Jozy Altidore says World Cup will prove critics wrong as football aims to match Super Bowl buzz

LOS ANGELES – Former US striker Jozy Altidore believes this summer’s World Cup will silence doubters who claim football cannot compete with American football for the nation’s attention, drawing parallels to the transformative impact of the 1994 tournament which the US hosted alone.

Speaking ahead of the Feb 8 Super Bowl showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, he dismissed suggestions that football would struggle to gain traction despite the US co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada.

“I think people pay attention too much to the critics,” Altidore said.

“I think the ’94 World Cup was a good example of how having the FIFA World Cup (may help), what it can do to a community. Because from that, a league in the United States was birthed.”

The 1994 tournament led directly to the creation of Major League Soccer (MLS) two years later, and Altidore predicts similar growth this time around.

“When I look at this summer, I see a similar event happening, where there’s going to be a boom in interest and registration and involvement for young kids and people across the country,” he added.

The former national team striker, who scored 42 goals in 115 appearances for the US, said he is particularly excited to watch Haiti compete in their first World Cup in over 50 years when they face Scotland in Boston.

On the US team’s prospects under coach Mauricio Pochettino, Altidore was optimistic.

“I think Pochettino has done a great job, you know, coming into a new culture, a new environment... putting his stamp on the team, getting them to play how he wants them to play,” he said.

“And I think the team is kind of ramping up at the right time and peaking at the right time.”

Altidore, who won the MLS Cup with Toronto FC in 2017 and retired in 2023, also said the biggest impact of the World Cup will come in youth development as parents watching the tournament encourage their children to play.

As for his Super Bowl pick, the 36-year-old, now a minority owner in the Buffalo Bills, has his loyalties clear.

“I would much rather see Buffalo in the Super Bowl,” he said, before reluctantly choosing the Seahawks from the two finalists.

In other World Cup news, a coalition of civil and human rights organisations on Feb 6 issued a statewide travel alert for Florida ahead of the tournament.

They warned international visitors that stepped-up immigration enforcement could increase the risk of racial profiling, wrongful detention and deportation.

The groups said they were urging tourists and visiting fans to “exercise extreme caution”, carry identification at all times and register travel plans with their consulates before arriving.

“Florida is no longer a safe destination for international tourists,” Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said in a statement, alleging that visitors and residents could be detained without cause and targeted based on appearance, language or accent.

But Florida tourism officials blasted the travel alert.

“These ‘advisories’ are ridiculous and, unfortunately, politically motivated stunts that needlessly seek to harm our state and industry,” said Bryan Griffin, president and chief executive officer of tourism group Visit Florida.

“Lawful visitors to our state have no reason to be concerned. Florida welcomes hundreds of thousands of travellers daily and is looking forward to being a hub for World Cup celebrations for residents and travellers alike.” REUTERS