Despite being constituted in 1885 and appearing in three World Cups from 1930-1950, a 40 year absence from the world’s largest sporting event kept U.S. Soccer off the radar of nearly everyone. The United States hosted the World Cup in 1994 and the subsequent explosion of both popularity and investment in the game from youth programs and camps to Major League Soccer set a new course for U.S. Soccer at home and abroad. The U.S. Women’s National Team stepped into the spotlight in 1999 with the dramatic victory over China to win their second World Cup and secured their dominance as champions in 2015 and 2019, spurring on a 45% expansion of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2020. The women are set to defend their title this summer in Australia and New Zealand; the U.S., along with Mexico and Canada, will host the World Cup in 2026.
Hosted by Nate Scott, senior director of USA Today Sports Media Group, and featuring Neil Buethe, chief communications officer of the U.S. Soccer Federation, this program will summarize the history of American soccer, review the U.S. men’s performance in the World Cup in Qatar, preview with Women’s World Cup in 2023, and explore the opportunities and impacts of North America hosting the World Cup in 2026. Learn about player, coach, and referee development in the US and abroad and the breadth of opportunities provided by U.S. Soccer. Get excited about the U.S. Women’s National Team as they defend their back-to-back World Cup victories this summer in Australia and New Zealand and understand the ground-breaking decision to assess pay equity for the men’s and women’s teams.
Soccer is truly the world’s game – join us for a conversation exploring the history and the future of US Soccer and learn why success on the pitch matters for the health of our economics, geopolitics and culture. Whether you are new to soccer or you watched every minute of the World Cup, this program will imbue you with pride in our progress and achievements and inspire your enthusiasm for the beautiful game for years to come.
Kathy and Neal Kimmel graciously underwrite the Hot Topics series.
