomed, because it was new and it was different. He was soaking up information.»
At 30 years old, Roldan is now playing the best soccer of his career. He has shined in 2025 in multiple competitions such as the Club World Cup and Leagues Cup, in addition to MLS.
«I made the move to a deep-lying midfielder about a year and a half ago, and it’s worked out. The game has slowed down a whole lot for me,» Roldan said. «It allows me to use what I’m good at, and that’s hunting players down, that’s winning second balls, that’s being aggressive, communicating, being a leader, using my voice a whole lot more, organizing the group.»
At the Club World Cup, a tournament in which outside expectations for Seattle were low, the Sounders and Roldan were competitive against globally recognized giants such as Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid.
«The Club World Cup made me believe that I can play at a higher level. It made me believe that there’s more that I can give to the sport,» said Roldan, who scored against Botafogo. «Even at 30, I can get better and sustain that.»
«If you look at Cristian’s individual performances against three of the best teams in the world, he didn’t look out of place. He actually looked better than a lot of players,» Schmetzer said. «That really helped his confidence, and I think he said it after those games, he said to himself, you know, I can play with these guys. I can actually play with some of the best players in the world.«
Two months later, he was shutting down Messi & Co. in the Leagues Cup final. After the 3-0 thrashing of Inter Miami, and with plenty of momentum behind him in a stellar 2025, the Seattle captain earned his long-awaited return to the USMNT.
When speaking to Roldan about his renaissance that led to his return, there was one word that kept emerging from the player who has now received his third consecutive call-up to the national team: confidence.
«I think that’s the way I have handled my call-ups,» Roldan said. «Not taking them for granted and going out there and having the most confidence and belief in myself that I was going to make an impact.»
That impact was on full display in the USMNT’s latest game. Starting alongside prominent names such as AC Milan‘s Christian Pulisic and Juventus‘ Weston McKennie against Australia last month, Roldan was the star of the show thanks to his two assists, as well as two dangerous shots that nearly found the back of the net.
«I think in the past, maybe I lacked that confidence when I was with the national team,» the Seattle captain said. «To be myself.»
As a fellow MLS lifer, Besler knows plenty about the importance of having that self-belief within a USMNT structure that houses plenty of star names from abroad. In the 2014 World Cup, Besler started in all four matches for the national team.
«The narrative for a lot of my playing generation was you had to be in Europe in order to get called in. That was sort of the narrative and the stigma, if you weren’t playing in Europe, then you weren’t good enough to play with the national team,» said Besler, a Sporting Kansas City legend. «I think you quickly realize there’s a lot of good players, and every league’s a little bit different. Some leagues probably are better than others, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. … Everybody’s here for a reason.»
The same could be said of Roldan. Praised by his teammates and Pochettino for the mentality that he brings, the midfielder is a well-liked member of the locker room. As the U.S. continues to build its identity ahead of the World Cup — «Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast,» Pochettino recently wrote on a whiteboard — Roldan is a key aspect of that off-the-field culture.
«It’s also great to have guys like Cristian here, he’s amazing for that type of stuff,» goalkeeper Matt Freese told media on Monday when discussing the team’s identity.
2:04
Gomez: Pochettino right to contradict himself with Reyna recall
Herculez Gomez backs Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to recall Gio Reyna to the USMNT, despite a lack of minutes at club level.
Roldan knows he can be an asset no matter what role he receives. There is no sense of possible jealousy or frustration over playing time with the USMNT. He knows that if he’s selected for the World Cup, there are no guarantees with minutes being given. «Whether I’m playing or not, I want to help the team,» he said.
As seen last month though, he could still help the team as a member of a starting XI. «As I’ve gotten older, and I’ve been part of many teams that have won championships, I’ve understood that sometimes your best XI doesn’t win you a championship. There are times where the best team will. … I think coaches understand that piece,» he said.
«Look, I don’t want to be known, especially with the national team, known as just a player that is known for his off-the-field stuff, right? I’m a professional soccer player. I want to be known for winning games, being part of big teams, big moments. I want to be on the field kicking a player.»
Just a few months after that life-changing call, he’ll now have another opportunity to do so in November. With just one more international break after that in March before the World Cup, the next two games could cement his roster position if he can provide more of those big moments. And Roldan is well aware of how rapidly fortunes can swing in your favor in those moments.
«Sometimes in soccer, it can change so fast, whether negatively or positively, and this is a moment in time where it has changed drastically in a positive way for me,» he said. «I’m riding the wave. I’m enjoying the moment, I’m taking advantage of the moment, and hopefully I can ride this high into the World Cup.»
