A record NWSL expansion, a college star turned investor, and Messi popping up in two stadiums—this week’s episode has everything.

Asli and Michael kick off with the NWSL playoffs, a weekend full of chaos and upsets that proved once again why this league delivers pure drama. Asli questions whether the short playoff format does the excitement justice, but Michael argues that if you’ve got heartbreak and high stakes, the system’s working.

The big headline? Atlanta’s new NWSL franchise. At a record $165 million expansion fee—over 50% more than Denver’s deal—the city is cementing itself as a soccer capital. Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports & Entertainment (Falcons, Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium) is behind the bid, and Asli notes that Atlanta’s also now home to U.S. Soccer’s new headquarters and World Cup matches in 2026.

Then, a first for women’s sports: USC basketball star JuJu Watkins becomes the first college athlete to invest in a pro team, joining the Boston Legacy ownership group. Asli and Michael unpack how NIL is reshaping college sports, turning athletes into entrepreneurs with real equity and long-term strategy.

The NWSL also announced its new advisory board featuring icons like Magic Johnson, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Paul, Brandi Chastain, and Alex Morgan—proof the league’s growth is attracting serious power players.

And yes, Messi’s in the mix too—appearing at both Inter Miami’s new stadium and Barcelona’s revamped Camp Nou, just casually boosting global headlines.

Finally, Michael shares takeaways from his trip to Germany and his visit to Union Berlin—a club literally built by its fans, funded by donated blood and sweat. It’s the kind of grassroots authenticity American sports rarely touch.

From underdog clubs to superstar investors, this week’s episode shows how passion, purpose, and profit are reshaping the global game—one franchise, one boardroom, and one blood-donating fanbase at a time.

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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 frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Heineken’s out, Budweiser’s in—and soccer’s sponsorship landscape may never look the same.

This week, Asli and Michael kick things off with the end of a 30-year partnership: AB InBev is replacing Heineken as the official beer of the UEFA Champions League starting in 2027, doubling the annual fee to more than $230 million. Asli wonders if the European prestige will fade, while Michael sees it as the next phase of soccer’s global takeover—and a warning to every legacy sponsor that no brand is too iconic to be replaced.

Then it’s over to U.S. Soccer, which just posted record revenue of $263.7 million for 2025. Asli recalls how brands like Chobani are showing up beyond the pitch—family activations, freebies, and sugar-free yogurt for kids—while Michael asks the big question: will this cash ever reach the grassroots, or just fund new facilities at the top?

The conversation shifts to the U.S. soccer pyramid, where USL has made its boldest move yet—hiring Premier League exec Tony Scholes to lead its new Division One league and bring promotion and relegation to American soccer. Asli calls it “great drama and great business.” Michael agrees: “It’s what MLS can’t sell—stakes.”

Finally, the Seattle Sounders are hunting for new investors and exploring a soccer-specific stadium in Renton. Asli raises questions about accessibility and fan culture, while Michael points to a growing trend: every successful U.S. soccer club now wants a home of its own.

From sponsorship shakeups to stadium deals, Finance of Football dives into how money, marketing, and ambition are rewriting the rules of the beautiful game—one beer, one league, and one city at a time.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

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

---

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ticket chaos, Messi’s Miami deal, and a corruption scandal that could only happen in Turkey—this week, Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé dive into the messy business of the world’s game.

With World Cup 2026 tickets already hitting $25,000 on resale, they ask: has football’s biggest event become too elite for real fans? Asli recalls Brazil 2014’s accessible magic, while Michael calls today’s market a test of FIFA’s soul.

Then, Messi extends with Inter Miami through 2028—just in time for Freedom Park’s debut—but can MLS handle a future without salary caps? Asli says yes. Michael says chaos.

They wrap with Turkey’s betting probe into 150 referees—proving, as Asli jokes, “we don’t do small corruption.”

Tune in as Finance of Football takes on greed, glory, and the price of passion in the modern game.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fresh off FIFA’s announcement that the 2031 Women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica, Asli and Michael turn their focus to one of the sport’s most iconic voices: Andrés Cantor.

From Buenos Aires to Los Angeles, Cantor has spent a lifetime bringing football to life for millions. He shares how growing up listening to Argentinian radio play-by-plays shaped his rhythm and emotion, and how calling the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. helped launch soccer into the American mainstream.

Now, three decades later, he’s preparing to cover the 2026 World Cup—the largest ever, with 104 matches across North America—and says it could be “the biggest sporting event in U.S. history.” He explains the grind behind the glory: endless prep, sleepless travel, and the adrenaline that never fades.

