How the FA helped US Soccer build its new home

Britain's so-called 'special relationship' with the United States may be under renewed scrutiny, but when it comes to football, it appears to be in fine health.

The chief executive of US Soccer has hailed the FA's role in the establishment of a "transformative" new 200-acre national training centre outside Atlanta.

JT Batson said officials from the governing body had been "incredible partners in helping us learn from what works well in England".

"That certainly factored into our thinking around the building of a national centre, as well as the designing of what we've called the 'US Way', which is our strategy for sporting success," he said.

Speaking to BBC Sport from the $228 million Arthur M Blank training complex, which opens this week, Batson said "think of it as St George's Park, but slightly bigger and obviously newer".

The FA's Staffordshire base opened in 2012 and has been credited with playing a key role in the subsequent revival of England men's and women's teams.

US Soccer officials visited the site as part of a fact-finding mission when designing their own version, which will host the national team's pre World Cup camp.

"There's lots to learn from around the world, but the US is different," added Batson.

"We're really big, both geographically and in numbers of people. We think that really having a home for the first time for soccer in America is going to be transformative for us."

Batson also paid tribute to US Soccer's former sporting director Matt Crocker, who was previously the FA's former head of teams, based at St George's Park.

Welshman Crocker was responsible for appointing Mauricio Pochettino and Emma Hayes as head coaches of the US men's and women's senior national teams respectively, but left last month to take up a similar role at the Saudi Arabia football federation.

"Matt and team have done an incredible job of taking us from where we were to where we are now from a strategy standpoint… and that gives us the foundation to be able to carry forward... around how do we support the entire soccer ecosystem in the United States to be successful," said Batson.

US Soccer hopes the consistency provided by a central training hub and development strategy helps it to capitalise on co-hosting of this summer's expanded World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada, even if much of the build-up has been overshadowed by concerns over the unprecedented costs to fans, and various security issues.

Describing it as "an incredible opportunity for us to transform what soccer looks like in America", Batson claims it will show that the US "is now a soccer nation. What makes soccer in America unique is that we are the challenger sport in our country and we are the challenger country in our sport."

The Football Supporters' Association has said that fans are being "fleeced" as a result of Fifa's ticketing strategy.

BBC Sport has plotted a route through the group stage and found that England supporters would need about £6,500 each or £13,000 for two.

There has also been controversy over the cost of transport, with Fifa being criticised by some US politicians for not doing more to help host cities. Fifa has adopted a new organisational model for the 2026 World Cup that means it is responsible for ticket sales.

BBC Sport asked Batson if he feared the cost of attending the event will make it a harder task to grow the game, and whether the tournament risks becoming an event largely for the wealthy.

"We're focused on making sure that everyone who wants to be a part of this World Cup can be a part of it, no matter where you live, whether you're going to be able to watch on television at home, [or] watching at a bar…" said Batson.

"In our [warm-up] game in Charlotte against Senegal, we have $26 tickets… you're also going to see US soccer gear and merchandise at all different price points. We want everyone who cares about our sport to feel connected… and I think this summer is an important opportunity for us to be able to do that."

Asked how confident he was that all World Cup matches would be sold out, Batson said: "My expectation is that we want a very vibrant stadium for every game. And given the passion for our game in America, and the passion from the fans who are coming in from around the world, I would expect that Fifa is focused on ensuring that's the case too."

Last month Pochettino said that American youngsters tend to develop an "emotional relationship" with football later than other countries because of competition from more established sports, describing it as "a problem", but Batson is more positive.

"One of the things that excites me in terms of where we are relative to when I was growing up is there's an opportunity to build that emotional relationship with soccer at such a young age that did not exist historically," he said.

"You now have the first generation of kids growing up whose parents played at scale. And so the moment historically of a father or mother taking their kid to a baseball or basketball game is a momentous family occasion.

"Now that's soccer, and so there's been such a generational shift here that this World Cup will be a nice tidal wave of carrying those emotions forward."

The MLS was formed in 1995, one year after the US hosted the World Cup for the first time, and has grown significantly since then, with Lionel Messi's arrival in 2023 evidence of a changed landscape.

Batson said that in 1994, "the soccer market was very nascent in the US, and if you fast forward to today, we have thriving professional leagues, some of the world's great stadiums… the opportunity for this summer is how do we take that next big step forward and how do we use it to build the system of what soccer looks like in a way where every kid can play?"

The US team is in a group with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, and is aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002.

When asked if Pochettino's team had to do well for the tournament to have the desired impact domestically, Batson said: "This is a team that is excited about the opportunity.

"Their ambition is high… they've got an opportunity to really earn that excitement, earn that passion and energy from the tens of millions of Americans who love them."

Pochettino has had a mixed record since taking up the job in 2024, with his team losing both of their most recent friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, but has said he believes the team could pull off a shock win.

"This is a team that can compete with the world's best," insists Batson.

"It's going to have home support. And why not give it a go? I mean, that's the whole point of playing in a tournament. Any team stepping in should have a plan to go as far as possible, which ultimately means having a plan to ultimately win."

Against a backdrop of US involvement in the Middle East conflict and domestic political violence, there have also been mounting concerns over security at the tournament.

Last month, rights groups issued a travel advisory urging visitors to "exercise caution" as a result of what it called the government's "violent and abusive immigration crackdown".

Tournament organisers have also said they are worried about a long-running partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security due to a funding dispute in Congress.

Asked what his message was to overseas fans who may be reconsidering whether to attend, Batson said: "Fifa and the US government at all levels have been in co-ordination for years around ensuring a successful delivery of the World Cup, first and foremost starting with safety.

"The US has lots of history of organising major events all over the country and very often in the very specific stadiums where the games are going to be played. I know that at all levels from local, county, state and federal government, there is a clear focus on ensuring there's a safe and fun World Cup for everyone here."

When it was put to Batson that US officials have said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be part of World Cup security plans, and that fans from a number of participating countries are subject to travel bans.

He said: "I know that FIFA and the White House are very focused on delivering a safe, secure and positive event for everyone who attends, whether you live in this country or whether you're coming in from around the world."