US Soccer CEO uses World Cup as IPO runway

As the U.S. prepares to co-host the FIFA World Cup beginning Thursday, US Soccer’s CEO JT Batson says the tournament is only the opening act. He compares the moment to taking a company public—arguing that the real test starts immediately afterward, when the fe

When JT Batson thinks about the FIFA World Cup, he doesn’t picture just stadium lights and dramatic matches. He compares the event to an IPO—one big, visible moment that draws markets’ attention.

But Batson, the head of US Soccer, stresses that the hard part comes after the opening bell.

“This summer is a springboard,” Batson said. “This summer is not the destination.”

For a federation preparing to co-host the World Cup starting Thursday, the message is blunt: the World Cup may be the biggest event in American soccer history, yet US Soccer’s job is to build an organization strong enough to capitalize on the attention that follows.

Batson. 43. arrived at US Soccer after years in the business world. co-founding and running an advertising technology company before becoming US Soccer’s CEO in late 2022. He has been frank that his approach comes from what he learned through corporate challenges—work that can feel different in a nonprofit setting. but doesn’t stop being real.

Before he took over, the federation had been through a tumultuous stretch. Earlier in 2022, US Soccer settled with the US women’s national team over a pay-equity lawsuit. Batson said that even when the environment changes, problems can rhyme—and solutions often exist outside the sport.

“There is someone who solved a similar problem in another environment, somewhere in the world,” Batson said.

He also described his own mindset as a bridge between the business lessons and soccer’s mission. The goal, he said, is to take best practices and “bring them to life” in a way that benefits US Soccer and the game.

“One of the things that I’ve really come to appreciate is that when you apply basic business principles to most any problem we have, the answer becomes quite obvious,” Batson said.

That philosophy has already shown up in how US Soccer handles money-making opportunities. Under Batson, US Soccer decided to take direct control over its commercial business. Since assuming responsibility for its sponsorship. media. and licensing rights in 2023. US Soccer has built an internal operation that handles those deals directly.

Batson has also brought in outside executives. One of them is COO Dan Helfrich, who spent more than two decades at Deloitte.

Batson’s case for urgency starts with how soccer fits into the American sports ecosystem. He calls soccer “the challenger sport” in the US and the nation “the challenger country” in global soccer. Despite the hype around hosting the World Cup. he says soccer is not one of the Big Four leagues in the US. while it is the most popular sport in most of Europe.

“That means if we want to win, we’ve got to out-innovate, we’ve got to outwork, and we’ve got to out-align,” he said.

The federation’s growth strategy is being built with that competitive reality in mind. In May, US Soccer opened a national training center south of Atlanta. The facility is home to the federation’s 27 national teams. including the marquee men’s and women’s rosters. as well as more than a dozen youth squads.

Batson also points to financial momentum as a sign the approach is gaining traction. He cited three straight years of profitability for US Soccer and said revenue has tripled.

Still, he frames those numbers as part of a bigger job: earning trust.

“One of his top priorities since joining US Soccer has been to build trust with those who have a stake in the beautiful game. ” the federation’s CEO said. describing US Soccer’s customers as a child learning to kick a ball. aspiring national team players. and every family in America that cares about soccer.

Batson said polling supports a larger view of soccer’s potential. He referenced a Harris Poll survey finding that seven in 10 Americans are interested in soccer. Among those, a quarter are “dedicated,” and 20% are “obsessed.”

The World Cup will test how quickly that interest can be converted into something more durable—and how US Soccer reaches it. Batson said one of the challenges his organization is wrestling with is scale: improving how US Soccer relies on digital technology. software. and increasingly AI to reach players. coaches. and fans across such a large country.

He described the federation exploring how technology can help scouts identify promising players from game footage.

For many fans, the World Cup experience will happen outside stadiums. Batson put the proportion in stark terms.

“Ninety-nine percent of the fans experiencing the World Cup were always going to do it outside the stadiums,” Batson said. “How do you make sure that they really feel a part of that?”

That question circles back to his central theme: using attention without wasting it.

The longer-term objectives he listed go beyond the tournament itself. Batson said his goals include getting more people involved in the game, setting the US up for success at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and co-hosting the women’s World Cup in 2031.

“How do we use this summer? How do you use LA ’28? How do you use the Women’s World Cup bid for 2031 to get people to make these big bets and make these big bets together?” Batson said. “That’s been the focus for us.”

The World Cup begins Thursday, but in Batson’s telling, the real business—building the capacity to keep growing once the spotlight moves on—starts immediately after the first match.

US Soccer JT Batson FIFA World Cup IPO analogy sponsorship media rights licensing rights Dan Helfrich national training center Atlanta profitability revenue tripling AI scouting 2028 Olympics Los Angeles 2031 Women's World Cup