Messi sparks another US soccer boom
There's lots happening in the sports world this week. NFL owners and executives
are meeting with private equity firms. (We'll have more on that in weeks to
come). Aaron Judge became the fastest MLB player ever to hit 300 home runs. And
a study showed that there are folks dumping stocks to sports bet. Wild, right?
Anyways, this week Jason Kelly, Julie Fine and I met with Clark and Dan Hunt in Texas, where we had a wide-ranging conversation. The brothers are owners of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the MLS franchise FC Dallas.
You'll be able to read more on our conversation soon. In the meantime, here's an excerpt of our chat with Dan, who's president of FC Dallas.
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Dan Hunt hopes the 2026 World Cup will help the US create global superstars. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
How have you and your brother maintained peace in the family? (Especially since you're the younger one.)
It's easy, we're best friends. We spend so much time together, and we talk all day long. Our kids are super close. We are both so passionate about the sports.
Everybody always asks me: "Do you love football or soccer more?" I tell people I love them the same. I love football because it's the ultimate team sport. I love soccer because it's pure art. I love my day job, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. When you have two people that feel that much passion about anything, it comes easy.
How does the decision-making between the two of you all go?
We off the bat agree on 98% or 99% of stuff anyways. Our family has been in the football business since 1959. I'd argue from an NFL standard there's not many people who know as much about American football as us. We go about it in different ways. He likes to sit and think about things. I will text him and say, "Hey, we need to think about this."
It's a healthy balance.
What has the Messi moment meant for the MLS and has it been everything you thought it'd be?
He's inspiring soccer players everywhere. We have the perfect partner in Apple to partner and monopolize on Lionel Messi. The constant programming has been incredible.
How are the preparations for the World Cup going?
The most successful World Cup of all time was the 1994 World Cup. The 2026 World Cup will blow it out of the water, and there will be nothing like it until they come back to the United States.
Preparations are going fast and furious. The beauty of this World Cup is the sustainability of it because we are not building new stadiums. You see the investment Qatar made ($220 billion). We already have amazing buildings.
What do you need to do to ensure the World Cup has a real impact on the growth of soccer in this country?
We'll be introducing a lot of people in this country to soccer who are still not fans. My biggest hope for the World Cup in 2026 is that it influences generations of boys and girls to pick soccer over other sports and become global superstars. — Randall Williams
Anyways, this week Jason Kelly, Julie Fine and I met with Clark and Dan Hunt in Texas, where we had a wide-ranging conversation. The brothers are owners of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the MLS franchise FC Dallas.
You'll be able to read more on our conversation soon. In the meantime, here's an excerpt of our chat with Dan, who's president of FC Dallas.
/> Dan Hunt hopes the 2026 World Cup will help the US create global superstars. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
How have you and your brother maintained peace in the family? (Especially since you're the younger one.)
It's easy, we're best friends. We spend so much time together, and we talk all day long. Our kids are super close. We are both so passionate about the sports.
Everybody always asks me: "Do you love football or soccer more?" I tell people I love them the same. I love football because it's the ultimate team sport. I love soccer because it's pure art. I love my day job, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. When you have two people that feel that much passion about anything, it comes easy.
How does the decision-making between the two of you all go?
We off the bat agree on 98% or 99% of stuff anyways. Our family has been in the football business since 1959. I'd argue from an NFL standard there's not many people who know as much about American football as us. We go about it in different ways. He likes to sit and think about things. I will text him and say, "Hey, we need to think about this."
It's a healthy balance.
What has the Messi moment meant for the MLS and has it been everything you thought it'd be?
He's inspiring soccer players everywhere. We have the perfect partner in Apple to partner and monopolize on Lionel Messi. The constant programming has been incredible.
How are the preparations for the World Cup going?
The most successful World Cup of all time was the 1994 World Cup. The 2026 World Cup will blow it out of the water, and there will be nothing like it until they come back to the United States.
Preparations are going fast and furious. The beauty of this World Cup is the sustainability of it because we are not building new stadiums. You see the investment Qatar made ($220 billion). We already have amazing buildings.
What do you need to do to ensure the World Cup has a real impact on the growth of soccer in this country?
We'll be introducing a lot of people in this country to soccer who are still not fans. My biggest hope for the World Cup in 2026 is that it influences generations of boys and girls to pick soccer over other sports and become global superstars. — Randall Williams
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