The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be just the second time that global soccer’s biggest event has been played across borders. For a few weeks this summer, those three North American nations will unite in the name of soccer.

Of course, soccer in North America has always been a cross-border affair. Three Canadian teams - Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps, CF Montreal - all play in MLS, but it is the Mexican influence on U.S. soccer culture that has truly defined the game’s growth in the States. The Hispanic-American experience of soccer is at the heart of a new offering from the Men in Blazers Media Network, led by two giants of U.S. soccer broadcasting.

A new show - ‘Duel Nats’ - will look at the uniquely multicultural nature of soccer in North America, bringing together two of the most trusted voices in the region. Former USMNT forward Herculez Gomez is reuniting with long-time ESPN co-host Sebastian Salazar for the new project, highlighting the stories, the culture and the people that illuminate the game in the Americas.

Two ‘dual nationals’ themselves, Gomez and Salazar are a part of the millions-strong soccer-loving Hispanic community that has driven the game forward in the United States. Ahead of the launch of their new show, Salazar spoke to AS USA about his introduction to the game, the culture of North American soccer and the enormous potential of a World Cup on home soil.

Fueling the interest in MLS

First, back to the beginning. Salazar is a part of the generation of Hispanic soccer fans who helped to grow the game back in the 1990s. His childhood memories include the 1994 World Cup and the birth of MLS in 1996; formative events, both for a young fan and for U.S. soccer more broadly.

“I was born here in 1983 and I’m a real product of the 1994 World Cup. Who I am, what I do for a living, is all born out of that. I’ve seen American soccer for the last 30, 35 years unfold and it’s an economy that’s not always been exploding. But it’s been propped up by the Latino demographic in this country.

“In the early days of MLS it was the Latino communities that were really fueling the interest in the league and showing up to games. I grew up going to DC United games at RFK [Stadium] and when I tell you that it was a representation of the Latino community in DC, man, it really was. People from El Salvador, people from Bolivia... My experience at RFK was very Latino, on top of my own personal experience of being Latino. So I think even as the game expands, that is still kind of the core audience in this country.”

Thirty years on from that first MLS season - when Bolivian star Marco Etcheverry led DC United to a championship - a lot has changed in the world of U.S. soccer. But despite three decades of transformation the Hispanic influence remains one of the defining features of the league, and of a soccer culture that leans heavily on the history and the experiences of the people who love it.

Barriers to entry for Hispanic players

That’s not to say, however, that there have not been challenges. Mexican-American players are now a feature of both USMNT and the Mexican national team but young players have often found it difficult to get opportunities in the United States, a consequence of the profiteering ‘pay to play’ model employed by many youth teams. His co-host, Herculez Gomez, is one of those Hispanic players who initially struggled to find a path to the professional game.

Salavar explained: “The [Hispanic] player was a very under-served player for a long time in the United States. As travel soccer got more and more expensive and prohibitive, I think the realities of that player made it so they weren’t given the same opportunities.”

“If you know Herc’s story, it is one of really falling through the cracks and kind of scraping his way into a professional career, one that ended up at a World Cup. He’s not a product of the college soccer system, he wasn’t in the youth national teams, he had to go to trials until somebody hired him. As a player it was so important what he did, and then turning that into the media career multiplies that impact.”

Ready for ‘bigger, tougher conversations’

Whatever the challenges, Hispanic influence on American soccer culture has helped to push the game to new heights and introduce it to new audiences. From the drums in the stands to the players on the field, the Latino influence on U.S. soccer is clear to see. This summer’s World Cup is a chance to strengthen those cross-border ties at a time when many Hispanic-Americans feel under threat.

As players, officials and supporters from 48 national teams prepare to converge on North America for this summer’s World Cup, Salazar hopes to use soccer as a vehicle for conversations that go far beyond the game. The ‘Duel Nats’ project is an opportunity, he hopes, to take a closer look at the Hispanic community in the United States and better understand the issues that are really affecting people.

“I think we always have a responsibility to represent our community and speak our truth, to not ignore the temperature of the country. We certainly can’t ignore what’s happening to the community that we’re a part of.

“I hope that our storytelling and really just our perspective will help create discourse around more important topics through soccer. A lot of times we just don’t know what’s on the other side and sports, especially in a World Cup year, can be a great way to open the doorway to bigger, maybe tougher conversations.”

The first episode of ‘Duel Nats’ with Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez is available to watch on the Men in Blazers Media Network.

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