Cantor also reflects on calling matches alongside his son Nico Cantor, the first father-son duo in U.S. sports broadcasting history, and what it means to pass down both a voice and a love for the game.

But he’s not afraid to speak his mind about FIFA’s expansion plans. For Cantor, 48 teams already test the limits—and a jump to 64 could dilute the magic. “The World Cup should be for the best of the best,” he says. “It has to mean something to qualify.”

From viral goal calls to late-night prep sessions, Cantor reveals the craft and emotion behind the microphone—and why he still feels lucky just to be close to the game he loves.

Tune in as Finance of Football dives into the man, the voice, and the legacy behind football’s most unforgettable sound: GOOOOOOL!

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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

---

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

---

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kick off your day with purpose—and coffee.

Get 15% off at KickoffCoffeeCo.com

with code FINANCEOFFOOTBALL15 — coffee for soccer people, by soccer people, freshly roasted and delivered to your door.

The NWSL is on fire—record crowds, soaring valuations, and billionaires lining up to buy in. But as the women’s game explodes, what does real progress look like off the pitch?

Former Colombia international and Adweek’s Most Powerful Woman in Sports Melissa Ortiz joins hosts Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé to talk about what comes after the final whistle: reinventing yourself, building a personal brand, and creating opportunities for women—especially Latinas—in the business of sport.

From fighting for equality with Colombia’s national team to landing at Harvard Business School, Ortiz shares how she turned rejection into reinvention and passion into purpose. The conversation dives into the money, the media, and the mindset driving women’s soccer’s next era—and how athletes can lead that change long after they hang up their boots.

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - https://www.instagram.com/brefootcontessa/

Michael - https://www.instagram.com/michael.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - instagram.com/financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - facebook.com/financeoffootball

---

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

---

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The question has haunted American soccer for decades: why can’t the U.S. Men’s National Team win it all? The money is there. The facilities are world-class. The fanbase is growing faster than ever. And yet, the pipeline that produces global stars in Brazil, France, and Argentina keeps breaking down here at home.

With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, hosts Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé sit down with former U.S. international and soccer entrepreneur Kyle Martino to talk about what it will really take to build a winning program. Martino argues that America doesn’t need more billion-dollar stadiums—it needs more pickup games on blacktop. From his Street FC project to the American Football Company, he’s building access, joy, and creativity back into the sport at its foundation.

Together, they dig into how the U.S. can move past its pay-to-play culture, get kids playing for love instead of status, and create the kind of everyday soccer environment that turns raw talent into world champions.

So tune in as Finance of Football explores Kyle Martino’s vision for the future of U.S. Soccer—and how a return to the streets might finally bring the country men’s titles.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

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

---

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s supposed to be a week for presidents and prime ministers. But at this year’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was just as visible—glad-handing world leaders, cutting reels for social media, and pushing the conversation toward the 2030 World Cup.

Already the most complicated World Cup ever—with opening matches in South America before the bulk of games in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco—the tournament could now swell to 64 teams if CONMEBOL gets its way. The idea sounds inclusive, but critics say it risks diluting the product. Do fans really want Spain crushing Burkina Faso 8–0 on the biggest stage in sports? Or is this just the latest in FIFA’s money play, with more matches, more dates, and more billions flowing into the governing body’s coffers?

Hosts Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé follow the money and the politics, from UEFA’s pushback to FIFA’s $13 billion revenue projection. They dive into the mounting toll on players—burnout, endless travel, and shortened careers—and the geopolitical theater around Infantino’s meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump. Along the way, they ask whether “growth” actually makes the game better, or simply bigger.

So tune in as Finance of Football unpacks how a trophy meant to unite the world could end up stretching it too far.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

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

---

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

That shiny golden trophy every soccer player desperately wants? It’s the most prestigious individual award in sports. But here’s the thing - the winner gets exactly zero dollars in prize money for it. So why do they weep on stage and launch campaigns to win one? Hint: it’s not just for the glory - it’s for the massive, seven-figure bonuses from clubs and sponsors that come with it. The Ballon d'Or isn't just an award; it's very, very good business.

On this episode, Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé follow the money trail, starting with the award's origin as a genius scheme by French journalists to get better access to the stars. They uncover how a “priceless” award generates millions in revenue and why luxury brands like Louis Vuitton are tripping over themselves to be associated with the spectacle.

And of course, it wouldn't be a global event without some drama. Asli and Michael dish the dirt on the boycotts (we're looking at you, Real Madrid) and the voting biases that have plagued the award for years.

So tune in to find out how a simple trophy became a financial powerhouse and the biggest, most glamorous, (and most controversial) night in sports.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

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

---

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.