#692: J.T. Batson joins the pod

JT Batson, CEO and Secretary General of U.S. Soccer, joins the Scuffed Podcast to reveal how a childhood obsession with soccer—fueled by watching the 1994 World Cup at a college camp and refereeing for $10 a game—led to a career of transformational leadership. He recounts meeting Sunil Gulati on a train, which sparked his mission to fix U.S. Soccer’s fundraising deficit, a gap he helped close by building a $50 million annual fundraising engine. Batson argues that the U.S. is no longer a 'little engine that could'—it’s already a soccer powerhouse with over 100 million fans and 20% of Americans calling themselves obsessed fans. The real opportunity now? Leveraging the 2026 World Cup not just to grow fandom, but to galvanize a national movement: mobilizing local governments, schools, and clubs to build the world’s best soccer system through affordable access, reduced travel, and smarter youth development. His vision? A future where every American child touches the ball more, smiles more, and feels ownership over the sport—because the game is no longer just for the elite, but for the entire country.