- 9 hours ago
Now that we’re under a month away from the biggest tournament in the world, CBS Sports and MLS broadcaster Chris Wittyngham joins the show for a preview of the World Cup.
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00:00Chris Whittingham is on the Toyota of Hollywood hotline.
00:03He's a soccer broadcaster for CBS and Apple TV.
00:08He is going to Oslo next week for the UEFA Women's Champions League final,
00:14which is May 23rd on Paramount+.
00:18The game is Barcelona and León.
00:22And where are you joining us from, Whitty?
00:24I can hear all the ambient noise again.
00:25Are you back at that soccer thing?
00:27Yes, I'm back at the Baller League Arena in Miami.
00:31At Tropical Park.
00:33We had a delightful segment in the last segment.
00:35And I kind of like to keep it going, but I don't want to waste Whitty's time
00:39because I really did want to talk World Cup and soccer.
00:42No, let's keep it going.
00:42What are you guys talking about?
00:43We were talking about Solana's upcoming wedding.
00:48And Crowder and I were trying to buy a table
00:51so that we could bring some people that he wasn't planning on inviting.
00:55And we thought it would be a nice revenue generator for him
00:58if, like, at a charitable event.
01:00You know how you buy a table for $5,000.
01:02If we bought a couple of tables, but then I get to bring Manny to take pictures.
01:09I was going to bring...
01:11Right.
01:11I'm going to...
01:12W2 Roy, who comes to Gulfstream Park and visits us.
01:16My horse inbox.
01:21That really needed the second syllable.
01:25The second syllable of horse was really required there.
01:30My horse.
01:33Would you consider doing...
01:35See, you're not in the...
01:36Like, Solana, who wouldn't need an extra $10,000 for me and Crowder?
01:42Oh, no.
01:42I'm willing to...
01:44I'm willing to put...
01:45You're going to Oslo to do UEFA Champions League.
01:48Like, you could buy me out of my table at your wedding.
01:51Hey, man.
01:52Hey, man.
01:53I may be going to Oslo for the Champions League final,
01:56but also, I would be willing to sell some seats to the wedding
01:59because this ain't cheap.
02:02It is not cheap.
02:04I'm getting there next March in the Keys,
02:06and every quarter, every three months,
02:10we've got to pay a portion of that bill.
02:12And every time that credit card deduction happens,
02:16it does not make it any better.
02:19In that case, sign Brady Papinga up for Woody's wedding.
02:27That is a callback.
02:30That is a callback.
02:32You remember Woody Crowder was filling in
02:36for Big O,
02:37and he had Brady Papinga on
02:39because he would come on weekly with Big O,
02:41and, man, they butted.
02:44Well, I mean, he just...
02:46Did Big O call you during the segment
02:48and say,
02:49you can't have him on anymore,
02:51or something like that?
02:52He didn't say anything to me, Big O,
02:54but there definitely was an arrangement
02:56that needed to be changed.
02:57Oh, Solana took that call?
02:58Oh, man.
02:59I apologize.
03:00So, basically, what happened was
03:01is we just, like, got into it
03:03about NFL concussions.
03:04This was in 2017.
03:06The movie had already come out.
03:08This issue had sort of long since been settled
03:10as an issue that, like,
03:11kind of needed to be dealt with.
03:13And yet, for whatever reason,
03:14Brady Papinga came on and was like,
03:16I'm going to have...
03:16I'm going to pretend like
03:17I learned nothing about concussions
03:19and made it seem like
03:20I was, like, some bleeding-heart liberal
03:22for bringing up the points
03:24contrary to that colliding heads is bad.
03:28But, like, it was...
03:29And it was, like, an argument
03:30that was sort of born, like,
03:31no, but that's ridiculous.
03:33What you're saying is ridiculous, right?
03:34It's like, no, it's not.
03:35Okay, well, then we kind of need to...
03:36We can't just let this go.
03:37We have to keep talking about it, right?
03:42So...
03:43Brady Papinga.
03:44I know.
03:44I know.
03:45If I can buy a table
03:46to Witty's wedding,
03:47I'm bringing Big O and Brady Papinga.
03:49Witty.
03:49I'm in, man.
03:50It's for sale.
03:51Send me the invoice.
03:52It's for sale.
