U.S. Soccer CEO: Winning World Cup Bid Will Boost Sport's Status in North America
*By Christian Smith*
Young American soccer fans feeling left out of the World Cup excitement this year have a new ambition, as FIFA voted Wednesday to hold the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
"Now the 12-year-old to the 25-year-old has the opportunity to know that if they play at the highest level and make their National Team, they'll have an opportunity to actually play in a World Cup on their home soil," the former U.S. forward and three-time World Cup veteran Brian McBride said in an interview with Cheddar. "There's no better experience than walking out on that field with your badge, the crest on you, and know you're representing your country."
The prospect of contending for soccer's quadrennial championship on home soil in eight years provides some consolation for missing out on the 2018 tournament in Russia, and it may signal the start of U.S. Soccer's international comeback.
The last time the World Cup was played in the United States, in 1994, it catapulted the national team's success and the popularity of the sport. The success of that tournament helped launch Major League Soccer, the country's professional soccer league.
The opportunity to host another World Cup, this time with neighbors Mexico and Canada, represents a rare chance for U.S. Soccer to grow the sport for the second time in a generation.
"I think the real key day in all of this is the day after the 2026 World Cup, what does our industry look like," said Dan Flynn, CEO of the U.S. Soccer Federation. He added that the World Cup creates new revenue opportunities for all three federations, and that money can be invested in developing better, more competitive players.
American soccer isn't the only thing growing. The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32. They will play a total of 80 games, with 60 of them scheduled for the United States. As part of their bid, the three North American nations pledged the tournament would generate $11 billion in revenue. The three federations could make as much as $50 million each, based on estimates.
Diplomatic disputes ー including President Trump' executive order barring most visitors from several Muslim-majority countries ー raised concerns among some countries about the North American bid, but Flynn said it was never a real issue.
"People want to talk about that and bring it into play, but the reality was this was about our sport," Flynn said. "I think it's a really good example of where our sport is really a sport that can bring people together."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/u-s-wins-joint-bid-to-host-world-cup-in-2026).
After two incredibly close games, the Super Bowl matchup is set. On February 13th, at the SoFi stadium in Inglewood, California, the Los Angeles Rams will face off in their home stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals. After 54 Super Bowls where a home team never hosted the game on its field, it will now happen for the second year in a row, after Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs last year. Speaking of Brady, ESPN dropped a bombshell of a headline Saturday that Tom Brady was set to retire after 22 seasons and seven rings. To discuss all the latest NFL news, Anthony Tall, President of Miracle Sports Group, joins Cheddar News.
In January alone, the gaming sector has seen three major acquisitions. Yesterday, Sony added to the flurry of M&A activity in the gaming space, snatching up game developer 'Bungie' for $3.6 billion dollars. Renee Gittins, executive director at the International Gaming Developers Association, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
NFL legend Tom Brady says he is done playing football after 22 seasons. Cheddar News speaks with Trey Wingo, Chief NFL Analyst at Pro Football Network, about Brady announcing his retirement.
Greg Bishop, Senior Writer for Sports Illustrated, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says Tom Brady's legacy is all about 'progress' and expects the future Hall of Famer to bolster his entrepreneurial ventures following his retirement.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been a driving force for youth mentorship since 1904. The nonprofit organization is launching its annual Big Draft campaign this month in partnership with the NFL, and Artis Stevens, the first Black CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, joined Cheddar to discuss the push for adding more "Bigs" as mentors on his one-year anniversary leading the non-profit organization. "While the NFL is recruiting and drafting more players, they're also helping us to draft more mentors and, particularly, men all the way from across February to all the way to April of this year," Stevens explained.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Jim Riordan, Director of the MBA Sport Management program at Florida Atlantic University, breaks down the successes, failures, and chaos of the first seven months of the Name, Image, Likeness policy in college athletics; Adi Kunalic, President of Opendorse, discusses the first-ever association-wide deal in college athletics between Opendorse and the NAIA, and how Opendorse is marketing and educating student-athletes to make the most of their NIL deal potential; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Predicting a Pro'.
Jim Riordan, Director of the MBA Sport Management program at Florida Atlantic University, joins Cheddar Reveals to break down the successes, failures, and chaos of the first seven months of the Name, Image, Likeness policy in college athletics.
Adi Kunalic, President of Opendorse, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss the first-ever association-wide deal in college athletics between Opendorse and the NAIA, and how Opendorse is marketing and educating student-athletes to make the most of their NIL deal potential.
With the Beijing Winter Olympics set to get underway on Friday, Dan Wolken, a national columnist for USA Today, joined Cheddar News to break down the big storylines as the pandemic and international conflicts threaten to cast a cloud over the event that is aspirationally seen as a beacon of international cooperation. Wolken noted specific issues over cybersecurity for visiting athletes and disputes over human rights leading to a diplomatic boycott have been making waves even before the opening ceremony. "So you've got sort of these barbs going back and forth already between the Americans and the Chinese, and things haven't even started yet," he said. "We don't even know what's going to happen once the games start and people actually start winning medals."
