Hi Reader,

Welcome to this week's newsletter and congratulations to the USMNT, Canada and Mexico on all booking their places in the knockout stage of the World Cup.

This World Cup is not only living up to expectations it is, in many tangible ways, surpassing them. Records are being smashed every day. The visuals around the tournament are of millions of people having the time of their lives. And we are only coming towards the end of the group stage. There are four rounds of knockout soccer before the final still to come.

While the excitement continues, we are keeping a close on the regional business. We have news of investment in MLS and USL this week and continued US investment internationally. As always, 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 World Cup one big party - but will there be a hangover or an after-party for North American soccer?

If anyone had any doubts, everyone know can see it for themselves- there truly is nothing like the World Cup. Whether it be rowing Viking Norwegians, bag-piping Scotsmen, Koreans partying with Mexicans or the Argentine takeovers, the tournament has drawn the crowds, created amazing memories and delivered great entertainment.

In many ways, the World Cup is as much a festival of fandom as it is a sporting contest. After all, we can watch top quality soccer all year round but we can only truly savor this kind of atmosphere once every four years. Its way people are prepared to spend so much to travel across the world and fork out top dollar for the tickets. It's really all about the vibe.

But what happens when the party is over? Will things just return to normal? Will Americans who have found themselves with FIFA Fever, go back to their old routines? Or is there a way that our leagues and clubs can bottle some of this magic and take a sip from it for years to come?

Of course, there is no way that you can replicate packed NFL stadiums and fan-zones like the ones we are seeing now. The rarity, the scarcity of the World Cup and its global scale, allied with national pride, generates so much of the buzz. But there is one thing that strikes me about this tournament that North American soccer could try to improve.

Football as a celebration, football as festival, football as a big party - that is what this World Cup feels like and there is no reason why the domestic game can't tap into that. Of course some clubs already do operate fan-zones outside their stadiums, some do put on DJ's for after-parties to keep the good mood going well beyond the full-time whistle. But with all this evidence that people are craving community, relishing a party and are enjoying both through the sport, why not try to position soccer as the ultimate community party?

Double down on fan culture. Double down on partying. Make soccer the sport where you'll have a good time before, during and after the game. Yes, keep families in focus and cater to them sensibly, but also target young people who clearly enjoy IRL experiences like this. Make each home game a true event. People are flocking to the World Cup, whether at stadiums, fan-zones or just their local bars and watch-parties, because its fun and its a little bit crazy at times.

That doesn't mean removing the authenticity of the game itself and the atmosphere in the stadium. But it does mean sing-alongs with the players at the final whistle (Hat-tip Minnesota United), it does mean a DJ and party after the game (Hat-tip Inter Miami), it does mean affordable beer gardens and schnitzels before the game (Hat-tip Columbus Crew).

It's not about one-off nights with beer specials, its about building a culture of fun around MLS, NWSL and USL. Something cool and inclusive but also uniquely soccer. No, it's not about a futile attempt at recreating the World Cup on a weekly basis but this past two weeks has surely shown us that there is much to be gained by going all in on football as festival.

Soccerbiz bytes

The FIFA World Cup brand is now worth $5.2 billion, according to new Brand Finance data — a 244% increase from the $1.5 billion valuation at South Africa 2010, with the steepest single jump (71%) coming between the 2018 and 2022 cycles.

Sponsorship is the single largest driver of that value, accounting for $1.9 billion in 2026 and spanning long-standing FIFA partners such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa and Hyundai-Kia alongside newer commercial deals. Broadcasting rights follow closely at $1.8 billion, with major long-term agreements including Fox in the U.S. underpinning that figure; together, sponsorship and broadcasting account for more than two-thirds of the brand’s total value.

Ticketing contributes a further $809 million, licensing and merchandise $397 million, and other streams — hospitality, digital products and ancillary commercial activity — roughly $313 million.

TSB Podcast: World Cup Review: The Show So Far

On this week's podcast, Andre is back from a trip to the UK and we review the opening two weeks of the World Cup. We start with the vibes — because that's genuinely what this tournament has been about. It's a massive festival and the numbers are backing up what the eye test already told us. Record tv ratings, record attendances, record revenue and viral content of partying fans all across the 16 host cities. It has been probably the most boozy World Cup ever too.

There have been a few sellouts that have genuinely surprised me, and a conversation about whether there's a "Taylor Swift effect" pulling in fans who aren't there just for the football but because....well, the World Cup is the hottest ticket of the year.

