​KANSAS CITY, Missouri, July 11 (Reuters) – Brendan Hunt, co-creator and star of the Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso, says the notion that soccer is not popular in the United States is somewhat exaggerated, and the World Cup has helped prove otherwise. He acknowledged that the Apple TV series may have introduced new fans to the sport, noting that some viewers who previously ignored soccer became interested after watching the show. Hunt spoke to reporters in Kansas City ahead of the quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland on Saturday, mentioning that he had heard anecdotes suggesting the show drew in people who had not previously paid attention to soccer.
Ted Lasso, which follows an American coach unexpectedly hired to manage an English football club, became a breakout hit during its three-season run from 2020 to 2023. The series collected 13 Emmy Awards, including two for Best Comedy Series, and helped bring a fresh audience to the sport in the United States. When asked whether the show contributed to increasing soccer’s popularity in the U.S., co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis joked that he could claim some credit “within my own home,” before pointing to Hunt, who plays Coach Beard, as the one who truly deserves recognition for broadening the sport’s appeal.
Hunt humorously noted that the show’s creators may have “tricked” some reluctant viewers into embracing soccer, but he also insisted that the sport’s growth in the United States predates Ted Lasso and is often underestimated. The U.S. is co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada more than three decades after hosting the 1994 tournament. While that event helped spark a surge in soccer’s popularity and prompted the launch of Major League Soccer two years later, the sport still does not dominate the American sports landscape, despite the presence of soccer legends like Pelé, David Beckham, and, more recently, Lionel Messi, who have played in the country.
Hunt argued that American fans are much better prepared for this World Cup than they were in 1994, when awareness of the tournament was comparatively lower. “We’re not as far behind in terms of the sport’s popularity as is sometimes suggested, and I think this World Cup has shown that,” he said. “The notion that soccer isn’t popular here is a little overstated… It’s getting there.” He added that, as with every World Cup, bandwagon fans tend to appear in every country, and it remains to be seen how many of those new supporters will stay around in the long term.
The future of Ted Lasso has been a subject of discussion since the creators initially envisioned a three-season arc. A fourth season was announced in March 2025, and it is set to premiere on Apple TV on August 5. In the upcoming installment, Ted is slated to return to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s team.
Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Ken Ferris.