00:04The 2026 World Cup will be rocket fuel for the growth of football in the U.S.,
00:10according to MLS commissioner Don Garber.
00:13You know, without the 94 World Cup, there's no Major League Soccer.
00:17So 30 years later, 32 years later, we'll have the 2026 World Cup.
00:25And that's going to be the rocket fuel to continue to grow soccer in America at all levels,
00:30the youth level, women's soccer, men's soccer.
00:33You know, we'll have many of our teams involved in all sorts of World Cup-related activities,
00:38and no different than what you saw in Qatar.
00:41You know, the World Cup just raises the excitement and energy in a country.
00:45We expect that to happen in the U.S.
00:48Garber is only the second-ever MLS commissioner, and he's been in post since 1999.
00:54Overseeing a transformation in the competition that has seen numerous expansion franchises,
01:00record crowds, and the recruitment of some of the game's greatest players.
01:04Not least, Lionel Messi.
01:09The generation on since taking the reins, Garber can now see the fruits of a mature MLS
01:15in the young players coming through the system.
01:18You know, the future of football everywhere is the development of young players.
01:24And in our country, we had to start from the very beginning, creating academies,
01:29building development facilities, and creating different youth leagues and young adult leagues.
01:36And it is the most important thing that we focus on every day.
01:40Our Philadelphia Union won the league this year, and they had more young players from their academy play
01:45than any other team in Major League Soccer.
01:48So, we will continue to make this investment.
01:51I want to say thank you to the Aspire group for putting this great conference together,
01:58and very proud of everything you guys have done.
02:02The cornerstone of this growth is infrastructure development.
02:05And with the World Cup on American shores, this is only going to be further enhanced.
02:12I think without facilities, you can't really have a proper home.
02:17It's no different than anything in life.
02:19So, we have facilities that are being built in every one of our markets,
02:24from young kids, U-14, all the way up to U-18s.
02:28And whether it's in Philadelphia or Toronto or Vancouver or Chicago or Miami,
02:34they're all building these facilities as an important part to build a foundation from the bottom up.
02:40Gaba was speaking at the 11th Aspire Academy Global Summit in Philadelphia,
02:46alongside two-time Women's World Cup winner, Carly Lloyd.
02:51Yeah, I mean, I think the game of soccer or football, as you call it, unites the world.
02:57And to be able to, you know, bridge people together, coaches, players, former players,
03:03you know, it's just a great thing, spreading knowledge and awareness and all those different things.
03:09So, yeah, with the World Cup here next summer, it's a prime spot to want to come here.
03:17It's been a slow burn, but the United States is now one of the foremost nations in the world of
03:22football, or soccer.
03:24However you choose to call it, it's booming.
03:27And after the 2026 World Cup, who knows how far it can reach?
03:31That's true.
03:32I'm sure you're a good one.
03:33I'll catch you, my baby.
03:34Thanks so much for coming.
03:34Thanks.
03:34Thanks.
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