Hi Reader,

Welcome to this week's newsletter and with six days to go until the World Cup kicks off, it is all starting to feel real at last. We'll cover the business side of the tournament here of course and on our audio and video shows, but we also won't be forgetting our focus on what this all means for the game in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Don't forget, if you have any news, suggestions for future stories or podcast guests, or are interested in discussing partnership opportunities, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at simon@thesoccerbusiness.com.

Cheers

Simon Evans

The Soccer Business.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 gets underway on Thursday in Mexico City when the hosts play South Korea and then the USA and Canada both open their campaigns on the following day. There has been a lot of negative noise around the tournament during the build-up but its vital that the domestic soccer industry keeps its eye on the prize.

In my experience, having covered all the World Cups since 1998, every major tournament suffers from this kind of negative publicity during the months and weeks ahead of the competition. I can't think of a World Cup that hasn't had to deal with daily reports around issues and controversies of various kinds. That isn't to underplay the concerns people have about ticket prices and other issues but I remember packing my suitcases for Brazil in 2014 and being told that we could all die from the Zeka insect, I recall being warned about being car-jacked in South Africa and falling foul of Russian secret services agents in 2018...suffice to say all three World Cups passed off without mass deaths, a crimewave or trips to a Siberian gulag.....

Whatever your opinions about how this World Cup has been organised, in a week's time I am pretty sure we will be focusing much more on the action on the field and (hopefully) the fun being had in city's across the three host nations. Issues will remain but there is no reason why the much vaunted 'boost' that the tournament has been expected to have for domestic soccer won't happen.

The winners will be the ones who are active and who find a way to connect the World Cup experience (which as always is a television experience for the vast majority of fans) with the opportunities that our leagues, clubs and brands can offer. Those who have planned a strategy will be rewarded and those who are just waiting for a magical rocket-boost may be disappointed.

But, the fact remains, that for the next month or so, soccer is going to be at the centre of conversation in the USA and Canada in a way that has never been seen before. Good luck to all our readers who are engaged with this huge event and at The Soccer Business we'll be sure to bring you as much information and analysis of the event and its impact on the future of domestic soccer as we can. Enjoy the ride!

Soccerbiz bytes

Betting industry analysts estimate $2.9 billion will be bet on the World Cup at U.S. sportsbooks, more than double the amount wagered on the 2022 World Cup and a figure that could rise significantly if the USMNT can make a run deep into the competition.

Bets on the NCAA basketball tournaments in the U.S. were expected to exceed $3 billion, and approximately $1.7 billion was wagered on Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, according to gambling industry reporter Chris Altruda, who used state revenue reports to form his estimate. (ESPN).

LALIGA recorded its best season ever in the U.S. on ESPN platforms during the 2025-26 campaign.
Highlights include:
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• 20.1 million viewers across ESPN platforms, up 10% vs. previous season
• 3.9 billion minutes watched across ESPN platforms, up 11% vs. previous season
• 91,000 average viewers across all linear ESPN platforms, up 14% vs. previous season
• Averaged 83,000 viewers on ESPN Deportes, up 11% YoY

The Soccer Business Podcast: Canada - what's next?

MLS Commissioner Don Garber was in Montreal on Thursday and - just as in Vancouver - he was pushing for movement in getting the stadium situation improved.
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Garber declined to make an explicit, specific statement that he wanted Montreal to stay in the city (preferring to say he wants all MLS clubs to thrive in their home markets) and that of course provoked the usual social media speculation about a possible relocation.
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Just as the Whitecaps are now conducting their efforts to improve on their situation with BC Place against the hum of noise about Las Vegas hovering to take the team away, now Montreal have to worry about the same.
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But does it make sense for MLS to relocate teams? Or is this just Garber using the leverage of a relocation option to get what he wants for his clubs? We discussed that on this week's show with Canadian soccer journalist Manuel Veth and as well as addressing some of the problems that relocation would bring, also looked at some of the other pressures that may be deterring MLS from moving the clubs out of Canada.

As always the pod is on all audio platforms with a video version on our You Tube page. You can listen via Spotify here:

Another Relocation Threat in... Jun 5 · The Soccer Business Podc... 28:13   ​

In a special You Tube Only video episode myself, Darren Weber and Andre Da Costa also sampled and reviewed the best World Cup commercials. We had a lot of fun. Click on the image below for the video - there are some great spots.

We've got more on advertising and sponsorship around the World Cup coming up soon in our next batch of pods and videos. Make sure to subscribe and opt in to notifications on your preferred platform.

