The U.S. plays its first match of the World Cup on Monday against Wales. In downtime before the match, American players have been honoring the people that helped make the international tournament possible.
On Wednesday, the team invited almost 1,000 military and U.S. embassy members and their families to their morning training at Al Gharafa SC Stadium, the team’s official training site, in Doha, Qatar.
Midfielder Weston McKennie was one of the players who addressed the crowd.
“We’re very happy that you guys are here,” he said, according to Reuters. “We have anchors that we follow very closely — brave, diverse, relentless — and I’m 100% sure that these are qualities you guys have and show every single day.”
As the son of a U.S. Air Force veteran, McKennie grew up on military bases. When he met U.S. Soccer stars Landon Donovan and Carlos Bocanegra at age 6 during the team’s visit to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, he realized for the first time that he could play for the U.S. national team, according to U.S. Soccer.
“The sacrifice that you guys and your families made is incomparable,” he said.
While speaking to the crowd, goalkeeper Matt Turner discussed the importance of defending human rights, according to Reuters.
“We have anchors that revolve around change and being a team that’s outspoken against things that have come about in the United States,” he said. “I think it’s clear that we support human rights everywhere, and I think again it is just another one of our anchors.”
Qatar has come under fire for the working conditions and deaths of migrant workers in the country since it won the bid to host the World Cup in 2010.
Earlier this month, FIFA president Gianni Infantino sent a letter to all 32 participating countries, pleading with them to focus on football rather than politics and to “not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists,” according to ESPN.
On Tuesday, the U.S. team hosted a group of migrant workers who built the World Cup stadiums and facilities. They joined the workers in drills and small pickup games.
Players also signed autographs after the training.