World Cup fuels economic boom, inspires future U.S. soccer talent
Brian Kilmeade presents data on the rise of the World Cup, showing record viewership and significant economic increases in host cities. Alan Rothenberg, founder of Major League Soccer, emphasizes the success of the tournament and the emerging young talent in US Soccer. Rothenberg believes this push will inspire a new generation of players, solidifying the sport’s growth and competitive future in the United States.
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The World Cup didn’t go exactly as the U.S. Men’s National Team expected, but the sport was the talk of the country this summer.
Nearly 7 million people flooded stadiums in North America to watch the World Cup action, with the final between Spain and Argentina peaking at 52 million viewers, averaging around 38 million.
Landon Donovan was a FOX analyst throughout the event and said this year’s World Cup was an unforgettable memory.
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Landon Donovan attends an AT&T event in Charlotte before the MLS All-Star Game. (AT&T)
“I’m sad that it’s over now. It really happened so fast. Maybe for people at home, not so fast. But for us, it was just a trip, a game, a job, a game, a trip, an appearance, a trip, a meet, a trip, a game. Honestly, it was the time of my life and I’m sad it’s over,” Donovan told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview.
“The superstars showed up and scored goals. The fans were incredible. The infrastructure and the stadiums, of course, are amazing in this country. The fans packed the stadiums. It broke records in every way on television and social media. It was a phenomenal World Cup, and I’m really sad it’s over.”
It remains to be seen what kind of growth will occur in the United States after the World Cup, but if it’s anything like what happened in 1994, the sport is in a good place, just in time for the Major League Soccer All-Star Game in Charlotte on Wednesday.
Donovan partnered with longtime MLS sponsor AT&T to bring the festivities closer to the action.
“They’ve been supporters of ours for a long time. Football, for most people, is relatively new, but I’ve been in this game for a long time. So when you have people and companies that want to support in a real way and not just throw money away, but get involved, then it means a lot to us because we’ve been ambassadors for this game forever,” Donovan said. “They’re helping us connect people to this game that we love, and that means a lot. They’re great with our podcast with me and Tim Howard. Great for me personally, individually, all the All-Star Games. They love the game. They really do, and it’s been really nice to have them.”
Landon Donovan celebrates his team’s second goal during the FIFA Confederations Cup final between the United States and Brazil at Ellis Park Stadium on June 28, 2009, in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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Donovan recalled the ovation he received when he returned to MLS after the 2002 World Cup.
“I lived it, right? At the end of these tournaments, there’s so much energy and excitement around football and the sport, so you’re going to see an increase in viewership. You’re going to see an increase in stadiums. People now know these guys’ names, and it’s a really incredible opportunity to grow as a player, but also to grow your brand,” he said.
“When I came back in 2002, I literally got off the plane from Korea and went straight to the stadium at noon, maybe 2:00. We had a game that night and I got to play for 10 minutes at the end of the game. The excitement in the stadium for the fans to see someone who, 24 hours earlier, had been on a field in Korea was incredible. So these guys came back to the league a week before the All-Star Game, and then a lot of them at the All-Star Game Game, it’s a really amazing opportunity to be recognized and appreciated. It’s really cool.”
While a deeper career in the USMNT would have done wonders for the sport, Donovan, however, no longer talks about when football will arrive, believing that “football is already here.”
“There’s been study after study, they asked people to name their favorite sport. The NFL was one, the NBA was two and football was three – football in general, right? So people love this sport in this country,” he said. “I know anecdotally, I drop my kids off at school every day. I don’t see NFL jerseys. I don’t see baseball jerseys. I see football jerseys. All the kids are wearing football jerseys. Everyone’s in. So football is here.
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan in action against Orlando City FC at StubHub Center on September 11, 2016. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports)
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“Now, I don’t know how you really quantify it through Major League Soccer or US Soccer. That’s harder to do. But this sport is popular now. When you turned on the TV this summer, people were talking about soccer… So, it’s here. It’s not where we all want it to be yet, but that takes time, man. These other sports have had decades, if not centuries, head start on soccer. So we’ll move on.”
