U.S Soccer Federation and Truly Hard Seltzer to elevate fan experience globally

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U.S Soccer
Image provided by U.S Soccer Federation

The U.S Soccer Federation and Truly Hard Seltzer joined forces on a multi-year strategic partnership, focusing on promoting inclusivity among fans from all across the globe and changing the landscape of the matchday experience.

‘Truly’ is a hard seltzer tastemaker established in 2016, and since then has constantly been breaking boundaries of customer interpretation of hard seltzer and developing innovative experiences for consumers. U.S Soccer Federation, established in 1913, has grown immensely across all levels and is constantly finding ways to reimagine soccer as a distinguished sport in the country.

The partnership’s key themes such as inclusivity, creativity, and experimentation align with both organisations’ values. As for U.S Soccer, the partnership enables them to build on their efforts to partner with brands committed to growing soccer in innovative ways, and Truly the tastemakers committed drive to challenge traditional drinking experiences and create unique experiences for consumers.

U.S Soccer and Truly intend to integrate digital, in-person, and broadcast activations aimed to provide fans with an innovative experience ahead of and during games. The partnership will capitalise on exclusive co-branded giveaways, U.S soccer player appearances and expand activations across entertainment and local communities – to drive celebration of the game across all identities globally.

The Truly United Cam, the new digital strategy developed as part of the partnership, will elevate the fan experience digitally. As part of this campaign, fans will be able to send in clips featuring spontaneous social moments celebrating U.S Soccer across the globe, with the fans also getting a chance to feature across U.S Soccer’s social and digital platforms.

U.S Soccer Chief Commercial Officer David Wright was excited about the partnership.

“Through their innovation and understanding of next-gen consumers, Truly has risen to become a leading hard seltzer brand in the country. We’re excited to work together toward our aligned vision to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States by uniting our fans, celebrating our diversity, and enhancing the overall fan journey,” he said via press release.

Lesya Lysyj, Chief Marketing Officer of Boston Beer Company, was equally thrilled about the partnership.

“Truly is thrilled to join the U.S. Soccer team as its first Official Hard Seltzer. This is so much more than a sports deal. It’s a strategic partnership that brings Truly to a global stage by aligning with the most passionate, inclusive, and energetic sport in the world through its biggest moments that inspire athletes and fans everywhere. We’re truly proud to be united in flavour with U.S. Soccer and look forward to kicking off the partnership in 2023,” she said via press release.

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Eastern Suburbs Football Association Announces First All-Female Referee Course and Expanded Women’s Competition

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Image Credit: Football NSW

The Eastern Suburbs Football Association has opened its 2026 season with three structural investments that reflect the growing ambition of community football associations to address participation, representation and development gaps simultaneously, beginning with the delivery of its first all-female Football Match Official Course.

The course, held at Matraville Sports High School and led by female liaison committee member Michelle Hilton and 2025 Referee of the Year Ariella Richards, brought 25 new female referees into the association ahead of Round 1. The initiative targets one of the most persistent imbalances in community sport, with women remaining significantly underrepresented in officiating roles at every level of the game, by creating a dedicated entry point separate from the mixed course environment that many women find unwelcoming.

The Women’s Premier League has also expanded, now featuring eleven teams and introducing a WPL1 and WPL2 structure following the first ten rounds of the season. The tiered format creates more competition opportunities for clubs across the region while providing a clearer development pathway for teams at different stages of growth. Returning clubs Randwick City, Glebe Wanderers, Easts FC and Sydney University join established sides in what the association describes as one of its most competitive women’s seasons. ESFA clubs have continued to perform strongly in state-wide competitions including the Football NSW Sapphire Cup, State Cup and Champion of Champions.

Building the next generation

The season opened with an inaugural Development League Gala Day for Under-9 to Under-12 boys and girls, bringing eight clubs together in a structured development environment ahead of Round 1. Sydney FC A-League Women’s players attended the event and engaged directly with young participants, a deliberate effort to connect grassroots players with visible examples of where the pathway leads.

“We are committed to creating more opportunities for clubs, players, coaches and referees to thrive, with a strong focus on participation opportunities to suit participants of all abilities and aspirations,” said ESFA CEO John Boulous.

The three initiatives, a new referee entry point for women, an expanded women’s competition structure, and a development-focused junior gala day with elite role models present, together reflect an association responding to the participation pressures the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has brought into sharp relief across Australian football.

More Than One in Five Football Australia Staff to Lose Jobs Amid Growing Financial Losses

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Image Credit: ESPN

Australian football finds itself in a curious position.

From the outside, the game appears to be riding a wave of momentum. Attendances, visibility and public interest have all experienced significant uplift in recent years, while major international tournaments and growing discussion around football’s future continue to place the sport firmly within the national conversation.

Yet behind that momentum, Football Australia is now confronting a far more challenging internal reality.

 

A compounding deficit

Chief Executive Martin Kugeler has reportedly indicated the governing body’s projected financial losses for 2025 are expected to exceed the organisation’s reported $8.5 million deficit from the previous year. Accompanying the financial outlook are substantial organisational changes, with reporting from Tracey Holmes indicating more than one in five Football Australia employees are expected to lose their positions through restructuring measures.

The figures represent more than a difficult balance sheet. They point toward a significant period of recalibration inside the organisation responsible for overseeing the sport nationally.

 

Losing the wisdom of existing staff members

For governing bodies, restructures are often framed as strategic necessities for future sustainability. However, workforce changes on this scale also raise broader questions around the challenges of such a transition.

People are often the carriers of knowledge, relationships and long-term strategic understanding. When organisations undergo significant structural change, the effects can extend beyond immediate financial outcomes.

 

Contradicting timing

The timing is what makes the developments particularly notable.

Football in Australia has spent recent years discussing expansion, growth and long-term opportunity. The conversation surrounding the game has increasingly centred on future potential. