SBJ Behind the Scenes: Soccer’s next era of growth

Leaders from across the sports industry gathered at the SBJ Business of Soccer conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta this week, presented by Concacaf, MLS and U.S. Soccer. A packed room with around 450 attendees on hand — including Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank — heard speakers discuss topics such as media, sponsorship, fan engagement and tech related to the growth of the sport in North America, particularly ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Even with questions related to the state of geopolitics, business leaders were upbeat during the World Cup. We didn’t hear a lot of talk onstage about Iran, President Trump, ICE, security or visas, because so many of the stakeholders cannot control those variables. Themes related to the World Cup included a talk right off the bat on the operating model, which has seen FIFA take a centralized role, delegating operations and financing to local host committees. That’s a 180-degree change from 1994, when U.S. Soccer was more intimately involved. But the tourney itself presents so many opportunities, including from revenue and media. FIFA broke news that it’s sold out for global sponsorship deals, with just two regional spots left.

The future of the sport after the World Cup was also in focus. How women’s soccer moves forward was a key topic, including how various leagues can work together toward growth, asset valuation and profitability. On the men’s side, some future MLS venues — and the opportunities presented — were discussed around key markets like N.Y., Chicago and Boston. These could present new revenue opportunities for clubs as MLS looks to become less dependent on media dollars.

Don Garber was a popular executive at the Business of Soccer event, especially among speakers onstage. The longtime MLS commissioner has a deal running through 2027, but recent reports noted Garber has opened the door to the possibility that he may leave before his contract expires.

Arthur Blank, the Atlanta United owner who hosted the conference at his Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, called Garber “my brother” during a 1-on-1 session. “Great friend, great human being,” said Blank.

Blank also was effusive in his praise for Garber regarding his impact on soccer in this country. “We’ve had some great commissioners in the National Football League — none have lasted as long as Commissioner Garber has and had the impact on the sport the way Don has,” Blank said. “From an ownership standpoint, from a governance standpoint, from a sporting standpoint, from a leadership standpoint. I mean, everything that’s happened in the world of soccer, Don has been an outstanding spokesperson and leader. ... He’s been the godfather of soccer to me.”

FC Dallas owner Clark Hunt compared Garber’s leadership to that of Pete Rozelle at the NFL. “Don has served a similar role, and Major League Soccer would not be where it is today without him,” Hunt said.

Hunt reflected on some difficult times for the league at the turn of the century, when MLS had to fold some clubs. “I can definitively say that we would not have made it without Don’s leadership at that time,” Hunt said. “He got together with my dad [Lamar Hunt], Robert Kraft and Phil Anschutz, and really, the four of them kept the league together during this very, very difficult time and very quickly set it on a path toward growth.”

Sir Mohamed Mansour, the owner of San Diego FC, also called Garber a “friend” and noted the league has “grown under his leadership, under his guidance.”

“What haven’t you done?” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “You continue to shatter records, which I think everyone in this room already knows about. But what I think they may not know about is how instrumental you have been in the transformation at U.S. Soccer. You have supported me and guided me the entire way.”

“Of all the sports in North America, he’s pound for pound the best commissioner,” said Concacaf President Victor Montagliani. “A kid from Queens who probably didn’t know much about our sport when he was growing up. What he’s done for our sport is legendary and is incredible.”

During a fun discussion that looked back on the impact of the last time the World Cup was in the U.S., 1994 in L.A., three panelists shared their memories of when soccer occupied the margins of the American sports economy during SBJ’s Business of Soccer.

Roger Bennett, founder and CEO of the Men in Blazers Media Network, had just moved to the U.S. from Liverpool, England, and cited research that he read then that showed the game ranked 67th in popularity in the U.S., behind tractor pulling. Media coverage was sparse; infrastructure was unstable; and commercial expectations were limited.

In 1994, Richard Motzkin founded SportsNet, an American soccer agency built initially around stars from the 1994 U.S. men’s national team, including Alexi Lalas, and adding players such as Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. Motzkin described the early professional era as a “labor of love,” when careers were built on “belief instead of revenue.”

For Donovan, the 1994 tournament exposed a generation of young players to soccer’s global reach and provided proof of possibility.

“That World Cup changed the trajectory of my life,” Donovan said.

Bennett, Motzkin and Donovan described how that 1994 World Cup changed soccer in the U.S. MLS, they noted, nearly folded in its infancy, surviving only through cost control, consolidated ownership and sustained investment.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the panel agreed that the event represents an inflection point rather than a culmination.

“That team ran out in ’94 lit a fire — everything that’s happened since has been built on that,” Bennett said.

