The Club World Cup certainly has its critics. How can this tournament even exist in a 32-team format? Will fans show up? Will the players care? How much will a reported $1 billion pot serve as a point of motivation?
That much is unclear. However, it will serve as a barometer for just how much soccer matters in America, especially as a precursor to the 2026 World Cup, due to kick off in 14 months in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. At least, that's what Apple TV+ soccer analyst Kevin Egan thinks.
"Given the stadia around the country, given the ones also in Mexico and Canada too, the 48-team World Cup, the amount of flavor and color that's going to come to this country and beyond, you know, it's going to live up to it. It's going to be absolutely epic," he tells GOAL.
Egan would know. He has been around the game in the states for 10-plus years, and seen it in Europe before that. He knows how big this sport can be, and has watched it grow exponentially.
"This is the golden era for American soccer," he says, "with the Club World Cup, the World Cup coming to the Women's World Cup few years down the line. Like, there's an awful lot here to ensure that it thrives. I just have never seen it happen yet."
It should make for compelling viewing - and Egan will play his part. He discussed the World Cup, the Club World Cup, his beloved Aston Villa and more in Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
