For years, FIFA bosses looked longingly at the untapped potential of the U.S. market and thought that if they could just get those pesky other-football-loving Americans to care about global football they'd be able to add millions of fans... and billions of dollars to their coffers. As the U.S. prepares to co-host its second FIFA men's World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, it sure looks like that goal has been achieved. Andrés Martinez hops on Phoenix's NPR affiliate station KJZZ for a conversation with Mark Brodie on The Show, a daily Arizona public affairs program. They discuss soccer's rise in the United States since the turn of the twenty-first century and on the eve of the 2026 FIFA men's World Cup coming to the United States and co-hosted with Mexico and Canada. This just might be a textbook case of "Be careful what you wish for!" as teams that had historically dominated the United States Men's National Team might find themselves knocked out by this talented American squad. Just as El Tri!
The U.S. is Trying to 'Conquer' Soccer. Not All Global Fans are Happy About It
Andrés Martinez hops on Phoenix's NPR affiliate station KJZZ for a conversation with Mark Brodie on the daily Arizona public affairs program, The Show. They discuss soccer's rise in the United States since the turn of the twenty-first century and on the eve of the 2026 FIFA men's World Cup coming to the United States and co-hosted with Mexico and Canada.