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Liz Calvario
Senior Editor
A love for soccer and community has always been in Brandi Chastain’s blood.
The former National Women’s Soccer League star is reveling in the excitement for this year’s FIFA World Cup, especially since it’s being held in the United States, as well as Mexico and Canada.
For the first time ever, the international men’s soccer championship is hosted by three countries. The last time the U.S. had the World Cup was 1994.
Chastain, who is a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold-medalist, knows firsthand how uplifting and inspiring a tournament on home soil can be. That’s why she had to be a part of Friskies’ partnership with U.S. Soccer and the U.S. Men’s National Team with Certified Frisky on the Field.
“Supporting the U.S. women’s and men’s national teams, collectively, and the influence that that has on not just the players who play on those teams, it trickles down. It shows that soccer is valuable, that playing and contributing to teams is valuable,” Chastain, 57, tells TODAY.com.
From now until the 2026 World Cup wraps on July 19, when the USMNT scores a goal, the brand will donate to cats in need.
“I am eternally grateful for that support, but I also just love the fact that they want to get out there and celebrate goals — and goals are hard! Goals are hard in the World Cup!” Chastain, known for scoring the winning penalty in the 1999 Women’s World Cup final, adds. “And so we’re gonna attack these with some energy and some spirit and a lot of attitude.”
Below, in her own words, Chastain shares her World Cup memories, as well as what she’s most looking forward to as the tournament is underway.
Back in the black-and-white TV days, you didn’t have many channels. In 1980, 1984, I saw some of it. I was a young person, like 11, 12. And then when it came here to the States — and this is why I’m so excited about this World Cup — I saw firsthand and felt firsthand what seeing a World Cup can do (for the country).
I was already a World Cup champion with the ‘91 World Cup team. But by the time ‘94 came around, I had been cut from the team. So going to games in Los Angeles and then up here in Northern California, and just getting in the atmosphere of the World Cup — we were so lucky that Santa Clara University, where my husband coaches women’s soccer, we hosted Brazil for six weeks — oh my gosh, it was incredible!
There’s always some intention to influence and uplift the soccer community and to get more people to play, but it skyrocketed the number of people wanting to play and the number of kids in communities that maybe weren’t feeling that love that they should. I think that really is how these World Cups are now, the architecture of them is to support the under-resourced communities to give opportunities to participate.
Maybe it’s not tickets to the game, but it’s going to the fan fest that’s free for everybody and feel the vibes and the energy. Sit and watch together with people who speak different languages and get that sensation of what that togetherness feels like. To be a part of that ethos and that environment, (then and now), is really exciting for me.
I just knew athletics was a part of who I was. It spoke to me from the beginning. I was drawn to the baseball field, the football field, the soccer field, the basketball court. It didn’t matter what it was. I was like, “I’m in, I’m going to go for it. I don’t know anything about it, but I’m going to try it.” And I always felt welcomed and always felt included. For me, that is such a vehicle for good things to happen in the future. That’s kind of the ethos of my nonprofit, is to use sports and movement as the vehicle to what young people can find out about themselves. But I knew athletics was in my blood. I didn’t have a choice.
Firsts are always exciting. On the 12, the U.S. men (had) their first match down in Los Angeles. I’m very excited about that because that sets the tone for the tournament.
Obviously, we can talk about all the players that we love and adore, who play in Europe or in South America or in Africa or on our favorite teams that we support that aren’t here, but I am so excited about the U.S. men’s national team. I really believe that something special could happen and it’s up to everybody out there — I’m pointing at everybody who’s watching and listening — and I’m saying, ‘You! You can make a difference.’ Participation in any way matters.
Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based senior editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.
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