On July 16th at 1PM ET, beehiiv is going live with a look at the future of publishing, audience growth, and digital business.

What started as a newsletter platform has evolved into something much bigger: a place where creators and brands can grow, monetize, and own their audiences without stitching together half the internet to make it work.

The next chapter starts live at the Summer Release Event. 

Join us to see what’s coming next.

RSVP now.

IN THIS ISSUE

INTRODUCTION

Hello, Pathwayers -

Tonight’s the night.

Knockout round football for the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It’s a game on paper that they should win, but as we’ve seen over the last few days, anything can happen in the World Cup.

This U.S. team has shown already they’re not afraid of the big stage, but now it’s win or go home.

Below, I tackle what it could all mean - and it could mean a lot for the future of soccer in America.

I’ll be cheering hard for the boys in red, white, and blue. Let’s go USA! 🇺🇸

-Kyle Sheldon, Co-Founder & CEO

NEW SOCCER JOBS

Take a moment to review some new soccer jobs that we’ve listed below - if you decide to throw your hat in the ring, good luck!

I've been working in soccer professionally for 20+ years.

And I've been a fan of the U.S. Men’s National Team for 30+ years.

What I've observed in LA and Seattle over the last few weeks is different from anything I've seen before.

In Seattle, it was reported more than 150,000 people (!) descended on the area around Lumen Field for the U.S. match. The stadium holds 68,000.

After the final whistle, an entire stadium full of Americans sang Country Roads (shout out to my home state of West Virginia) while the team walked the field.

Last week, I was in attendance for the team’s match against Türkiye and, while the result didn’t go our way, the environment inside the stadium was electric.

Something has shifted.

The soccer fan base in the U.S. is - without question - the most disparate and fragmented of any sport in any country in the world.

MLS fans. Premier League fans. Liga MX fans. Bundesliga fans. Serie A fans.

First, second, and third generation immigrants with deep ties to other countries.

Different clubs, different countries, different allegiances.

But the U.S. Men's National Team is the one team with the ability to bring the greatest number of them together under one flag.

And right now, they're doing exactly that.

In 1994, we were an early-stage soccer nation. People were curious about the sport, but the roots weren't deep.

What's happened in the thirty-plus years since is generational.

Fathers and mothers have passed down their love of the game to their sons and daughters. MLS has grown (a lot). The NWSL has grown. The Premier League, La Liga, and the Bundesliga have found massive American audiences.

A recent Morning Consult survey found that adults ages 18-29 were nearly as likely to watch the World Cup as the NBA Finals or the World Series:

Only the Super Bowl was clearly ahead in terms of interest.

That's not soccer in a small corner of the country.

That's soccer sitting next to the biggest, long-established American sports.

The U.S. has already accomplished something real. They're through the group stage, into the knockout round, and they've lit this country on fire doing it.

But here's where it gets interesting.

I've said for a while that this team going deep in the tournament will have a generational impact on soccer in America.

Making the quarterfinals is the threshold. Win two knockout round games, and you're there.

At that point, you're not just talking to soccer fans anymore.

You're pulling in the casual sports fan. You're creating attachment in kids of every age who are watching these games and connecting to this team for the first time.

Those kids grow up. They buy tickets. They watch games. They work in the industry.

The fandom created in a knockout run compounds.

If you’re looking to break into soccer, you’ll be entering the industry at the most important moment in American soccer history.

The infrastructure is being built right now. The investment is flowing in. The audiences are growing. The cultural moment is here.

The people who are building their skills, making their connections, and putting themselves in position right now will have a head start that is very difficult to overcome later.

Here's what I'd encourage you to think about:

This country is wrapping its arms around this team.

And the industry that supports this sport is about to grow in ways that will take decades to fully play out.

👉 Don't just watch this World Cup as a fan. Watch it as someone who wants to build a career inside the sport that's having its moment.

The tide is coming in.

Be ready when it does.

-Kyle Sheldon, Co-Founder & CEO

ICYMI: MUST-READ ARTICLES

📰 Extra! Extra! Here are a few quick reads to stay up to date with the latest soccer happenings...

ALSO…

FOLLOW ALONG

SEE YOU SOON, SOCCER FRIENDS