U.S. soccer legend Mia Hamm known as for individuals to recollect the social worth of soccer at a time when, she mentioned, “many prefer to focus on what separates us,” throughout an occasion in Los Angeles celebrating Friday’s World Cup draw.
For Hamm, taking youngsters to a World Cup match is a singular alternative to show them how sport can break down limitations.
“The whole experience is what makes it worthwhile,” mentioned Hamm, a two-time World Cup winner with the U.S. ladies’s nationwide group. She urged households to not solely go to the stadium, but in addition attend actions akin to FIFA’s fan festivals.
She recalled a second through the 2006 World Cup in Germany, which she attended alone. She ended up taking part in a casual soccer sport in a German park with individuals from Russia, Spain and Italy.
“What brought us together was our love for the game,” he mentioned.
In a world she sees as fragmented, Hamm emphasised that soccer permits us to grasp that “we are more alike than we are different” and that its power lies in “celebrating how we connect with each other.”
Hamm additionally spoke concerning the progress of soccer within the area because the first males’s World Cup was held in the US in 1994, and the affect that the event may have with eight video games in Los Angeles in 2026. She famous that the town already has established groups in Main League Soccer and the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League and that the game is ingrained within the day by day lifetime of the group.
“I think we’ve got it,” mentioned Hamm, one in every of Angel Metropolis FC’s co-owners, when requested about establishing a soccer tradition.
She mentioned Los Angeles’ mixture of cultures makes soccer a pure assembly level.
“We are a melting pot, and soccer is a foundation for all those cultures coming together,” Hamm mentioned.
Galaxy coach Gregg Vanney shared his imaginative and prescient for the U.S. nationwide group and the aggressive problem that the 2026 event will pose.
After the draw, the U.S. was positioned in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a European playoff.
American Christian Pulisic dribbles the ball throughout a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal in opposition to Panama at SoFi Stadium on March 20.
(Robin Alam/ISI Pictures/Getty Photos)
Vanney expressed confidence within the high quality of the present U.S. squad, which he described as the very best stage and deepest in current historical past.
For Vanney, Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino’s choice can be sophisticated by the variety of gamers in good type. He additionally warned that, in a World Cup performed in three international locations, components akin to climate, journey and logistics will play a decisive position.
When it comes to worldwide contenders, he highlighted groups akin to Spain for its management of the sport and South American groups akin to Argentina and Brazil for his or her skill to compete in troublesome situations.
For his half, John Thorrington, co-president and basic supervisor of LAFC, thought of the draw to be favorable for the People, though he insisted that “in these tournaments, anything can happen” and nothing must be taken with no consideration.
Relating to Mexico’s Group A, he pointed to the current historical past between the Mexican nationwide group and South Korea that he mentioned will make this match particular. It would embody South Korean star Son Heung-min, who joined LAFC through the summer time after leaving Tottenham Hotspur.
LAFC’s Son Heung-Min waves to followers after defeating Austin FC through the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs at BMO Stadium on Oct. 29.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Photos)
“A few years ago, it was the goal scored by our South Korean player, Son, against Germany that, if I’m not mistaken, allowed Mexico to advance,” Thorrington mentioned. “So the Mexican and Korean federations have an incredible history and relationship, and it will be a fantastic match between two great teams.”
El Tri will face South Korea throughout its second World Cup match in Guadalajara. The group additionally consists of South Africa and the winner of the intercontinental playoff.
Thorrington highlighted the affect that the World Cup’s return to Los Angeles after 32 years may have. He recalled how the 1994 event modified his personal notion of the game and mentioned the legacy of 2026 will lengthen past the summer time.
The previous U.S. nationwide group participant added that the timing is very favorable for soccer on this nation, with the arrival of the World Cup, the Olympics and the adjustments deliberate for the MLS schedule.
“It’s a fantastic time to be involved in soccer,” he mentioned.
This text first appeared in Spanish through L.A. Instances en Español.