03:53Because, I mean,
03:55because everyone has...
03:56I'm sure, Solana,
03:56you have your list, yeah?
03:57And you have to make your cuts.
04:00And, honestly,
04:01you would invite more people
04:02if they would buy their way into it.
04:04But it's also kind of offensive
04:05to go up to somebody like,
04:06well, if you paid $279.99,
04:09I might consider bringing you
04:10to my wedding.
04:11But otherwise,
04:12I'm not certain that I can.
04:13It's already too many people.
04:15Sell seats, man.
04:16Why not?
04:17Anyway,
04:17I really wanted to talk World Cup
04:19because we're less than a month away.
04:21And I was telling Solana
04:23and Crowder at the beginning of the show,
04:24like, I'm learning more about soccer
04:26over the last few weeks.
04:27Like, I'm trying to retain it,
04:28learn it,
04:29because I didn't know...
04:29I didn't understand Champions League
04:31and all that stuff.
04:32Like, I just didn't get it.
04:33But I'm starting to get it.
04:34But I'm paying more attention
04:35to the World Cup.
04:36But I saw today
04:37that there's a halftime show.
04:39And I brought up
04:40at the beginning of the show today,
04:42you know,
04:42this is uniquely American
04:44because they haven't done this
04:45for a World Cup.
04:46And I wonder if that offends
04:48your soccer sensibilities.
04:50And I'm guessing...
04:51I also made the point
04:52of the hydration breaks,
04:54which are really commercial breaks.
04:55I just wonder if you,
04:57as a soccer purist,
04:58are offended by
04:59kind of the Americanization
05:01of the greatest soccer event
05:04in the world.
05:04I'm not.
05:05I'm really not
05:06because ultimately
05:08each World Cup
05:09has to take on
05:10the characteristics
05:11of its host nation.
05:12And if you were to hold
05:13any big sporting event
05:14that, like, you could plan...
05:16We've known for several years now
05:18that the final is at MetLife Stadium
05:20on July, the whatever.
05:22For any event
05:23that was like that,
05:23you would plan
05:24some big kind
05:25of halftime ceremony.
05:26So, yeah, I mean,
05:27there will be purists
05:28that will be upset about it.
05:29But also,
05:30this is sort of the one case
05:31in which I don't necessarily
05:32have to be bothered
05:33about the fact
05:34that other countries
05:35don't like it.
05:35It's an event being held
05:36in the United States.
05:37Now, if UEFA brings us
05:39into the Champions League final
05:41and decides we want
05:41to have a big entertainer
05:42during halftime
05:43and Europeans get upset
05:44about it,
05:45that's their thing.
05:46That's how they do sports.
05:47But over here
05:48in the United States,
05:49like, this is what we do.
05:51We turn everything
05:51into a big spectacle
05:52and a big show.
05:53So I'm not offended
05:55in the slightest.
05:56The only thing
05:56that I'm worried about,
05:57and I kind of wonder
05:58how they do it
05:59for the Super Bowl,
06:00is I'm worried
06:00about the pitch.
06:01Because if they have
06:03a bunch of singers
06:03and a bunch of dancers
06:04and stage
06:05and, you know,
06:06speakers and musicians
06:07and instruments,
06:09they've got to wheel
06:09all this stuff out
06:10at halftime
06:10and they've got to wheel
06:11it out onto the pitch.
06:12They've got to wheel
06:13out on the pitch.
06:14Right.
06:16And then we come out
06:17after halftime
06:18and they can't string
06:19two passes together
06:20because the pitch
06:21is completely destroyed.
06:22Then that would be
06:22a problem.
06:23I hope that they have
06:24solved for this,
06:24but that's the only thing
06:25that I'm worried about.
06:26I kind of like the fact
06:27that this is an event
06:28that is uniquely American.
06:30It has to be
06:31because otherwise...
06:32I think I expected,
06:33by the way.
06:34But,
06:34but,
06:34Whitty,
06:34Solana,
06:35where did I go
06:36where you were amazed
06:36that I didn't know
06:37where I was at
06:37where they were burning
06:38crap behind the goal?
06:40Barcelona?
06:41The Cop Noon,
06:42yeah.
06:42Yeah.
06:42You texted me about that,
06:43yeah.
