The World Cup Keeps Getting Bigger

**SPEAKER_1** (0:02)
Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio, News.
This is Bloomberg Businessweek Daily, reporting from the magazine that helps global leaders stay ahead, with insight on the people, companies, and trends shaping today's complex economy. Plus, global business, finance, and tech news as it happens. The Bloomberg Businessweek Daily podcast with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Radio.

**Carol Massar** (0:32)
Well, the most watched sports showdown on earth. We're talking about not the Knicks game, but we'll get to that.
We're talking about the FIFA World Cup starting today in Mexico City. This year's games hosted in three countries. You know that US, Mexico, and Canada cross 16 cities, 48 teams competing. Tim, that's the most ever.

**Tim Stenovec** (0:49)
It comes as the event is being overshadowed by political tensions, conflicts between the US and Iran, driving up fuel prices, creating economic strain for fans. We've got a great duo joining us that knows a thing or two when it comes to the business of sports.

**Carol Massar** (1:03)
They know everything about sports. With us is Randall Williams. He's Bloomberg News Senior Reporter. He's right here in our New York studio. Vanessa Perdomo Maglione. She's Bloomberg News Sports Business Reporter as well in the Bloomberg News Princeton Bureau out there. Hello, hello, both, by the way, co-hosts of the Business of Sports podcast, which if you're not listening to, shame on you. Download it because it's really good. All right, you're welcome. Randall, I'm going to start with you. You're right here in studio.
Tell us about, this is a big deal and we've been talking about it. I feel like forever is getting underway.

**Randall Williams** (1:34)
It has been a large conversation for many months and years, and now we're finally here. We are, as it sits right now, 18 minutes away from not tip-off but kick-off. It was tip-off as yesterday, but it's tremendous. I think that things will really come into effect. We'll feel it on Saturday when the matches really begin, and there's a match at MetLife, and I think that Team USA plays on Friday, right? Vanessa, do I have that right?

**Vanessa Perdomo Maglione** (2:00)
Yeah, they play Friday in SoFi Stadium in LA.

**Randall Williams** (2:05)
So when Team USA plays, I expect a large crowd. I expect the excitement to kick up, but...

**Tim Stenovec** (2:10)
But Vanessa, how good is Team USA? I mean, help set expectations here. I mean, this is the thing.
You know, soccer, it's globally, it's huge. Here in the US., it is growing. It is big, but we're not even close to the best.

**Vanessa Perdomo Maglione** (2:27)
We're definitely not close to the best, Tim. That's definitely correct. But we are better than I think people might think that we are. You know, I think that the US is going to do well. I think they're going to definitely get out of their group. They might have the potential to win the group. And I think if they really... You know, I was talking to Alexey Lalas recently, and he played in the 1994 World Cup, and he really was iterating to me that how important a home World Cup really is. And the US aren't expected to go very far, but I think if they're able to really capture the audience the way that we've seen, you know, in past World Cups, I think that they might be able to do something special and get to the quarterfinals or something like that, or some further, further than we've ever seen before. I think if they can capture the magic, that's really what's important. They have to feel it.

**Carol Massar** (3:14)
I gotta say, I wanna talk more about the games itself and who's playing and all that, but the cost of the World Cup, all the things like transportation.

**Tim Stenovec** (3:22)
In 1994, it was only 25 or 65 bucks a ticket.

**Randall Williams** (3:24)
That's not even gonna get you on to the New Jersey Transit to get to New Jersey.

**Carol Massar** (3:28)
I know, I know.

**Randall Williams** (3:31)
Combined, by the way.

**Carol Massar** (3:32)
I gotta say that Dan Hunt, co-owner president of the Dallas Football Club, he weighed in on FIFA World Cup ticketing prices. Just listen up, guys.

**Dan Hunt** (3:41)
The rollout is a little bit nontraditional, how we would do it in American sports, but FIFA has their way of doing it.
And they've gotten some criticism over the prices, and they went back and re-priced some cheaper tickets. And what I would say is there's a market demand for this, and the revenue they generate from the World Cup supports soccer globally. Their initiatives from grassroots to growing the men's game, growing the women's game, all the money associated with prize money, player money to clubs, and just in developing nations and helping the game along. And this is really their pinnacle tent pole moment that they have every four years. And so I know there's a, it's a delicate balance, right? You want it affordable for fans, because fans make the game, but you also need to be able to have, you know, the money to help support the game for the next four years.