The scene is becoming alarmingly familiar: a US Men’s National Team match at home. It should be a sea of red white and blue. Instead, the stands are an ocean of opposing colors and the cheers for the visitors drown out the home fans.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, U.S. Soccer is facing a billion-dollar question: why is it struggling to sell out its own stadiums? Is it the inconsistent product on the field? Or is it the price of admission, which has skyrocketed from an average of $28 to nearly $100 a ticket? In a diverse "soccer melting pot," how do you build a loyal American fanbase when so many have deep roots—and allegiances—to countries like Mexico and Colombia?

Hosts Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé are joined by sports business expert Walter Franco (Victus) to dissect what the national team is doing on and off the pitch - and what it means for the future of the sport during the world cup… and beyond. Asli, Michael, and Walter break down everything from grassroots outreach to the sky-high prices that have fans joking about selling a kidney for a ticket, and debate how to reclaim home-field advantage before the whole world arrives.

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For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

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The Finance of Football, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

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Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymahine.com

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