In this episode of The Blueprint, hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore tackle the big-picture question everyone asks after a World Cup: What happens to American soccer now?
It’s all about figuring out what a post-World Cup soccer landscape should look like, and how well-prepared the United States soccer ecosystem is to capitalize on widespread cases of World Cup fever.
From the impact of the tournament itself, to the pay-to-play youth system that’s intertwined with American soccer's development and future, to Major League Soccer's role in all of this, John and Trey break down where the US Soccer Federation, American soccer culture, and the overall sport in this country go from here.
They start by sizing up the World Cup audience in 2026 when compared to the previous tournament in Qatar, with viewership skyrocketing from the group stage through to the final.
The World Cup created a palpable moment, but what does capitalizing on that actually look like, and who in American soccer stands to benefit most from that moment? There's also the concern that things like pay-to-play in youth soccer will hinder the United States' ability to capitalize, which John and Trey dig into, mapping out the layers of American youth soccer, from rec leagues to travel clubs to the MLS Next academy system, while discussing the cost burden at each level.
Then there's Major League Soccer, facing its own post-World Cup reckonings as the league considers changing its financial rules — scrapping TAM and GAM, loosening the salary cap, and adding roster flexibility — and eyes a lucrative new broadcast rights deal, one way more lucrative than the league's current agreement with Apple.
How confident are John and Trey that American soccer and the country’s soccer culture at large can seize this moment? They each give you a confidence rating to close out the episode, so listen to the entire episode at the top of this post, or find it by subscribing to The Soccer Journal Podcast feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen to podcasts.
