Underdog Nations and Hopes for the U.S. Team

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to become the largest and most inclusive tournament in the sport's history, spanning 104 soccer matches across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Carlos Cordeiro, senior advisor to the FIFA president, senior advisor to the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, and Goldman Sachs alum, joins Gene Sykes, co-chair of Goldman Sachs M&A and co-chair of the Global Technology, Media, and Telecom Group, to discuss the strategy behind the 2026 bid, the operational complexity of hosting 48 teams and millions of fans across three countries, and the impact of the World Cup on the future of soccer in the US.

This episode was recorded on June 8, 2026.

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