#8 Justin Papadakis, USL – Countdown to 2026... preparing U.S. soccer fans for the FIFA World Cup

The Fan Engagement Podcast

Justin Papadakis is Deputy CEO and Chief Real Estate Officer at the USL (United Soccer League), the fastest-growing professional soccer organisation in North America.

This year three million fans purchased tickets to USL games. With 50 active negotiations to launch new teams and a Division One professional women’s league on the horizon, the USL is set for even more growth in 2024.

But what strategies are enabling the USL to capitalise on the recent wave of U.S. soccer fandom? With the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted in North America, what new opportunities do the next five years hold? And how is the USL delivering new exciting fan experiences to entertain its rapidly expanding fanbase?

In episode eight of The Fan Engagement Podcast, you’ll learn:

1:20 The USL’s role in growing soccer in the U.S.

03:23 How the USL is expanding into new markets and capturing new fans

08:16 How the USL is engaging different fan segments ahead of the 2026 World Cup

11:42 What metrics matter most when it comes to fan engagement growth?

12:51 How the USL is building its digital properties to integrate new concepts like sports betting

14:22 Why promotion & relegation in U.S. soccer will unlock new growth

16:35 The women’s soccer opportunity and the USL Women’s Super League