Yahoo Sports La Previa: A Conversation With For Soccer’s Ernesto Bruce
On the latest episode of La Previa, hosts Asli Pelit and Boris Gartner talk to Ernesto Bruce, the CEO of For Soccer. This new soccer-specific marketing company was created when media and events company For Soccer Ventures acquired Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing.
The move creates the most extensive soccer-specific media and experiences company in North America ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, which will take place in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
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Bruce joined the company last October to oversee the merger, and he spent the previous 24 years with Adidas, most recently as senior director of North America Running. Born in Chile, Bruce has lived in Mexico and the United States, and is a soccer fan.
“What we call fútbol is a young sport at its growth stage in the U.S.,” Bruce said. “But I believe soccer will be one of the preeminent sports in North America. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. It’s just a matter of time.”
The hosts also discuss the upcoming Manchester United sale and DraftKings’ recent earnings report. Additionally, Pelit talks about her visit to Spain to meet with representatives of LaLiga teams and the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners to discuss the league’s LaLiga Boost project.
Pelit and Gartner argue that the Manchester United sale will be the most interesting sports team sale of all time. Qatari investor Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS founder Jim Ratcliffe confirmed their bids to buy the team last Friday. Al Thani and Ratcliffe are the only parties who’ve publicly declared their intent to buy the team, but there might be other bidders as well. Raine Group is handling the sale of the team, which Sportico recently valued at $5.95 billion.
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