Mia Hamm sees 2026 World Cup as a special way to

U.S. soccer legend Mia Hamm called for people to keep in mind the social worth of soccer at a time when, she said, “many prefer to focus on what separates us,” during an event in Los Angeles celebrating Friday’s World Cup draw.

For Hamm, taking kids to a World Cup match is a distinctive alternative to educate them how sport can break down limitations.

“The whole experience is what makes it worthwhile,” said Hamm, a two-time World Cup winner with the U.S. girls’s national workforce. She urged households to not only go to the stadium, but also attend actions such as FIFA’s fan festivals.

She recalled a second during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, which she attended alone. She ended up enjoying an casual soccer sport in a German park with people from Russia, Spain and Italy.

“What brought us together was our love for the game,” he said.

In a world she sees as fragmented, Hamm emphasised that soccer permits us to perceive that “we are more alike than we are different” and that its strength lies in “celebrating how we connect with each other.”

Hamm also spoke about the growth of soccer in the area since the first males’s World Cup was held in the United States in 1994, and the influence that the match could have with eight video games in Los Angeles in 2026. She famous that town already has established groups in Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League and that the game is ingrained in the daily life of the group.

“I think we’ve got it,” said Hamm, one of Angel City FC’s co-owners, when requested about establishing a soccer tradition.

She said Los Angeles’ combine of cultures makes soccer a natural assembly level.

“We are a melting pot, and soccer is a foundation for all those cultures coming together,” Hamm said.

Galaxy coach Gregg Vanney shared his imaginative and prescient for the U.S. national workforce and the aggressive problem that the 2026 match will pose.

After the draw, the U.S. was positioned in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a European playoff.

Vanney expressed confidence in the standard of the current U.S. squad, which he described as the very best degree and deepest in current historical past.

For Vanney, Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino’s choice will likely be sophisticated by the quantity of gamers in good kind. He also warned that, in a World Cup performed in three nations, components such as climate, journey and logistics will play a decisive function.

In phrases of worldwide contenders, he highlighted groups such as Spain for its control of the sport and South American groups such as Argentina and Brazil for their means to compete in troublesome situations.

For his half, John Thorrington, co-president and basic supervisor of LAFC, thought-about the draw to be favorable for the Americans, although he insisted that “in these tournaments, anything can happen” and nothing needs to be taken for granted.

Regarding Mexico’s Group A, he pointed to the current historical past between the Mexican national workforce and South Korea that he said will make this match special. It will embrace South Korean star Son Heung-min, who joined LAFC during the summer season after leaving Tottenham Hotspur.

LAFC’s Son Heung-Min waves to followers after defeating Austin FC during the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs at BMO Stadium on Oct. 29.

(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

“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 said. “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 during its second World Cup match in Guadalajara. The group also contains South Africa and the winner of the intercontinental playoff.

Thorrington highlighted the influence that the World Cup’s return to Los Angeles after 32 years could have. He recalled how the 1994 match modified his own notion of the game and said the legacy of 2026 will prolong past the summer season.

The former U.S. national workforce participant added that the timing is very favorable for soccer in 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 said.

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.