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The U.S. men's national team wasn't at full strength during one of their final training sessions at the newly opened Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Atlanta, ahead of their departure for the first of two pre-World Cup warm-up matches against Senegal in Charlotte.
On Friday, just 24 of the 26 squad members took to the field. Chris Richards, who celebrated a Europa Conference League triumph with Crystal Palace earlier that week, had arrived at the facility, but it was Brenden Aaronson's absence that drew more attention—he was getting married.
The Leeds United midfielder had been considered a borderline pick for the World Cup roster throughout much of the season, which meant the tournament schedule hadn't played a major role in setting his wedding date. As a result, he needed to seek manager Mauricio Pochettino's approval to step away from camp to exchange vows.
He departed on Thursday, wed on Friday, and is set to return on Saturday. None of his teammates were present, but the plan was for Gio Reyna's wife, Chloe, to FaceTime the rest of the national team squad as he married his fiancée, Milana D'Ambra, his partner since their teenage years.
"We don't know if it's a no-phone wedding," midfielder Cristian Roldan told reporters. "We're trying to get clarity on that. Gio's wife will be FaceTiming in, and we'll all be able to watch a livestream if it is a phone wedding. We'll see. We're still trying to get confirmation on that. One of the guys will put it on their laptop, and it's right around dinnertime, so we'll all enjoy that together."
While stepping away from camp for a wedding is uncommon, leaving the USMNT for a significant personal milestone isn't unprecedented. A decade ago, in the buildup to the 2016 Copa América held on U.S. soil, a teenage Christian Pulisic skipped a training session to attend his high school prom. Two years back, center back Mark McKenzie got married in the lead-up to the 2024 Copa América.
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The contrast between a prom and a wedding perfectly encapsulates this generation of the USMNT. For many of these players, the national team journey has spanned more than a decade, evolving from promising youngsters into established World Cup regulars.
"It's not the easiest thing, but you make it happen," McKenzie told FOX Sports of Aaronson. "I'm really happy for him. I've known B since we were 10, 11 years old, so to see him get married now ... he still hasn't grown any facial hair."
With years of experience behind them, hardened by time with the national team and in professional football, there's genuine belief that the USMNT can achieve something remarkable on home turf this summer, beginning June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Before that, however, there are vows to be made—even if FIFA rules will require Aaronson to remove his new wedding ring before stepping onto the pitch at the World Cup and in the lead-up friendlies, beginning with Sunday's encounter against Senegal.