A ‘Summer of Soccer’ Confession
IS anyone else having a tough time keeping up with all thes tournaments and matches happening this summer?
No? Just me then? Cool cool!
I’m gonna be vulnerable for a quick minute—I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately. Either that or I’m having some sort of mid-life or existential crisis. Maybe both. But here’s the kicker: I don’t think I’m alone. I’d wager that a lot of soccer fans and fellow footy travelers have been feeling similarly lately. Hear me out…
There’s been a lot going on
There’s been a lot of footy to keep up with in June. And a lot of it is happening in the U.S. You had TST kicking things off in the first week of the month. Then, both the FIFA Club World Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup held their opening matches less than a week after TST finished. And as things go with major tournaments like those, not only is there the excitement of the games themselves, but all the off-field drama as well. Heck, even just some state-of-the-playing-field drama. All of it capping off what has been for many of the world’s best players, the longest club footy season… ever? Meanwhile, MLS still carries on (in the background?), and beyond the U.S., 2025-26 fixtures have been released, calling for the most diligent of footy travelers to begin planning their pre-World Cup trips for 2025-26 — including The Footy Travelers. And that’s just the soccer world! Despite all the options, or perhaps because of the big 2025-26 schedule we’re anticipating, we haven’t really traveled for any of this summer’s big tournaments (yet). We have thrown a few bi***in’ watch parties for some of the bigger Club World Cup games though!
FCWC Watch Party #1
Monterrey v Inter Milan
FCWC Watch Party #2
Bayern Munich v Boca Juniors
FCWC Watch Party #3
Real Madrid v Pachuca
There’s also been a lot of real life s**t happening, that sure, will definitely impact the sport and the upcoming World Cup next summer, but that even more importantly affects everyday human beings living their everyday lives. Early in the month, Trump issued a travel ban on certain countries, no less than 10 of which (on our count) will or could still be sending teams to World Cup 2026. This includes Iran, one of the 13 countries to already qualify, who more recently this month the U.S. bombed. Meanwhile, ICE raids, anti-ICE protests, and communities not showing out to games or places to watch, fearing they might be detained or deported, all seem to be our next ‘new normal’. Again… a bit overwhelming.
But am I, or are we as soccer fans, partly to blame for it all (the overload of games at least)? Are we part of the problem (or is it even a problem?)? At what level are we destroying what we love? Stay with me for a minute…
Looking back on it all
Growing up as a soccer fan, I often found myself frustrated and baffled, somewhat indignantly, as to why more of my peers weren’t into the sport as much as I was. “How can they not get it?!”, I wondered. I wished for them to see the beauty and fluidity that I saw, that they would appreciate the stamina and sturdiness required by 90+ minutes of near constant physical effort. A part of me was confident that with enough time, they would. And largely, especially with the increased availability of games broadcast on American TV (although that’s certainly not the only reason), people here in “The States” are slowly but surely starting to see the light. Unfortunately, they are also starting to see the dollar signs, which is not necessarily the issue—it’s that some folks are starting to prioritize the dollars rather than the sport and the fans (the recent increase of Americans in ownership positions—and in one case going to jail—has to be evidence of that, no?). Which is where the identity crisis comes in.
Maturing as a soccer fan, the more I consumed the game, and the more I traveled for it (joined by my First Fellow Footy Traveler—Triple-FT!—Mike), the more I saw the beauty of the sport beyond the game on the field. The excitement and energy it brings to people. The connections it fosters between fans and supporters, both among and between different groups. It’s what inspired The Footy Travelers in the first place—a desire to share that off-pitch, fan experience meeting people from all over the world who share a universal love and language rooted in the world’s game. The goal has always been to inspire more people to travel for the purpose of fostering connection across borders and cultures, but it’s also been to inspire more people to love soccer in America. Now, America is the epicenter of soccer for the next two summers. So why am I not absolutely 100% ecstatic about it?
ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE (I GUESS)
You could say that the U.S. is the ‘last great frontier’ for soccer globally—how appropriate! The U.S. is also a place that runs on money (and yes, I understand most successful, democratic countries do, and I actually do believe that capitalism is the best economic system humans have been able to come up with, and… I’m not here to start that conversation). And so in order for soccer to thrive in America, it has to make money. And FIFA (i.e. Infantino) wants soccer to thrive in America, where the market is still pretty wide open, because hey, FIFA also seems to love money. But most of us aren’t like FIFA—at least not that much like FIFA. We love the game. We love to play. We love to watch. We love to gather with friends to watch. We love to travel to watch and see new and exciting places, and make new friends to watch with. But to be fair, we asked for more. We’ve wanted MORE SOCCER here in “America”. But at what cost? Well, financially speaking, a pretty large cost for most people. Large enough that it’s been a major talking point next to a lot of empty seats in Club World Cup and Gold Cup stadiums.
With the soccer market still young and open for growth in the U.S., some of us have waited patiently, but with excitement, that the ‘higher-ups’ would invest more in the game. Develop MLS. Bring world class names to American soil. The higher-ups have heard that call, however silent, implied, or explicit. They have invested in the game and brought in some of the biggest names on the planet. And investors always want a return. You could argue that this has created those who approach the sport in an extractive way, without balancing their material motivations with informed awareness (or just plain empathy) around fan access and approachability. You could also argue that this is simply the natural way of economics. While the supply of games is increasing, so too is the demand. And some are banking (quite literally) on demand growing more quickly than supply, although that bet hasn’t seemed to pay off for absolutely every match “under the Mamelodi Sundowns” (sorry, had to do it).
Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns FC played a Club World Cup game at a virtually empty Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando) on Tuesday, June 17
I say you could argue both because I have. And it. Has. Worn on me. Worn on us perhaps (I won’t speak entirely on Mike’s behalf)? I imagine it has worn on anyone who loves the game for reasons beyond the opportunity for future ROI, who values touchlines and through-lines over bottom lines. Camaraderie and connection over cash flow and capital gains.
That said, at this point I should probably clarify. I don’t share any of these thoughts intending to feel sorry for myself or want anyone else to do the same (it is just a game after all). I am grateful for the growth of the game. It seems, like many other things in modern life though, that it’s growing rather quickly, and that in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. But it also seems that along the way, there’s at the very least a slight absence of authenticity. A feeling that a lot of the growth is contrived, with the aim of fattening pockets above all else. Dare I say it: is soccer being ‘gentrified’?! And maybe that’s fine too, so long as the growth occurs…? Why hate on those who are making it happen for the rest of us? Whichever side of the argument you fall on though, I wonder… is anyone else starting to feel a little overwhelmed by it all? We’d love to hear your thoughts below!