This week's wrap-up of news in the North American soccer industry:

USL'S GAINBRIDGE SUPER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES PERMANENT SWITCH TO SPRING-TO-FALL CALENDAR :The Gainbridge Super League is making a permanent move to a spring-to-fall calendar from 2027, aligning with the broader domestic women's soccer landscape and bringing the USL's women's top flight into structural alignment with the NWSL. The shift is being framed as a strategic repositioning of the league ahead of the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup, with USL President and CEO Paul McDonough stating the change will allow the Gainbridge Super League to be a stronger partner in advancing women's soccer in the United States.

The 2026 Fall Season — a condensed 14-match competition running August 15 to November 28 — will serve as the transitional campaign before the new calendar takes effect. The league's eight clubs will each play seven home and seven away matches, with the top four advancing to the playoffs. Semifinals are set for December 5 and the championship Final for December 12, with the regular-season table-topper awarded the Players' Shield. League President Amanda Vandervort said the format would ensure every match carries heightened significance, adding that the transition supports player movement and roster development across the game.

With MLS switching to a fall-spring calendar in 2027, the USL announcement essentially means that women's and men's soccer will operate on two different calendars from next year.

The announcement comes days after Lexington SC claimed the most recent Gainbridge Super League title, beating Carolina Ascent FC 3-1 in the Final — completing a remarkable worst-to-first campaign — with the Players' Shield race having gone down to the final day of the regular season. Source: Gainbridge Super League​

USL ADDS FIVE CLUBS TO 2027 SANCTIONING APPLICATION: The USL has included five additional clubs in its application to US Soccer for 2027 sanctioning, continuing a drive to expand its footprint and gain greater institutional recognition ahead of what could be a transformative period. The clubs are:

• Atlético Dallas (USL Championship)
• Sporting Cascades FC (USL L1)
• Port St. Lucie SC (USL L1)
• Fort Lauderdale United FC (USL L1)
• Thousand Oaks (Name to be determined) (USL L1)

There was no mention of Santa Barbara Sky, the project of former Liverpool CEO Peter Moore which had hoped to launch in 2027. The Soccer Business understands that negotiations continue to secure a majority investor in the club.

US SOCCER REPORTS RECORD SPONSORSHIP MOMENTUM AHEAD OF WORLD CUP Sports Business Journal features US Soccer's Chief Commercial Officer David Wright and Chief Advancement Officer Leah Burton pointing to record sponsorship levels as the federation enters the World Cup period, while laying out a long-term commercial vision that frames the current moment as the start of a sustained upswing rather than a one-off peak. Source: Sports Business Journal​

LEVY SELLS ENIC STAKE TO TRILLER-BACKED EIGHT SPORTS CAPITAL Former Tottenham Hotspur executive chairman Daniel Levy has agreed to sell a 24.99 per cent stake in ENIC — Tottenham's parent company — to Eight Sports Capital Limited, a British Virgin Islands-registered company backed by Triller, the US music, sports and entertainment platform. Neither Levy nor Tottenham has formally confirmed the deal. The Lewis family, who control 70.12 per cent of ENIC and previously pledged they were "all in" on investing in the club, will now share the register with Triller-linked capital as Spurs look to put their relegation threatened season behind them. Source: The Athletic | Sportcal​

SERIE A EXTENDS US MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL WITH CBS FOR ONE MORE YEAR CBS Sports and Serie A have exercised a mutual option to extend their US media rights agreement by one year through the 2026-27 season. The deal covers 420 English-language matches — predominantly on Paramount+ — including all Serie A games, at least 20 Coppa Italia matches, and every Supercoppa Italiana fixture. The extension maintains the same economics as the two-year renewal signed in 2024, which sources described as valued in the low eight figures — a significant step down from the original three-year deal struck in 2021 at approximately $75 million annually.

KANSAS CITY CURRENT LAUNCHES FREE YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE WITH US SOCCER AND CVS HEALTH The Kansas City Current has launched a no-cost youth soccer league funded by a multi-year US Soccer grant through its Innovate to Grow program, with CVS Health as presenting sponsor — reflecting a growing trend of NWSL clubs using federation support to build grassroots pipelines in cost-sensitive markets. Source: Youth Sports Business Report​

ARIZONA BUSINESSWOMAN PITCHES NWSL/MLS PROJECT ON FORMER MESA MALL SITE The Guardian profiles an Arizona businesswoman Vicky Mayo pushing to develop a new professional soccer facility on a vacant former shopping mall site in Mesa, with potential implications for both NWSL expansion and MLS's evolving footprint in the region. Source: The Guardian​

UK's FCA WARNS FOOTBALL CLUBS OVER SPONSORSHIP DEALS WITH UNAUTHORISED FINANCIAL FIRMS The UK's Financial Conduct Authority has formally warned professional football clubs — including Premier League sides — against signing sponsorship agreements with unauthorised financial firms, particularly those in the crypto sector, stating that clubs carry a responsibility not to expose supporters to potentially harmful or unregulated financial products.

