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.

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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

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.

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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.

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

---

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.

When 20-year-old superstar Alyssa Thompson traded LA's Angel City for London's Chelsea, it was more than a transfer - it was a multi-million dollar shot across the bow in one of the fiercest rivalries in women’s soccer. A knockdown, dragout battle being fought not on the pitch but on the balance sheet. The transatlantic rivalry shaping the future of the sport: America’s National Women’s Soccer League vs. England’s Women’s Super League.

From skyrocketing NWSL team valuations and a purpose-built stadium in Kansas City to Reddit Co-Founder and Mr. Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian's investment in Chelsea Women, Asli and Michael break down the money, the media rights, and the cultural forces driving both leagues forward. Is the NWSL’s investor-led model putting it ahead, or will the WSL’s connection to the world’s richest men’s league prove too powerful to match? And what does the future hold as women’s soccer heads toward billion-dollar territory?

So, tune in for a sharp, entertaining discussion as Asli and Michael follow the money - from board rooms to brand deals - to find out which hard business numbers, global context, (and transatlantic trash talk) that will crown the true queen of women’s soccer.

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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.

NOTE: At the time of recording Premiere League spending was around £2.88 Billion. It's since jumped up to 3.11

A whirlwind transfer window led by the Premier League spending a record £3.11 billion ($4.16 billion) has the soccer arms race skyrocketing to never-before-seen heights. Led by Liverpool’s club-record spend, and highlighted by Alexander Isak’s £125million move from Newcastle, Deadline Day alone witnessed £375 million change hands in just 24 hours.

And just in case you thought we were being hyperbolic when we say the spending is getting crazy, consider this; between recording this episode yesterday, Monday September 1st, and publishing this episode today, Tuesday September 2nd, premiere leagues spending increased even more! The figure at time of recording was £2.88 billion - it went up by almost a quarter of a billion dollars in less than 24 hours!

With fans claiming “game’s gone” over big-money moves and investment from the Middle East, does the Premier League have a spending problem? And if this is a bubble…when will it burst? And what sort of damage will it do when it does?

On this week’s episode of Finance of Football, co-hosts Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé discuss the Deadline Day spectacle and how, if at all, UEFA, FIFA and soccer’s other governing bodies should regulate such spending to create more parity without pricing out the people who matter most - the fans.

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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.

What do Arsenal, Chelsea Liverpool, Manchester United, AC Milan, AS Roma, Birmingham City, Burnley, Espanyol, RCD Mallorca, Atalanta and Wrexham all have in common? They all have American owners.

From Tom Brady to Rob McElhenney, Stan Kroenke, Todd Boehly and Stephen Pagliuca, U.S. investment in European soccer clubs is the new Labubu—everybody wants one!

On this week’s episode of Finance of Football, co-hosts Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé discuss the Americanization of European soccer, the value proposition for U.S. owners investing billions behind these badges, and whether or not it’s helping or hurting the Beautiful Game.

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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.

Is Major League Soccer a legitimate top-flight league, or just a very lucrative retirement home for European superstars?

It’s been nearly 20 years since MLS enacted the designated player rule (AKA, the "Beckham Rule" ) and first rolled out the red carpet for aging icons. But with the arrival of the greatest of GOATS, Lionel Messi, and a new wave of blockbuster signings from Son Hueng-min to Thomas Müller, the debate is hotter than ever. Do these flashy, big-name signings actually grow the beautiful game in America, or do they just sell a few more jerseys before riding off into the sunset?

On this episode of Finance of Football, Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé crunch the numbers and debate whether the MLS's star-studded strategy is a brilliant long-term play or a costly short-term sugar rush.

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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

---

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 was supposed to be a shining start to a new era for women's sports in Boston with a NWSL expansion club set to begin play in 2026.

But when the initial club name of BOS Nation FC and the accompanying "Too Many Balls" marketing campaign inspired near immediate backlash, the team learned the hard way that starting a new franchise isn't easy. But, unlike some franchises in other sports we could mention, the newly re-named Boston Legacy were quick to listen to their community and are ready to reintroduce themselves.

On this episode of Finance of Football, Chief Revenue Officer Amina Bulman joins Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé to break down what they've learned from those initial missteps, and how Boston Legacy FC is prioritizing building trust as it creates a new legacy.

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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.