A private dinner was held Wednesday night for nearly 100 guests in Northwest Atlanta. SBJ Publisher and Executive Editor Abe Madkour welcomed guests along with MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani. During the welcome, Montagliani made a special tribute to departing MLS President Gary Stevenson, who is leaving at the end of July after more than 13 years. Stevenson was given his own soccer jersey with the No. 13, representing his tenure.

AMBSE Chair Arthur Blank hosted a head table of guests, which included Garber, Montagliani, U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, FC Dallas owner Clark Hunt, San Diego FC owner Sir Mohamed Mansour, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and Madkour.

Guests dined on orchard salad with champagne vinaigrette, beef short ribs and herb roasted chicken with a white wine butter sauce, with crème fraiche panna cotta for dessert.

Kevin Egan, host of “MLS 360” on Apple TV, played emcee for the Business of Soccer event amid a hectic travel schedule. Egan, who calls Atlanta home, flew back from New York on Monday after hosting “MLS 360” over the weekend up north at MLS’ TV HQ in Stamford, Conn. (It’s a trip he makes every weekend for the show).

On Monday, with domestic leagues on break for the international part of the calendar, Egan is headed to his native Ireland. During breaks at the Business of Soccer on Thursday, he was feverishly checking his phone as Ireland was playing Czechia in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. A win meant he would be able to catch another qualifier in Dublin on Tuesday. But it was a heartbreaker for Egan, as Ireland was within four minutes of victory when Czechia equalized before later winning on penalty kicks, eliminating Ireland from the World Cup.

Egan also was ecstatic to chat about the Centennial Yards development next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where he and his wife are investors in Irish Exit, a bar that is expected to open around the time that World Cup games come to Atlanta. The bar would be among the first commercial establishments to open at the mixed-use space.

Former Atlanta United CEO Garth Lagerwey returned to Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week for the first time since stepping away from the organization last year amid a battle with cancer. His presence — and the news that he is now cancer-free — drew a warm response from a capacity crowd that included many who worked alongside him during nearly two decades in leadership roles across three MLS clubs.

Lagerwey received warm greetings from his former boss, AMBSE’s Arthur Blank, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Concacaf’s Victor Montagliani.

Lagerwey was seen catching up with fellow MLS club veteran, San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn, prior to the opening panel Wednesday, during which he received a shoutout from SBJ’s Abe Madkour.

“How great was it to see Garth? I’m hearing he’s cancer-free. That has lifted all of our hearts,” Madkour said, drawing a round of applause.

The timing of his return was notable. AMB Sports & Entertainment announced the hiring of former Tigres President Mauricio Culebro as its new president of soccer, overseeing both Atlanta United and a forthcoming NWSL expansion franchise, just moments before the event began Wednesday.

While he isn’t in a rush, Lagerwey said he is looking forward to his next opportunity in sports, whatever that may be, now that he has a clean bill of health.

ATLANTA -- Centennial Yards President Brian McGowan and Director of Marketing and Communications Sarah Driscoll showed a handful of SBJ staff around the growing downtown Atlanta development Wednesday morning before the conference began.

The tour started at the Hotel Phoenix, which opened last December, where we saw its series of breathtaking views of the surroundings, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena. A $4,500-per-night suite on the corner offered one of the best perches. We’re wondering who will rent it this summer during the World Cup?

We then threw on hardhats, protective eyewear and orange vests and waded into the busy construction site where the development’s Cosm location is approaching a June finish line — the sign had just been hung — and the skeleton of the adjacent Live Nation music venue is fast taking shape.

The takeaway: CIM Group’s fast moves have positioned them to benefit hugely from this summer’s World Cup, even if the roughly $5 billion development won’t be fully done.

Oddly for a mostly indoor stadium, the smell of grass permeated the Business of Soccer at various times over the two days at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The field is hybrid natural-synthetic grass playing surface right now, but it’s essentially only practice for the pitch that will be laid down for the FIFA Men’s World Cup 30 days before the venue’s first match June 15 and used over eight games.

The grass, and the neon orange/purple grow lights hovering over it, offered a zen backdrop for conferencegoers needing a break or taking a call.

NWSL COO Sarah Jones Simmer shared a story from her days working at Bumble. She talked about how important being where your consumers are and seeing their experience, so she laughed that even though she’s married with children, she kept active dating profiles on Bumble and other dating websites to make sure she was up to date on what was going on.

Gainbridge Super League President Amanda Vandervort said the conference, with a number of colleagues present from her time in the league office, was like “an MLS class of 2013 reunion.”

Longtime MLS/SUM and sport of soccer executive Kathy Carter is one of the most well-liked and well-respected leaders of the game, and the impact she had made on others was again evident. Both Simmer and Vandervort cited Carter’s influence and shared their favorite Kathy Carter-isms onstage with her sitting in the front row. Simmer: “When I first joined the league, Kathy was presenting to us and she showed this Venn diagram that had three overlapping circles — soccer, women’s sports and changing media habits. And we talked about how we are living at the center of that. We talked about that in the context of NWSL, but we are all living that.” Vandervort: “My favorite Kathy Carter-ism is, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’ And as we think about building a league, and you think about the opportunity, starting to build with taking small bites on how you build and how you build the product and get it in front of as many people as possible. So, she’s impacted many of us clearly.”