06:44Yeah,
06:44it's like,
06:45but it's the stadiums,
06:47like,
06:48it's not as much marketing,
06:49it's not as much sales,
06:51it's just pure,
06:52like,
06:52watch soccer,
06:53watch soccer.
06:55But that's not
06:56a good business model.
06:57Like,
06:57they could make
06:58way more money,
06:59they could blow up
06:59the game even more,
07:00whatever it is,
07:01like,
07:01what we do in America,
07:03shouldn't they take on
07:04that in other countries?
07:05It doesn't make sense
07:06not to sell
07:07and market your damn sport.
07:08So here is the flip side
07:11that I would say to that,
07:13is,
07:13and actually,
07:14Hawk and I were talking
07:15about this the other day
07:16because there was
07:16a minor league baseball
07:17promotion from the Louisville
07:19Bats who have decided
07:20for a full game
07:21to not have any music,
07:23no promotions
07:24in between games,
07:26there's nothing.
07:27It's just going to be
07:28nothing.
07:29Not an organ player,
07:30nothing.
07:31Nothing.
07:31For the full nine innings
07:33for a baseball game.
07:34And it's going to be weird
07:35and it's going to be bad.
07:36I remember the New York Knicks
07:38tried this once
07:38during a game
07:39where they didn't have
07:40the organist playing at all
07:41and Draymond Green
07:42came out after the game
07:43and said that was terrible,
07:44there was no atmosphere.
07:45Well,
07:45that's because
07:46you are relying upon
07:49the organization,
07:50the team,
07:51to provide atmosphere.
07:52The reason why
07:53people like European soccer
07:55and European atmospheres
07:56is because there is nothing.
07:57It is a blank canvas
07:59upon which the fans
08:00create the atmosphere.
08:02They sing songs
08:04and they bang drums
08:05and it's all about
08:06the atmosphere created
08:07by the fans.
08:08And the expectation
08:09is that the fans create it.
08:10The second you start
08:11to provide it for them,
08:12the second that I think
08:14what happens is
08:14I think American sports
08:15crowds are bad.
08:16I really do.
08:17Unless an exciting moment
08:19happens,
08:19unless the R.J. Barrett
08:20shot happens the other day
08:21for Toronto
08:22and that arena goes nuts.
08:24Otherwise,
08:24during the game,
08:25it's just defense.
08:27That's it.
08:28That's all it is.
08:29And so,
08:30it's terrible.
08:31And so,
08:32I think that American
08:33sports atmospheres
08:34have been dulled
08:35by the fact
08:35that the games
08:36are produced
08:37within an inch
08:38of their lives
08:38and the expectation
08:39is on the team
08:40rather than the fan
08:41to create the atmosphere.
08:43So, yeah,
08:43you can probably sell
08:44a few more sponsorships,
08:45but ultimately,
08:46if you kill the thing
08:47that makes it special,
08:49which is the crowds
08:49that are at every game,
08:51then what have you
08:52really done
08:52other than made a few bucks,
08:53which, you know,
08:54ultimately,
08:55these teams make
08:55tons of money anyway.
08:57All we talk about
08:58leading up to the World Cup
08:59from a local perspective
09:00is growing the game,
09:02how this World Cup
09:03was going to grow the game
09:04and there were going to be
09:06millions of new soccer lovers.
09:08Witty,
09:09how much of that
09:10is based on
09:11the United States
09:12and their success
09:13in this tournament,
09:14A and B,
09:15considering,
09:16you know,
09:16their group,
09:17I wouldn't say
09:17is the group of death,
09:18but it's certainly
09:19a strong group.
09:22What are your
09:23reasonable expectations
09:24for the U.S.?
09:25So,
09:25we honestly have no idea
09:27because the United States
09:29has been all over the place
09:30in the last two years.
09:31They also haven't played
09:31a competitive game
09:33since March of 2025
09:34and those are nations,
09:36the games,
09:36which isn't even really
09:37the real thing.
09:38This is a level,
09:39an order of magnitude
09:40bigger than any game
09:41they've played in four years.
09:42And so,
09:42we don't know
09:43how this team will arrive.
09:45I think if you look
09:45at the collection of players,
09:46it can perform well
09:47in this group.
09:48They actually have beaten,
09:49they have Australia,
09:50Paraguay,
09:51and Turkey.