And in an era where so many young fans connect to the game through players rather than teams - the fact that Messi, Mbappe, Haaland, Kane, Vini Jr and Ronaldo have all been in the goals is surely making the competition really excite the future fans.

But the headline this week is hydration breaks. Three-minute pauses, twice a half, that just so happen to double as ad inventory worth an estimated $250-300m to Fox. I sat down with ad industry veteran Bob Dorfman to get his read on whether this is a one-tournament novelty or something that's here to stay — and his answer might surprise you. André also has the receipts on why this isn't quite the FIFA innovation it's been billed as.

We close out with the Fox broadcast itself becoming a story — Alexi Lalas under fire, (I have some strong views on that) and a look at how the creator economy, iShow Speed included, is changing who's actually watching this World Cup.

The full episode is in your feed now. On You Tube. On Spotify and Apple Podcasts and all the other podcast platforms.

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

U.S. SOCCER OFFERS POCHETTINO EXTENSION THROUGH 2030, WITH DECISION ON HOLD UNTIL AFTER WORLD CUP

The U.S. Soccer Federation has presented Mauricio Pochettino with a proposal to extend his contract for a second World Cup cycle, running through 2030, according to The Athletic. Talks between the federation and the Argentine coach have reportedly been ongoing for several months, with Pochettino’s current deal set to expire once this summer’s tournament ends. Both sides have agreed to defer any final decision until after the World Cup, though U.S. Soccer wanted to signal its intent before Pochettino — who could otherwise become a free agent within weeks — entertains other offers.

The timing reflects the USMNT’s unexpectedly strong run on home soil: wins over Paraguay and Australia carried the team into the knockout rounds, with Thursday’s loss to Turkey a dead rubber and a kind-looking draw setting up a round-of-32 meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1. Reports that Pochettino held talks with AC Milan in late May have only sharpened the federation’s urgency — U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson has called such interest the price of competing in “the big leagues” with a coach whose résumé includes Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea — and the abrupt April departure of sporting director Matt Crocker, who helped recruit Pochettino, for a role in Saudi Arabia added to speculation he might leave for a club job once his current deal lapses.

Pochettino has hinted he’s open to staying, saying this week that “it’s difficult now to see yourself living in another place” and framing a longer stay in terms of building America’s connection to the sport rather than simply chasing a trophy. For U.S. Soccer, the leaking of the news covers them in the eventuality that the Argentine decides to continue his career elsewhere.

Reuters reported separately this week that Citadel founder Ken Griffin made the largest single financial contribution toward Pochettino’s original hiring in 2024, a donation U.S. Soccer has previously described as a “philanthropic leadership gift,” with additional backing from Diameter Capital’s Scott Goodwin and other commercial partners. The federation has said it continues to hold active conversations with wealthy donors and sponsors to ensure it can compete financially for top coaching talent — a dynamic likely to resurface if an extension for Pochettino is ultimately finalized.

BAKER MAYFIELD, JALEN WILLIAMS JOIN INVESTOR GROUP BEHIND OKC’S USL CLUB Oklahoma City’s forthcoming USL Championship club has added three high-profile names to its ownership group: NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield, OKC Thunder forward Jalen Williams, and Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Echo Investment Capital, which is leading the project, said the trio joins previously announced investors Russell Westbrook, Jozy Altidore, Nik Bonito, Nick Gross and the Chickasaw Nation, deepening a star-studded local ownership base ahead of the club’s planned 2028 kickoff. None of the parties disclosed individual investment amounts or ownership stakes.

The club will serve as anchor tenant of the new MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium, a roughly 10,000-seat venue designed by Populous that broke ground this month in downtown Oklahoma City and is also slated to host concerts and a prospective UFL franchise. The investment ties into a broader downtown redevelopment push that will also bring the Thunder’s new arena and Boathouse District Olympic venues tied to the LA28 Games online in 2028; the club’s name and branding are expected to be unveiled later this year.

NATIONWIDE TO BUY 37% STAKE IN COLUMBUS CREW AT $900M VALUATION, DEEPENING ITS MLS AND NWSL TIES Nationwide Mutual Insurance has agreed to buy a 37% stake in MLS’s Columbus Crew at a $900 million valuation — 30% from Haslam Sports Group and 7% from the Edwards family — in a deal still pending MLS board of governors approval and expected to close within weeks. The Haslams will remain the Crew’s controlling owners with a 40% stake even after the sale; Sidley Austin advised Nationwide on the transaction.

