Welcome to Planet Soccer
Welcome to Planet Soccer
A new website and newsletter about the world's most popular sport
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Planet Soccer. This new project comes on the heels of the 2022 World Cup held in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, a tournament watched by millions of Americans. Never before have so many people in the United States been interested in the world’s game.
It was about time.
The next four years will be even more important for the growth of the game in this country. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, a competition that will surely break attendance records across North America.
I can’t wait.
There’s plenty of soccer to be played between now and then. Europe’s domestic club season, culminating each spring with the Champions League, and Major League Soccer will keep us all very busy in 2023. On the international level, the Women’s World Cup, where the two-time defending champions United States, will take place this summer. In 2024, the European Championship and Copa America will captivate audiences and set the stage for the 2026 World Cup.
Planet Soccer comes three months after the publication of my book, “The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event.” The response to it was immense. I did dozens of interviews with many news outlets and podcasts, another sign of the attention and focus a World Cup can bring.
I have been a soccer fan since age five after I watched Italy win the World Cup in 1982. It was a magical moment. It was also the moment I fell in love with the game. I covered soccer as a college student at Fordham University in New York in the mid-1990s and for years after as a freelancer. My byline has appeared in the New York Post, New York Daily News, ABC News, Soccer Digest, Goal.com, These Football Times, USSoccerPlayers.com and FanSided over the past two decades.
I’ve been fortunate to have attended the last four World Cup tournaments (in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022). I have also covered the Champions League, Gold Cup, MLS and the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams.
Planet Soccer aims to bring you quality journalism about the world’s biggest sport. I want to bring you news, analysis, features and profiles about the American and international game delivered to your inboxes on a regular basis. The site will be free (for now) as I try to build an audience.
There are many sports sites and soccer-specific outlets vying for your time and attention. All I ask is that you give Planet Soccer the chance to inform you about the world’s biggest sport starting in 2023.
All feedback can be sent to clemente.a.lisi@gmail.com. Drop me a line. I look forward to hearing from you!