Buzz, Drama, Brands, Engagement; Even With A Loss, Soccer Emergence Is Permanent

They are the sports that have been viewed by a colleague as the “permanent emergent” in America; those that we keep hearing are buzzworthy, played by kids and destined to overtake baseball, even NASCAR in the eyes of the public and in the pockets of consumers. Lacrosse, soccer always end up on that just around the corner list, with softball, esports, pickleball, padel, volleyball etc. etc. popping up and off from time to time.

Of all those, it’s hard to say that soccer, has not emerged by far as the biggest for a number of reasons…participation, global media coverage, a deeper talent pool, the rise of sports played by women, a more diverse fan base and on and on and on.

And despite a World Cup exit and all the hand wringing, it’ shard to see how this World Cup is NOT a next step forward for the SPORT on an elite level in this country.

Last night as I wandered around our neighborhood what did I see and hear? Kids…actually my nieces’ kids…all WEARING Team USA jerseys. A neighbor who is a self-proclaimed football/basketball guy, hurrying home from walking his dog to “watch the game.” Not the Mets or the Yankees, the USMNT game. TVs of every size at 8 tuned in to FOX (some to Telemundo) on a summer night to watch the game vs. Belgium.

The result, meh. The reality. These are all casual sports fans, not die-hard soccer fans, who watched to see what this was all about.  They came for the buzz, for the moment, and the hope is they stay for the rest of the World Cup, find some of the best playing for their clubs on their channel of choice, follow the American players…and players of any country who they have been exposed to…on social channels of their choice, and finally find out what the rest of the world has known for decades…that soccer…or futbol…is a fun social experiment that is much more than kicking a ball round.

More evidence of the permanent emergent arriving. These young players for the most part, are now part of the American media and promotional cycle because brands have invested in many of them not just for World Cup, but for a longer term. When Christian Pulisic appears in broadcast spots AWAY from World Cup action, as have other American players, you know that their crossover ability to engage with casual fans has arrived. In past years that was rare, now it’s more reality.

All the drama off the pitch? Whether you like the “how” or not, it added to the buzz, and made the World Cup and the sport a winner…and that will continue to grow. People came for the USMNT, they may stay for the best ahead.

Now the next step on and off the pitch will not be easy. The global talent level, as evidenced by the emergence in play of African nations, is rising, but so is the growth of Americans. One of the biggest issues is that those stars we saw shining go elsewhere…mostly not MLS which resumes soon…to play, and that is very non-American. The good news is streaming now can bring the best of the world into our devices every week, so those who WANT to follow McKinnie, Freeman and company as they play abroad can do so with more ease than ever. It would be great, like we have with NWSL, to have those players here in MLS, but that doesn’t mean they will literally be out of sight, and savvy brands will find a way to keep them in conversations when they are literally playing hundreds or thousands of miles away.

There was so much question of relevance of the World Cup in America this summer. The discovery that the game…the personalities…the supporters, the music…can overcome nonsense, politics and any kind of bias…is actually holding true. Having personally witnessed so many people who came to check matches out, either in person or at watch parties…have left and will continue to leave impressed on the WHAT and the WHO, and that’s good news for the sport, and probably for all involved in the business of the game.

Would a few more days of American involvement helped build things? For sure. Is this a loss for the long term? Nope. It’s an inflection point to gather what has been learned and grow authentically to a community which has become intrigued and has enjoyed.

Insiders are opining it’s more of the same, and for many whose interests, business and cultural, have risen and fallen with the sport for years, it’s understandable. However, for those whose attention span is new, and who have enjoyed what they saw and are intrigued to learn more, the opportunities are bigger than ever.

That’s the big takeaway.

People came for the game, they stayed for the party, with the best of play still to come.

Keep emerging soccer, the impact is permanent.