BLUE CROW SPORTS GROUP SELLS CD LEGANES STAKE AS MULTI-CLUB OWNERSHIP MARKET MATURES U.S based Blue Crow Sports Group has divested its stake in Spanish club CD Leganes in what is described as a strategic exit. The transaction signals a maturing multi-club ownership market, with groups increasingly rationalising portfolios and making calculated exits as club valuations evolve. Source: CityBiz​

DC'S AUDI FIELD TO HOST NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN Washington DC's Audi Field has been confirmed as the venue for the 2026 NWSL Championship, returning the women's soccer showpiece to the nation's capital for a second time and reinforcing the venue's status as a flagship destination for high-profile women's soccer.

MLS LEGACY: HOW BILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENT BUILT THE MODERN AMERICAN GAME Major League Soccer has published a World Cup-timed retrospective examining the billions invested in soccer infrastructure, academies, and stadiums since the league's founding in the wake of the 1994 tournament — raising the question of what the next chapter looks like post-2026. Source: MLS​

PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM ACQUIRES OPERATOR BEHIND MLS GO AND ALL SIX MAJOR LEAGUE YOUTH PROGRAMS Brand Velocity Group — the New York-based private equity firm where two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning is a partner — has acquired RCX Sports, the company that operates official youth programs for all six major North American professional leagues, including MLS GO, NFL FLAG (830,000+ participants), Jr. NBA, Jr. WNBA, NHL Street, and MLB Pitch, Hit & Run. BVG says the model is built to grow participation volume rather than extract more revenue per family — and with flag football debuting at the LA 2028 Olympics, the firm is betting on a visibility surge similar to the one soccer is experiencing ahead of 2026. Source: Youth Sports Business Report​

BREAKING DOWN THE BUSINESS OF THE $13BN 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP SportsPro has published a detailed breakdown of the commercial architecture behind the 2026 World Cup, pegged at $13 billion in total revenue, covering ticketing, broadcast rights, and sponsorship. Some handy data. Source: SportsPro​

WORLD CUP PUTS SPONSORS UNDER PRESSURE TO PROVE ROI Marketing Dive reports that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up as a major test for brand sponsors, who face growing pressure to demonstrate measurable return on investment from what is being billed as one of the biggest brand marketing events in history. Source: Marketing Dive​

BANK OF AMERICA AND FIFA PARTNER WITH VET TIX TO OFFER FREE WORLD CUP TICKETS TO MILITARY COMMUNITY Bank of America and FIFA have teamed up with nonprofit Vet Tix to offer thousands of complimentary World Cup 2026 tickets to military members, veterans, and their families. The initiative is part of BofA's broader World Cup activation and is a notable example of a major FIFA partner using the tournament platform for cause-related marketing — blending access programming with brand activation at a time when ticket affordability has been a widely discussed issue. Source: Bank of America​

PEPSI MAX EXPANDS SOCCER SPONSORSHIP PUSH WITH SCOTTISH FA DEAL Pepsi Max has signed a new partnership with the Scottish FA, adding to a football portfolio that already includes England's senior men's and women's national teams — signalling a broader strategic push into soccer by PepsiCo ahead of and beyond the 2026 World Cup.

ADIDAS TAKES OVER 35 NORDSTROM STORES IN MAJOR WORLD CUP RETAIL ACTIVATION Adidas has launched a major in-store retail takeover across 35 Nordstrom locations, stocking FIFA-branded jerseys and soccer-inspired footwear and apparel ahead of the tournament — illustrating how kit manufacturers are leveraging the World Cup as a mainstream retail moment to reach casual fans well beyond traditional sports retail.

GREENVILLE TRIUMPH OPEN NEW GE VERNOVA PARK IN SOLD-OUT DEBUT The Greenville Triumph inaugurated GE Vernova Park at BridgeWay Station in Mauldin, South Carolina on Wednesday with a sold-out 1-0 victory over Forward Madison. The public-private partnership venue — developed with the City of Mauldin, the State of South Carolina, Hughes Investments, and Greenville Pro Soccer — opens with 4,000+ seats and will eventually expand to 6,300, with a 15,000 capacity for larger events. It is the permanent shared home of the Triumph and USL's Greenville Liberty.

GOVERNOR HOCHUL LAUNCHES $6 MILLION NY KICKS FUND AHEAD OF WORLD CUPmNew York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $6 million investment package tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup — $5 million to build and upgrade community soccer fields across the state via the NY Kicks: World Cup Legacy Investment Fund, with an additional $1 million available to grant recipients for further facility enhancements.