The purchase follows last month’s launch of Columbus’s NWSL expansion franchise, awarded to the same ownership trio — Haslam Sports Group, Nationwide and the Edwards family — for a reported record $205 million fee, with the new women’s club set to begin play in 2028. Nationwide has been the Crew’s official jersey and insurance partner since 2020 and a national NWSL partner since 2021; despite playing in one of MLS’s smaller markets, the Crew rank in the league’s top quartile for both ticketing and sponsorship revenue, with total 2025 revenue estimated at $93 million.

FOX SPORTS RENEWS CONCACAF GOLD CUP RIGHTS, ADDS NATIONS LEAGUE THROUGH 2029 FOX Sports and Concacaf have signed a new multi-year media rights agreement that keeps FOX as the U.S. English-language home of the Concacaf Gold Cup and, for the first time, adds the Concacaf Nations League to the deal through 2029. The agreement covers the next two editions of the Gold Cup as well as the 2026-27 and 2028-29 Nations League cycles, including the Nations League Finals, and was announced on-air by Rob Stone and Alexi Lalas ahead of FOX’s World Cup 2026 coverage of Mexico vs. Czechia. CBS/Paramount+ previously held the rights to the Nations League.

Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani said the expanded deal is designed to boost visibility and accessibility for the confederation’s national-team competitions, while FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks framed it as cementing FOX’s position as “America’s home for the world’s top international soccer tournaments.” The fifth Nations League edition kicks off in September, with the Finals set for March 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles; the 19th Gold Cup follows next summer with 16 teams.

MICHELE KANG AGREES TO BUY OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS, ENDING JOHN TEXTOR’S OWNERSHIP

Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang has agreed to buy Olympique Lyonnais, severing the French club’s ties to John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings. Under the deal, a Kang-controlled entity called Olympe Bidco SAS will pay $30 million for an 87.8% stake in Lyon while committing up to $80.8 million (€71 million) in fresh capital over the next two seasons. The agreement is subject to conditions including Lyon retaining its Ligue 1 status, is expected to close by June 30, and will be followed by a tender offer for the remaining shares — giving minority holders an exit — likely by October.

The takeover follows roughly three months after Ares Management, a private credit firm owed money by Eagle Football Holdings, had Cork Gully appointed administrator of the holding company, a process that put Ares in control of the entity’s debts but not of the clubs it held stakes in. Ares will retain a notes-holder interest in Lyon but no equity stake or board seat. Kang had already been running the club day-to-day as chairwoman and CEO since Textor stepped down roughly a year ago; once this deal closes, Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings will retain only its stakes in Brazil’s Botafogo and Belgium’s RWDM Brussels.

Textor disputes the legitimacy of the move, accusing Kang of striking a “secret” side agreement with Ares to install a “shadow board” he says he only discovered after stepping back from the club. He has filed a confidential criminal complaint against Kang with France’s Parquet National Financier and demanded her resignation in a letter to the Eagle Football Group board alleging “accounting irregularities and private corruption.” Kang, for her part, called it “a great sense of responsibility and immense honor” to take over the club. Source: Front Office Sports​

SONY PICTURES TAKES MINORITY STAKE IN COSM WITH $100M INVESTMENT, EYES SPORTS IP PLAY Sony Pictures Entertainment is investing $100 million in Cosm, the immersive venue operator that screens live sports inside large-format LED dome theaters, in a deal leading a larger Series C round and giving SPE a minority stake in the company. SPE Chairman & CEO Ravi Ahuja will join Cosm’s board as part of the agreement; the size of the stake and the round’s full scope weren’t disclosed, and Cosm declined to comment beyond confirming the investment.

