World Cup spurs economic growth and inspires future American soccer talent
Brian Kilmeade presents data on the World Cup boom, highlighting record viewership and significant economic boosts in host cities. Alan Rothenberg, founder of Major League Soccer, highlights the success of the tournament and the emergence of young talent in American soccer. Rothenberg believes this momentum will inspire a new generation of players, solidifying the growth and competitive future of the sport in the United States.
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The World Cup didn’t go exactly the way the U.S. men’s national team hoped, but the sport was the talk of the country this summer.
Nearly 7 million people packed stadiums across North America to watch the World Cup, and the final between Spain and Argentina peaked at 52 million viewers, an average of around 38 million.
Landon Donovan was an analyst for FOX throughout the event and said this year’s World Cup was one to remember.
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Landon Donovan attends an AT&T event in Charlotte ahead of the MLS All-Star Game. (AT&T)
“I’m sad that it’s over now. It really went by so fast. Maybe for the people at home, not so fast. But for us, it was just a trip, a play, a job, a play, a trip, a look, a trip, a meet, a trip, a play. Honestly, it was the time of my life, and I’m sad that it’s over,” Donovan told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
“The superstars came and scored goals. The fans were incredible. The infrastructure and the stadiums, of course, are incredible in this country. The fans filled the stadiums. It broke records on television and on social media. It was a phenomenal World Cup, and I’m really sad that 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 for the festivities to bring fans closer to the action.
“They’ve been our supporters for a long time. Football, for most people, is relatively new, but I’ve been around the sport for a long time. So when you have people and businesses that want to support in a real way and not just throw money at it, but actually get involved, then it means a lot to us because we’ve been ambassadors of this sport forever,” Donovan said. “They help 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. It’s great for me personally, individually, all the All-Star Games. They love this sport. They really love it, and it’s been really nice having 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 remembers the ovation he received upon his return to MLS after the 2002 World Cup.
“I’ve experienced it, haven’t I? By the end of these tournaments, there’s so much energy and enthusiasm around football and sports, so you’ll see an increase in viewership. You’ll see an uptick in the stadiums. People now know the names of these guys, and it’s a really, really cool 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 p.m. We played a game that night and I got to play 10 minutes at the end of the game. The excitement in the stadium for the fans to see someone who 24 hours earlier was on a field in Korea was awesome. So these guys coming back to the league a week before the All-Star Game, and then a lot of them at the All-Star Game, it’s a really great opportunity to be recognized and appreciated. It’s really cool.”
While a deeper run at the USMNT would have done wonders for the sport, Donovan, however, is done talking about when soccer will arrive — because he thinks “soccer is here.”
“There was study after study asking 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 the 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. The kids are all wearing football jerseys. They’re all in it. So football is there.
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 how to quantify it in a real way through Major League Soccer or US Soccer, I don’t know. That’s harder to do. But this sport is mainstream 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 it takes time, man. These other sports have been decades, if not centuries, ahead of soccer. So we’re going to keep going.”
