After years of representing his country with pride and touring all over the world to play for the Star and Stripes, FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson is headed to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States Men’s National Team.
Typically, the phrase “on the plane” is used for national team representatives abroad who travel with their nations to the World Cup. A player is “on the plane!” is something countries will even formally announce. But for Robinson and his United States teammates, that saying isn’t quite the same as FCC’s star CB and 25 of his compatriots are staying home – representing the United States in the World Cup on home soil.
An honor and privilege that few ever in professional soccer get.
“It means the world. It's definitely a dream come true to be in this spot,” Robinson said in a press availability at USMNT training in Atlanta, Georgia, ahead of their second and final pre-tournament friendly. “It's a lot of work and preparation that has led me here, so I'm definitely grateful for every step.”
Robinson represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has made 38 senior national team appearances since his debut in 2019. In 2022, the Arlington, Massachusetts native made six starts en route to helping the United States qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, but a ruptured Achilles tendon injury and ensuing surgery ruled him out of appearing in the big tournament.
Now, he’s excited to finally get that opportunity after being named to Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s final roster.
“It's definitely surreal,” Robinson shared in that media appearance earlier this week. “It's a moment I've been waiting for for a long time, especially after four years ago, not being able to play, so it's definitely something I've worked hard for my whole life. I'm excited to be a part of this group and help push this group in the right direction.”
“We’re thrilled that Miles will represent the USMNT at this summer’s World Cup,” FC Cincinnati General Manager Chris Albright said in a press release when Robinson was officially called up. Albright himself represented the United States at the 2006 World Cup. Though he did not appear in a match. “We’re incredibly proud of the work he’s put in to earn this opportunity. Miles is an exceptional player, teammate, and ambassador for our club, and we look forward to following him and the team this summer.”
Robinson has already appeared for the United States this summer, making a 45-minute appearance in the first pre-tournament friendly against Senegal on Sunday, May 31. He, along with the rest of the squad, is set to take on Germany on June 6 before finally opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Group D action where they’ll take on Paraguay, Australia and Turkiye.
The opportunity to represent his home on the world stage in a home World Cup is one Robinson says he covets perhaps more than doing so in any other venue. Bringing the globe to his home and seeing those blendings of cultures and passions is something he hopes will bring about positive change not just in America but for all those visiting as well. Robinson sat down with FCCincinnati.com prior to the start of the 2026 season to talk about this subject, and while he didn’t know then he would be representing his homeland, he still felt the positive force of a World Cup in the United States could be transformative.
“I think the power of soccer, or football, is a very uniting force,” Robinson explained. “I think that's what makes the game ‘beautiful,’ it’s that so many different cultures and people play it and understand it, and understand the beauty of it.”
“I think there's so much beauty in recognizing that there's so much more to the world than a lot of people think, and even just the people in the US, that are from the US that maybe don't understand soccer culture, if they can recognize the beauty in it, or can maybe reckonnize the passion it it – see the fans flooding the streets, or see the fans just really passionate and enjoying and celebrating who they are, and recognize, there is more to the world than just my life, and how I've been living it – and relate to that, and see ‘oh, these people are just loving life and celebrating just like me,’ that type of power that is, or can be, very transforming.”
One group Robinson feels particularly excited about and is inspired by is the youth of the United States, and their potential exposure not only to this high-level sport but also to the cultures of visiting countries. He explains that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was incredibly impactful for him personally, as a then-13-year-old Miles Robinson remembers watching the world’s game drowned out by the now-infamous Vuvuzelas.
Seeing how South Africa supported their home squad (known as Baffana Baffana, who, funny enough, are also making their return to the World Cup this Summer for the first time since hosting) intrigued and excited him to see how similar their support was to how he supported his teams; just in different ways.
So now, giving young people in 2026 the opportunity to learn about and cheer for their own nation at home, Robinson takes great pride in that responsibility.
“Just to be able to represent the youth of this country, that I think this could be very powerful for in their own right, that's kind of where I'll draw my inspiration at this point,” Robinson explained. “With where we stand as a country right now I would rather put faith in the youth and try to show them the truth of all aspects that I see. That type of truth can very much change the game and change how people see the world, so just even just being a person that grinds and fights for this country, grinds for their teammates, is a good example for them, that would hopefully give some of our youth some type of understanding or faith or a goal to look towards.”
So when the United States takes the field for the first time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday, June 12 in Los Angeles, California against Paraguay, Miles Robinson will be living out a dream by donning his home country, but he will also be representing all of his fellow Americans and all those who helped him to reach this point.
So, when the anthem plays for the first time, how will he feel, exactly?
“Probably some chills, you know, some type of understanding that a lot of the work that led me here was worth it, and recognizing that we've got a lot of work to do.”
