Home Depot’s Big Bet on Soccer

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost here — and some of the biggest brands in America are racing to be part of soccer’s biggest moment.In this episode of Finance of Football, Michael and Asli look at The Home Depot’s growing investment in the beautiful game, from Arthur Blank’s role in building Atlanta United to the company’s long-running partnerships with MLS, the Mexican national team and U.S. Soccer.They are joined by Allison Kolber, Vice President of Integrated Marketing at The Home Depot, to break down why soccer has become such an important part of the brand’s strategy.The conversation explores how Home Depot is using the World Cup to reach millennial homeowners, Gen-Z fans, Hispanic audiences and pro customers — and why the tournament creates a rare opportunity to connect soccer, community and home improvement.Allison also discusses Home Depot’s campaign with David Beckham, how “Beckham’s Backyard” will come to life during the tournament, and why physical fan activations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico matter so much for sponsors.Michael and Asli also ask what happens after the World Cup ends. Can brands keep fans engaged once the final is over? Or will soccer face the usual post-tournament dip?Finally, in the weekly World Cup update, they break down FIFA’s new push to punish time-wasting more seriously, including countdowns on goal kicks and throw-ins, and the viral story of New Zealand defender Tim Payne, who became an overnight sensation after an Argentine content creator helped turn him into the least-followed-player-turned-social-media-star of the tournament.From Arthur Blank’s soccer empire to Home Depot’s World Cup strategy, this episode asks a simple question: what does it really take to build soccer in America?---For more, follow Asli and Michael on InstagramAsli - @brefootcontessaMichael - @michale.loreAnd follow the show…On Instagram - @financeoffootballpodOn Facebook - /financeoffootball---Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRéEditing and Sound Design by Ryan HammondMixing and Mastering by Julian KwasneskiExecutive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky---Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.