It’s Cosm’s first major capital infusion since a $250 million round in mid-2024 valued the company at more than $1 billion, when it had just opened its debut dome in Los Angeles. Since then, Cosm has added venues in Dallas and Atlanta, with Detroit set to open this year and Cleveland in 2027. SPE said it plans to use the platform to “explore new ways to extend its world-class IP” and deepen audience engagement; Goldman Sachs and Allen & Company advised on the transaction. Source: Sports Business Journal​

MALAYSIAN-BACKED MULTI-CLUB GROUP TOTAL SOCCER GROWTH HOLDINGS ACQUIRES CENTRAL COAST MARINERS, ADDING TO QPR AND LAFC STAKES The Australian Professional Leagues have confirmed the sale of A-League side Central Coast Mariners to Total Soccer Growth Holdings (TSG), a multi-club investment group led by Malaysian businessman Ruben Gnanalingam that already holds a controlling stake in Championship club QPR and a shareholding in MLS side LAFC. The deal ends months of off-field uncertainty at the Mariners and covers the men’s team and academy structure, but the women’s side has been carved out of the transaction — the APL says it is working with other parties to secure dedicated investment for the women’s team, with a target resolution date of July 31.

Gnanalingam called Australian football “a major growth area in the sport internationally” and said TSG was drawn to the Mariners’ community identity. APL chief executive Steve Rosich framed the deal as further validation of the league’s standing in the global game, pointing to the A-League’s deepening ties to international multi-club ownership: Melbourne City sits within the City Football Group network, Auckland FC is backed by Black Knight Football Club, and Brighton owner Tony Bloom recently invested in Melbourne Victory.

POLYMARKET BECOMES BUNDESLIGA’S OFFICIAL U.S. PREDICTION MARKET PARTNER IN FIRST RELEVENT-BROKERED REGIONAL DEAL Relevent has signed Polymarket as the Bundesliga’s Official Prediction Market Partner in the United States — the German league’s first regional sponsorship deal since handing Relevent its Americas commercial mandate. Starting with the 2026-27 season in August, Polymarket users will be able to trade event contracts on Bundesliga match outcomes, with the multi-year partnership also covering digital and social content built around match predictions. Polymarket gets exclusive rights to use Bundesliga and club IP in a listed prediction-market format, while Sportradar retains exclusive rights to distribute official league data, with any data access for Polymarket subject to a separate commercial agreement.

The deal extends Polymarket’s rapidly growing sports sponsorship roster, which already includes LaLiga, Serie A, MLB, the NHL, UFC and MLS. Bundesliga Americas executive vice president Robin Austermann called it part of the league’s “long-term collaboration with Relevent to grow German soccer in the region,” while Polymarket’s Ari Borod said the tie-up lets the platform serve the Bundesliga’s U.S. fanbase “with the credibility the league deserves.” It builds on Relevent’s broader buildout since taking on the Bundesliga’s Americas business in September 2024 — including an expanded New York team and a content studio opened in Guadalajara in February 2025.

ARSENAL NAMES SAINT LUCIA OFFICIAL DESTINATION PARTNER IN MULTI-YEAR TOURISM TIE-UP The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has signed a new multi-year global partnership naming Arsenal Football Club as its Official Destination Partner, starting with the 2026/27 season, with the deal designed to drive global exposure for the island in key markets such as the United Kingdom. As part of the agreement, Saint Lucia gets brand visibility at Emirates Stadium across Premier League, Women’s Super League and cup matches, plus exposure across Arsenal’s digital platforms, with joint marketing and supporter-engagement campaigns built around the island’s “Let Her Inspire You” tourism push amplified through both the men’s and women’s first teams. It adds football to the SLTA’s existing roster of major sports partnerships, which already includes the New York Yankees, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs and Brooklyn Nets.

LEWIS FAMILY TRUST INJECTS FURTHER £100M INTO TOTTENHAM, FOURTH SUCH EQUITY BOOST IN RECENT YEARS Tottenham’s owners have injected a further £100 million of equity into the club — the fourth such cash injection in recent years, according to The Athletic — as Spurs look to close the gap on their Premier League rivals after missing out on Champions League football this coming season. The funding follows a pattern dating back to a £150 million injection in 2022 and another £100 million round last October, shortly after longtime chairman Daniel Levy stepped down following nearly 25 years running the club’s business operations.

The latest cash call lands against a noisy ownership backdrop. ENIC has publicly rejected takeover interest from multiple parties this year, including Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners and a blockchain-and-pro-sports-backed consortium, while insisting the Lewis family has no plans to sell its controlling 86.58% stake. At the same time, a trust linked to Daniel Levy’s family has agreed to sell a 24.99% stake in ENIC itself to Eight Sports Capital, a sports investment vehicle backed by entertainment and technology company Triller — adding a new institutional shareholder alongside the Lewis family’s continued control, even as the club’s day-to-day ownership structure remains otherwise unchanged.