Mic'd Up: The Apple TV+ analyst talks 2026 World Cup, Club World Cup and passion for his beloved Aston Villa
The Club World Cup certainly has its critics. How can this tournament even exist in a 32-team format? Will fans show up? Will the players care? How much will a reported $1 billion pot serve as a point of motivation?
That much is unclear. However, it will serve as a barometer for just how much soccer matters in America, especially as a precursor to the 2026 World Cup, due to kick off in 14 months in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. At least, that's what Apple TV+ soccer analyst Kevin Egan thinks.
"Given the stadia around the country, given the ones also in Mexico and Canada too, the 48-team World Cup, the amount of flavor and color that's going to come to this country and beyond, you know, it's going to live up to it. It's going to be absolutely epic," he tells GOAL.
Egan would know. He has been around the game in the states for 10-plus years, and seen it in Europe before that. He knows how big this sport can be, and has watched it grow exponentially.
"This is the golden era for American soccer," he says, "with the Club World Cup, the World Cup coming to the Women's World Cup few years down the line. Like, there's an awful lot here to ensure that it thrives. I just have never seen it happen yet."
It should make for compelling viewing – and Egan will play his part. He discussed the World Cup, the Club World Cup, his beloved Aston Villa and more in Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
Getty ImagesON THE 2026 WORLD CUP
GOAL: In 2026, you have the World Cup in America. What does it mean for the sport here? Are people going to care?
EGAN: Without a doubt, without a doubt people are going to care, because they did in 1994 and the game wasn't even close to the level of popularity as it is now. It was the best World Cup on record back in 1994 attendance-wise. Given the stadia around the country, given the ones also in Mexico and Canada too, the 48-team World Cup, the amount of flavor and color that's going to come to this country and beyond, you know, it's going to live up to it. It's going to be absolutely epic.
What happens to the game of football after the World Cup? I'm not so sure. I look at the great stuff that CBS are doing on a daily basis, yeah – they're going all in on soccer, and in the hope that, you know, this is the golden era for American soccer, with the Club World Cup, the World Cup coming to the Women's World Cup few years down the line. Like, there's an awful lot here to ensure that it thrives. I just have never seen it happen yet. So I want to truly see this develop and happen. And I hope the US men's national team and Canada, for that matter, and Mexico, can really produce at the World Cup, and give us that sense of belief that this team can go and challenge.
AdvertisementGettyON THE CLUB WORLD CUP
GOAL: The summer before that, in a couple of months, you have a couple of MLS clubs in the Club World Cup. What do we what do we make of that as a competition? Because it's had its critics. Are the MLS clubs going to do all right?
EGAN: I honestly think Inter Miami will do well. This team has enough youth built around the stars. They need to blend in Allen Obando, the striker, because Suarez is going to need a break at some point. They need to get production out of someone other than Suarez further forward. Now look, they can also play Messi as a false nine. They can also build around him.
But Seattle, they've got a lot to figure out before the Club World Cup. Traditionally, under Brian Schmetzer, they have started slow. This is a team that has started slow in recent seasons and rallied and done really well toward the latter stages. But Jesus Ferreira has not produced, yet, for this team – a big signing for them. Pedro de la Vega has not produced, another big signing. So they've got to get it right and quickly, Seattle. They head to a Club World Cup with a lot of pressure on them, and they've got the squad to do it, but they've fallen so short of the expectations to start the season.
Getty Images SportON ASTON VILLA
GOAL: What does it mean, as an Aston Villa fan, to see the team succeeding under Unai Emery?
EGAN: I was talking to a colleague at Apple, Cal Williams. And he said something that resonated big time. He said, "I don't know how to act because we've never been here before. Should we be bullish about it? Should we be saying, of course, we're going to go after PSG, a a club that uno Emery knows well? Should we be kind of happy to be there and happy to get cast aside by PSG?" It's a weird one. And I became a Villa fan because of Paul McGrath, Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton, and Andy Townsend. They were all Irish internationals playing for Villa at the time, and I didn't want to be a United fan or a Liverpool fan, so I gravitated towards Aston Villa.
And it's been like one of those journeys as a fan over the years that and I think my fandom has lessened over the years, working in TV and just maybe getting older with kids and stuff like that. I'm always watching the games, but it doesn't ruin my day if Villa don't win the game. I don't think about it five minutes later. That's just the way life goes, I suppose. But I'm fascinated by how it's going to play out, and what Unai Emery has managed to do taking over from Steven Gerrard, the state of the team at the time. And given where he's got this team now, competing in the for the FA Cup, for a top-four finish in the Premier League and a Champions League trophy. It's remarkable.
GOAL: It's about consistency as well, right? You're not just a one season wonder.
EGAN: One of the big keys is (Club President) Monchi. He's unreal. How did Villa get him? Like I knew all about Monchi from, from my days of covering La Liga with BEIN sports for years. And, he's just a fascinating guy and how he manages to produce at every club he goes to… the trophies, the success stories, the relationships he built. He seems to be in sync with Unai Emery, and they go out and they get a transfer window done, like Marco Asensio, Marcus Rashford. Andres Garcia has even added, you know, at times, when he's needed to at right back, a young player coming across from Levante. So it's just been really cool to see, as a Villa fan, that the club is managed so well right now.
Apple TVON MLS 360
GOAL: What's it like to be part of MLS 360? It looks chaotic in the best possible way.
EGAN: I love the energy you can bring to that show. You welcome people into a show like you'd welcome them into your house for a party. Like you decide how you're going to open the door, the energy you give, the music, the food you put on, all those things every time you host a party in your house. And I feel the same way with 360, I need to bring that high octane energy. So if you look at Soccer Saturday, and what Jeff Stelling does, and the way he opens the show, the way he keeps that high octane energy that you absolutely need going from game to game. I'm trying to look at different shows and figure out, "OK, what makes that show work?" And Jeff Stelling's energy on soccer Saturday is infectious. What NFL do with Red Zone, you know, you've got to look at all these different shows and figure out why it works, what you could take from certain hosts, but then also just be yourself.
I love the fact that you could tune into MLS 360, not know anything about the league or what's going on with the league, and hopefully myself and the analysts will give you enough knowledge and entertainment throughout. The first few hours are wild, because we could have eight games going on at the same time, even 10 games going on at the same time, and you're bouncing from match to match. You're dropping, hopefully, tidbits of knowledge and stats, information that you can then take to the local pub with your friends, if you're chatting about the games, or just for chatting with your buddies online, whatever it is. And it's so much fun, man, I'm loving every second of it.
