ONLY IN AMNEWYORK
HARRISON, N.J. — John Tolkin’s mind couldn’t help but wander as he sat in the stands at MetLife Stadium during the NHL’s outdoor game between the Islanders and Rangers on Sunday.
In two years’ time, in that very same building, the largest sporting event on the planet, the FIFA World Cup Final, will be held.
“I was just thinking of soccer fans being there and it’s going to be insane,” Tolkin told amNewYork. “For it to be right in our backyard, I mean, that’s really cool. The global game is coming here.”
There’s a good chance that Tolkin could be representing the Americans at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, which features eight matches in total at MetLife Stadium; the 21-year-old star defender for the New York Red Bulls continuing his ascent as one of the country’s best young talents.
Last season, the Chatham, NJ native set a Red Bulls franchise record for most assists by a homegrown player and defender with 10, paving the way for a first-ever MLS All-Star Game selection and call-up to the US national team. He recorded four caps (appearances) for the US, two of which came during the Gold Cup.
This year provides a massive chance to cement himself further on the national team’s radar as he’s likely to make the roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics — he’s been called into the United States Olympic camp three times since October.
He’ll be 24 at the start of the World Cup where his marauding brand of soccer plays perfectly into the United States’ attacking style.
“It’s a huge motivating factor. To be able to play in a World Cup in this country and if [the US national team] was able to play a game at MetLife Stadium, you can’t make that up,” Tolkin said. “That’s a dream come true. I wouldn’t have words to describe that. That’s motivation.”
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Tolkin needed a break after a 2023 campaign that brought an abundance of personal success.
He was a key reason why the Red Bulls made a 14th consecutive playoff appearance, but his franchise underwent two managerial changes in the span of five months. Gerhard Struber left the club in May amidst a miserable start and while interim head coach Troy Lesesne managed to turn things around, he was dismissed following New York’s fifth consecutive first-round exit in the MLS playoffs.
So when the opportunity arose, he took two weeks and went down to the Caribbean to reset.
“Last season felt like three seasons in one with the coaching change, where we were in the table,” Tolkin said. “I took some time off to detox and think about everything that had happened. It was a lot, but it was very relaxing… I turned the phone off, brought my drone with me, drank some pina coladas, and just completely detached myself from everything.
“As athletes, I think that’s super important. It’s non-stop for 10 months, so that’s what I did: a little bit of snorkeling, some stuff here and there. Two weeks was all I needed and I was back and ready to go.”
No plane or trip could help evade the continuously churning rumor mill, though.
Tolkin possesses the talent and skill to play in larger leagues in Europe. It’s not a question of if he’ll go, but when — a philosophy that the Red Bulls franchise itself has already accepted.
“Honestly, one day, his way will lead him to Europe,” Red Bulls head of sport, Jochen Schneider, said during his end-of-season press availability in November. “This is something he deserves. We as a club should enjoy every day he’s with us… I cannot say at what time he’ll leave the club but that day will come and we shouldn’t be sad. We should be happy for the time he’s spent with us. So we’ll see. I hope he will stay for a certain period of time with us.”
New York reportedly rejected a bid from German club, Mainz, over the summer. English clubs lurked, including the likes of West Bromwich Albion and Premier League side Sheffield United, during the offseason. RB Salzburg and Leipzig also remain options to keep it in the Red Bulls family.
It’s a dream of Tolkin’s to play in Europe — as it is for most soccer players around the world. He grew up supporting Everton, another Premier League club, and aspires to represent them one day.
“That’s my team,” he said. “I hope that one day that can happen but I’m an Everton fan and I grew up loving them and I just love everything about them.”
It is human nature to feel a let-down of sorts when a potential upward move or a life-long objective does not transpire. Obviously, Tolkin is not immune to such sentiments, too, but it’s not taking away from his focus on what is going on in New York with the 2024 MLS season just days away.
“As much as I’m fully focused here, that is what I want to do I want to go play over there and challenge myself,” Tolkin said. “If I retired tomorrow, I’d be upset with myself that I didn’t get the chance to play there. It’s a little disappointing but I think everything happens for a reason.
“Everything’s supposed to happen the way it does, in my opinion, and it’s hard being patient, but I’m focused here. If that’s a possibility in the future, I 100% want that. What I’ve done so far in my career is put my head down and work every day and it’s gotten to me where I’ve gotten so far so I’m going to continue to do that.”
The Red Bulls’ 2024 campaign kicks off on Sunday at Nashville SC.