After that panel, an attendee told Vandervort that she had “Kate Hudson” energy.

U.S. Soccer Chief Commercial Officer David Wright was spotted wearing the new navy-blue Nike U.S. Soccer kit under his blazer.

Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett shared a fun quip about his British roots: “For those who don’t know, I know my accent sounds English. I love America more than Kenny Powers loves America.” He’s now a naturalized American citizen.

The Team’s Richard Motzkin and Apple TV’s Kevin Egan engaged in a lively discussion prior to their panel about how Guinness beer tastes different in Ireland. Later, Egan was seen rushing post-conference to a nearby pub to watch the Ireland match with Bennett and Gotham FC’s Ryan Dillon.

Just after the event, U.S. Soccer was setting up a festival in Centennial Olympic Park ahead of two USMNT friendlies at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. On Friday night, there was a game against Belgium, and Tuesday, it’ll be a game against Portugal. Coca-Cola and Home Depot were among the brands that had branded activation trucks on-site.

Navigate and Tigertail Advisory hosted a dinner Wednesday night at a private wine room at Ray’s in the City in downtown Atlanta. Attendees included Kevin Kane and Fede Gerber at Navigate, David Cipullo of Tigertail, Dan Gaiman and Natalie Melo from U.S. Soccer, Tom Penn from San Diego FC and Brent Simmons of City Football Group. Members from Populous, AMBSE and other organizations also attended. Over dinner, the group shared brief bios, some personal favorites and personal goals, as well as a conversation on industry trends.

MikeWorldWide & Berk, named last fall as one of SBJ’s Best Places to Work in Sports, hosted a private dinner Wednesday night at Ruth’s Chris Steak House near Centennial Olympic Park. In attendance were MWW’s Bret Werner, Sal Della Monica and Matt Saler; Jessica Camp (Cox Auto); Amy Lauth (Deloitte); Fox’s Eric Esteban and Whit Haskel; Jen Crichton (American Airlines); Ryan Mucatel (AMBSE); Mario Bauduin (StubHub); and Porter Chelson (Home Depot). In an around-the-horn poll, Spain was the favorite to win the upcoming World Cup.

Just a block away from the conference, the line began forming at 3pm ET Wednesday at State Farm Arena for HBCU Aware Fest, a gathering of regional philanthropists looking to boost HBCU funding. Live performances featuring Jill Scott, Common, Jeezy, GloRilla and more began around 7:30pm ET.

Fan experience company Jump held a private dinner at Lyla Lila. Club execs from the NBA, MLS and NWSL discussed ticketing and fan affinity for clubs vs. athletes over snapper crudo, cold smoked scallops and crispy duck lasagna.

Here are the headlines from this year’s event:

• Soccer’s North American growth is no longer theoretical
• Brands learning how to find success in partnerships around soccer in North America
• FIFA: Global sponsorships sold out for 2026 World Cup
• Blank: Women’s soccer must prioritize path to profitability
• Clark Hunt talks FC Dallas, MLS, family history with soccer
• Sir Mohamed Mansour brought a global movement to San Diego, and nearly won MLS Cup in Year 1
• Broadcasters navigate scale, complexity of 2026 World Cup
• How teams, leagues are using the 2026 FIFA World Cup to draw in new fans
• MLS stadium wave reshaping club economics, fan experience
• Engaging younger fans in the era of TikTok creators and YouTube influencers
• Women’s soccer leaders note growth and emphasize building teams around community
• Soccer leaders expect tweaks to FIFA operating model for 2031 Women’s World Cup
• Sights from SBJ’s Business of Soccer Day 2
• Sights from SBJ’s Business of Soccer Day 1

A number of publications also attended the Business of Soccer. Their coverage includes:

• MLS commissioner Don Garber would ‘love to see’ Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in U.S. (The Athletic)
• NYCFC open up on potential interest in Mohamed Salah (NY Post)
• Bigger, better, more. What are the expectations for US soccer post-2026? (Inside World Football)
• World Cup concerns are exaggerated, says FIFA vice president (AFP)
• MLS leaders think new schedule will be ‘transformative’ (Front Office Sports)

SBJ would like to express our sincere gratitude to each of our sponsors, speakers, attendees and other guests for their participation in and support of the second Business of Soccer.

With Business of Soccer behind us, the countdown begins for the CAA World Congress of Sports, April 14-16 at JW Marriott at L.A. Live. Learn more about it here. Also: See our event slate for 2026.