09:51They've actually played
09:52all three of those teams
09:53in the last year.
09:54They beat Australia,
09:55they beat Paraguay,
09:56and they lost to Turkey.
09:57If you mirror those results,
09:59you have a chance
10:00of winning the group.
10:00You have a chance
10:00of finishing in second
10:01and advancing.
10:02But I agree with you.
10:04It is entirely dependent
10:05on how the United States does
10:06in terms of the overall mood
10:08of the country.
10:08There will be the communities
10:10for, let's say,
10:11Colombia,
10:11if they go on
10:11to have a great World Cup.
10:12Colombian Americans
10:13will have a great time.
10:14But realistically,
10:15this is like the Olympics.
10:16This is like any other
10:18international sporting competition
10:19where it goes as far
10:20as the United States goes.
10:21So I think they can
10:23compete reasonably well.
10:24I think they can get
10:24to a last 16.
10:25But ultimately,
10:26the only way for it to be
10:27that sort of boom moment
10:28is they go and play Argentina
10:30and they beat them.
10:30They go and play Colombia
10:31and they beat them.
10:32They go and play England
10:34and they beat them,
10:35which is almost,
10:36I mean,
10:36there would be massive underdogs
10:38going into a game like that.
10:39But the United States
10:40have pulled off upsets
10:41like that before.
10:42It's just about,
10:43can all the stars align
10:44in a one-off game
10:45and you go and beat someone
10:45that you otherwise wouldn't have
10:47and that creates
10:47this boom moment.
10:48So yeah,
10:49I agree.
10:49It's completely dependent
10:50on the United States.
10:51The only problem is
10:52for as much as the American player
10:54has made strides
10:55at the highest levels
10:56of the game,
10:56is it enough?
10:57Are there enough strides
10:59being made in order to compete
11:00at the highest levels
11:01of the World Cup?
11:02Is the excitement there
11:03for this World Cup?
11:05I'm starting to see it
11:06at grocery stores
11:07and on commercials.
11:09Like,
11:09I know the marketing angle
11:11is there.
11:13It's kicking in,
11:13but we're less than a month away.
11:15Is the fan excitement there?
11:18I don't think so.
11:19And I think it's because
11:20of the amount of bad press
11:22that FIFA have brought
11:23upon themselves
11:24and that really
11:25the only media
11:26that is out there,
11:27I mean,
11:27there are some
11:27that are talking
11:28about the games
11:28and ultimately,
11:29once the thing kicks off,
11:30once the U.S.
11:31plays their first game
11:32in Los Angeles
11:33against Paraguay,
11:34then it's a sporting event.
11:36And I think World Cups
11:37tend to build momentum
11:38from that first game.
11:39But in the buildup,
11:40all this organization
11:41has brought upon themselves
11:42is negative publicity
11:43with, you know,
11:45how expensive
11:45the ticket prices are
11:46in each individual market.
11:48There are all these stories,
11:49all the hotels
11:50aren't selling
11:51and is this event
11:51actually even going
11:52to sell out?
11:53Are these games
11:54even going to sell out?
11:55I think they would have
11:55in an instant
11:56if they were priced reasonably.
11:58But this World Cup,
11:59for as much as you say,
12:01Solana,
12:01that it is about
12:01growing the game,
12:02it just hasn't proven
12:03to be that that's
12:04what the organization
12:05that is running it values.
12:06They value extracting
12:07every possible dollar
12:08out of every corporation,
12:10out of every individual
12:11in the country,
12:11so that this is as big
12:12of a money-making venture
12:13as it possibly can be.
12:15Because that's what
12:15the United States
12:16unfortunately is to the world.
12:17We are the ATM
12:18to the world.
12:19Did all the,
12:20like,
12:21would all the games
12:22sell out in Qatar?
12:24Like,
12:25even when it's
12:26a couple of nations
12:27that there's really
12:28no interest,
12:30geographic interest,
12:31like,
12:31we know that there are
12:32some matches like that here,
12:33but I just wonder if
12:34in most,
12:35like,
12:35I know in the Olympics,
12:37not every event
12:38is sold out
12:39because there are sports
12:41that don't have
12:42as much cachet
12:43play as basketball
12:45or hockey.
