Grant Wahl: Covering soccer in the USA
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Grant Wahl: Covering soccer in the USA
Grant Wahl is perhaps the most respected journalist working in US soccer today.
During his two decades covering the sport Stateside, Wahl has seen the men's national team gain tangible popularity, the women lift the World Cup on numerous occasions and a stable domestic league garner global respect. All were unprecedented.
Having myself spent two seasons in Major League Soccer, the enthusiasm at the grassroots level is clear. Translating that into a truly world-class professional league is not so easy, especially as the major names of Europe are widely shown on television, touring regularly and starting to make in-roads into the American market.
Grant Wahl
In this podcast, we discuss all of these issues and more.
TOPICS
After 24 years as a soccer journalist in the US, is Grant a pioneer?
Convincing editors to cover soccer in the US
The importance of the World Cup 2010 'breaking through' in the US
His book on David Beckham’s time at the LA Galaxy and becoming the first soccer book to reach the NYT Bestseller’s list
His writing tuition at Princeton - John McPhee and David Remnick
Structuring stories and writing in different styles
Sports Illustrated's style of magazine journalism
Running for the presidency of FIFA
MLS - "They should be proud as to how far they have come"
The big, thorny television issue
Where does MLS fit in the growth of the US men's national team? The Landon Donovan example
How it has changed with Gio Reyna, Christian Pulisic
The damage of missing the World Cup
The boost of the 2026 World Cup finals in the US, Mexico and Canada
The US women's national team - their popularity and their legal claim for equal pay
Why a women's league has not yet worked in the US
The opportunity to become the best women's league in the world
The expansion of European football into the US, the legal case
The leagues below MLS - their strength and expansion plans