The Man Who Built Modern Soccer in America | Alan Rothenberg

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup underway across the United States, Canada and Mexico, there’s no better time to revisit one of the most important conversations we've ever had on Finance of Football.Long before MLS, packed soccer-specific stadiums, billion-dollar club valuations, and the arrival of global stars like David Beckham and Lionel Messi, there was Alan Rothenberg.As CEO of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, founder of Major League Soccer, former President of U.S. Soccer, and one of the key architects of modern soccer in America, Rothenberg helped transform the sport from a niche interest into one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.In this episode, Alan reflects on:• How the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics convinced FIFA that America could host the World Cup• The strategy behind the groundbreaking 1994 FIFA World Cup• Building MLS from scratch• The growth of women's soccer and the legacy of the 1999 Women's World Cup• Why he believes the World Cup should expand to 64 teams• What success looks like for the 2026 FIFA World Cup• The future of MLS, media rights, club valuations and soccer investmentIf you've ever wondered how soccer became a major force in the United States, this is the story from the man who helped make it happen.#WorldCup2026 #USSoccer #MLS #AlanRothenberg #FinanceOfFootball #FIFAWorldCup #SoccerBusiness #FootballBusiness---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.