12:46So,
12:46I wonder if
12:47all World Cup matches
12:49always sell out
12:50in the host countries.
12:51I mean,
12:52there were some games
12:52that were played in Qatar.
12:53They tried as much
12:54as they could
12:54to limit the damage
12:56of how hot it is,
12:56but they played
12:57during the day
12:58and there was that,
12:58you know,
12:59section of the stadium
13:00that's in the sun
13:00that would look
13:01completely empty.
13:02But yeah,
13:02for the most part,
13:02you watch the games,
13:03you didn't think about
13:04the crowd
13:04because there were
13:04people there.
13:05It was also
13:06a much smaller
13:07geographical footprint.
13:08You could reasonably
13:09expect to get to
13:10all eight of the stadiums
13:12within about
13:12a four hours drive
13:13because that's how
13:14small the country is
13:15and how small
13:16the footprint
13:16of the tournament was.
13:17This is a completely
13:18different thing.
13:19But I think,
13:19yes,
13:20you would expect
13:21every single World Cup
13:22game to be sold out,
13:23whether it was
13:23a terrible team,
13:24a good team,
13:25good teams playing
13:26each other,
13:26good team playing
13:27a terrible team,
13:27it wouldn't have mattered
13:28if, frankly,
13:30the immigration situation
13:31in the country
13:32was more normal
13:32and if the tickets
13:34are reasonably priced,
13:35every game
13:35would be sold out.
13:36Everyone would want
13:37to come here,
13:37but that's not at all
13:38what they prioritize.
13:39So it's going to rely
13:40upon Americans
13:41and local markets
13:42looking at an event
13:44going on in their backyard
13:45and saying,
13:45I want to go.
13:46And I don't know,
13:47there are some,
13:48like, for example,
13:48I was watching this
13:49conversation on TikTok
13:50about these two guys
13:51in Seattle who were like,
13:52I want to take my kid
13:53to a World Cup game,
13:54but the United States
13:55is playing here.
13:55I think they play
13:56in Australia.
13:57They play against
13:57Australia in Seattle
13:59and to take a family
14:00of four is like $5,000.
14:02And by the way,
14:04that game could be bad.
14:05It could be a nil-nil game.
14:06There is no guarantee
14:07that the game
14:07is going to be any good.
14:09And so is every game
14:10going to be sold out?
14:11Maybe those prices
14:11get lower,
14:12but if it isn't,
14:13it isn't because
14:14there's a lack of interest
14:15in the World Cup.
14:15It's because of how
14:16they decided to market
14:17and price it.
14:18And Whitney,
14:19how do they decide
14:20where the World Cup is?
14:21Is it like a Super Bowl bid?
14:23Because it seems like
14:24it would be more successful
14:26somewhere else.
14:27Oh, no.
14:28My view is that
14:29the United States
14:30is the best place
14:31to host the World Cup.
14:31I really do.
14:32Like better than
14:33any other country.
14:34But again,
14:35so this World Cup
14:37is different in one respect
14:38than previous.
14:39Normally,
14:39what would happen
14:39in previous World Cups
14:40is the country
14:41would organize it.
14:42They would run
14:43all the tickets
14:44and U.S. soccer
14:45would basically be in charge
14:46of the World Cup.
14:47But FIFA decided
14:48instead of allowing
14:49somebody else
14:50to make the money,
14:51we're going to make the money.
14:52And they have corporate
14:53headquarters in Miami,
14:54not terribly far
14:55from where you guys
14:56are right now,
14:56and they are running
14:58the whole thing.
14:58So they have decided
14:59that this is what
15:00they want to do
15:01with the World Cup.
15:01But I am of the belief,
15:03just based off of
15:03how multicultural
15:04the country is,
15:05based off of how much
15:06people want to come here,
15:07under normal circumstances,
15:09I think the United States
15:10is the best place
15:10to host the World Cup.
15:11These just aren't
15:12normal circumstances.
15:13But to answer your question,
15:14there is a bidding process.
15:17Now, because the tournaments
15:18are getting so big,
15:19they have 48 teams.
15:20Usually it involves
15:21multiple countries
15:22hosting as well.
15:23So, for example,
15:24the next one is being held
15:25in Spain, Morocco,
15:26and Portugal.
15:27Portugal, so, you know,
15:29they have...
15:30And Uruguay.
