World Cup reflects US appetite for soccer growing, 'Ted Lasso' creators say

KANSAS CITY, Missouri- The idea that soccer is not popular in the US is "a little bit overstated" and the World Cup has helped prove it, "Ted Lasso" co-creator and star Brendan Hunt said, acknowledging the Emmy-winning comedy may have helped draw new fans to the sport.

Speaking to reporters in Kansas City ahead of the quarterfinal between Argentina and Switzerland on Saturday, Hunt said he had heard anecdotal evidence that viewers who once ignored soccer became interested through the Apple TV series.

The comedy, which follows a US coach unexpectedly hired to manage an English soccer club, became a breakout hit during its three-season run from 2020 to 2023, winning 13 Emmy Awards, including two for best comedy series.

Asked whether he credited the show with helping boost soccer's popularity in the US, co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis joked: "I do within my own home."

"It's made it more popular," he added, before deferring to Hunt, who plays Coach Beard.

Hunt joked that the show's creators had "tricked" some reluctant viewers into embracing the sport. Still, he argued soccer's growth in the world's No.1 economy predates the series and is often underestimated.

The US is co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada, more than three decades after staging the 1994 tournament.

While that event helped spark a rise in the sport's popularity, with Major League Soccer launching two years later, soccer remains far from dominant there despite the likes of Pele, David Beckham and now Lionel Messi having played in the country.

Hunt said US fans were far more prepared for this World Cup than in 1994, when awareness of the tournament was lower.

"We're not as far behind in terms of the sport's popularity as is made out to be, and I think this World Cup has shown that," he said.

"The stuff about soccer being not popular here is a little bit overstated ... It's getting there.

"Now, because every World Cup gets bandwagon fans in every country, whether some of them stick around a little bit more remains to be seen," he added.

The future of "Ted Lasso" had long been uncertain after its creators said they originally envisioned a three-season run, but a fourth season was announced in March 2025.

It premieres on Apple TV on August 5, with Ted returning to Richmond to coach a second-division women's team.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Ken Ferris)