**Thanks to Ana Toro, in our Atlanta office, for the following collaboration.**
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These days, when we are hearing so many news updates about FIFA’s World Cup next year in South Africa and the countries that are still classifying for a spot, it makes me glad to see how much the United States has embraced the sport and how so many companies have used it to reach out to the US Hispanics.
Last Wednesday, the U.S. soccer team achieved a long time dream…. advancing to its first men’s FIFA final since starting to play in 1916. They beat the planet’s top-ranked team, Spain, 2-0. Even more stunning was the fact that the US soccer team was on the verge of elimination and ready to head home last weekend before this reversal of fortune. Just as recently as yesterday, it was all looking good for the Americans, playing in the men's final of a FIFA tournament for the first time, against Brazil. But it was Brazil's ’Beautiful Game’ that came alive in the second half with three comeback goals in a 3-2 Confederations Cup final win.
Last week, an exhibition game between the Mexican National Team (El Tri) and Venezuela, took place at the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta, which attracted over 50,000 spectators and even had the general market media covering the event. The Atlanta Journal Constitution, the city’s main newspaper, indicated that Atlanta got a glimpse of what soccer in the city could bring.
Atlanta, which according to the UGA’s Selig Center for Economic Growth is an emerging Hispanic market and U.S. market, hopes to not only host more of these events, but now is hopeful to become one of the U.S. host sites when the World Cup bid is submitted next year.
As a matter of fact, next month, Georgia will host another good soccer game: Club America, one of Mexico’s most popular teams, against the A.C. Milan, one of most popular teams in the world.
For years, many companies have tried to tap the Hispanic market by sponsoring soccer leagues and tournaments nationwide, among them Gatorade1, The Home Depot, NAPA, Budweiser, Dick’s, Pepsi1 and Visa1, among many others. And while people from Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and other fan nations can still root for their hometown favorites and watch games here, many teams in the U.S. have Latino players attracting fans to the stadiums. Whether you call it fútbol or soccer, the sport has proven to be a hot item and it will continue to be in years to come. La fiebre del deporte is here to stay.
Note:
1 Fleishman-Hillard’s clients
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