15:31And Uruguay, Paraguay,
15:32and Argentina.
15:33Right, which is a bit
15:35of chicanery.
15:35The centennial,
15:36the centennial, Woody.
15:37Come on.
15:38It is a bit of chicanery
15:40that it's not worth
15:40getting into.
15:41But yeah, so basically...
15:43A lot of chicanery.
15:44Yeah, so basically,
15:46each continent
15:47has a chance to host it
15:48over the course of every,
15:50let's say, six cycles.
15:51So, in one World Cup,
15:52Europe will host,
15:53in one World Cup,
15:54South America will host,
15:55in one World Cup,
15:55North America will host.
15:56That's how it should be.
15:57That's not how it's going to be.
16:00But yeah, so, right.
16:01It's all about money.
16:02And frankly...
16:03Qatar got the World Cup.
16:04No, Saudi.
16:06Saudi for 34
16:07is what this is all about.
16:09Yeah.
16:09Qatar got the World Cup, Woody.
16:11I mean, I don't think
16:12I'm revealing state secrets
16:13because of the amount of money
16:15that they paid for it.
16:16Like, that's how they got
16:16the World Cup.
16:17Of course.
16:18So there's...
16:18Olympic bids as well.
16:20Sure, sure.
16:21And now it's a little bit...
16:23It's supposed to be
16:24more transparent
16:24than it used to be,
16:25but now it's the same
16:27as the FIFA presidency,
16:28which is basically
16:29each country gets a vote.
16:30So each country gets a vote,
16:31they present bids,
16:32and then whoever wins the vote
16:34gets the...
16:35I think the U.S.
16:36was competing against
16:37an Australia bid
16:38for this one,
16:39and ultimately,
16:39they won out.
16:40So, yeah.
16:41Ultimately,
16:42each continent has their go.
16:43There's a bidding process,
16:44and then they vote on it.
16:45Chris Whittingham,
16:46soccer broadcaster,
16:47Apple TV and CBS.
16:48He'll be in Oslo
16:49next week
16:50for the women's
16:52UEFA...
16:53UEFA?
16:53Yeah,
16:54UEFA Champions League.
16:56Have you been to Norway before?
16:57I've never been to Norway before.
16:59I'm very excited.
17:00I'm actually going to pop over
17:00after the final
17:01and visit Denmark as well.
17:02I've never been to Denmark,
17:03so knocking out
17:04two countries in one go.
17:05That will be a fantastic trip,
17:08I would imagine.
17:09That's probably
17:09a perfect time of year
17:10to be there.
17:10All right.
17:11Have safe travels,
17:12and we will speak to you again
17:14as we lead up
17:15to the World Cup.
17:15A little disappointed
17:16we didn't get to the
17:17messy almost hat trick
17:18last night,
17:18but a big win
17:19for Inter-Miami last night.
17:20Well done to them.
17:20Fair or unfair
17:21that they took away that goal?
17:23Totally fair.
17:23Totally fair.
17:24Totally fair?
17:25Yeah,
17:25because a goal
17:26has to be a shot on target
17:28that was not a shot on target.
17:29It hit the post.
17:32The post is not on target.
17:34Of course it is.
17:35No, it's not.
17:36It hit the post.
17:36That's the goal.
17:37That's the goal.
17:38You're going to have to
17:38defer to Whitty.
17:40The statistical calculation
17:41of shots on target
17:42do not include shots
17:43that hit the post.
17:44If you hit the post,
17:45it does not count
17:46as a shot on target.
17:47Because it wasn't on target.
17:49Solana, Solana, Solana.
17:50Don't argue.
17:51I'm not arguing.
17:53I'm not arguing.
17:54I feel bad when you do this
17:55to Solana.
17:55Solana's a massive soccer fan.
17:57I know he is.
17:58You don't need to patronize
17:59him like this.
17:59I mean,
18:00you obviously know more
18:01about this.
18:02He's done one
18:03FIU women's game.
18:05Mother effer, man.
18:09You mother effer.
18:11I'm inviting to my table
18:13along with Manny.
18:14Bill and Jill.
18:14Bill and Jill.
18:15The voice of FIU.
18:17I'll come around
18:17to the table as well.
18:20We'll see you in.
18:22All right.
18:22See you guys.
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