TV’s most beloved assistant coach says the World Cup is about to change America. Here’s how.
6/13/202627 min
From Apple News In Conversation: This year’s World Cup will be the largest in history, with 48 teams and 104 matches — and, for the first time in more than 30 years, the tournament is being played on American soil. Brendan Hunt, co-creator, writer, and star of Ted Lasso and cohost of the Apple News Original podcast After the Whistle, joins Apple News In Conversation guest host David Greene to talk about how he fell in love with soccer as an adult, the U.S. Men’s National Team players he’ll be watching, and whether the United States is finally a soccer country.
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First 90 secondsDavid Greene· Host0:00
[upbeat music] This is In Conversation from Apple News. I'm David Greene, in for Shamit Basu. Today, getting ready for the World Cup with Ted Lasso's Brendan Hunt. [upbeat music] The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway. It is the largest World Cup in soccer history, with 48 teams and 104 matches. It's almost certainly gonna be the most viewed sports event ever, watched by billions of fans across the world. This will also be the first time the event is co-hosted by three nations, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The last time the US hosted the World Cup was 32 years ago in 1994, so this year is yet another chance for the US to grow its footprint as a soccer country, even if the US Men's national team doesn't make it to the final. To get us excited about what is to come, I wanted to talk to Brendan Hunt. He's one of the creators, writers, and stars of Apple TV's Ted Lasso. He's also a massive soccer fan and one of the hosts of the Apple News original podcast, After the Whistle. On that show, he'll be breaking down all the World Cup action with Rebecca Lowe, who has been covering the Premier League for NBC Sports for over a decade, and who will also be covering the World Cup this year for Fox Sports. In our conversation, Brendan and I talked about how he became such a diehard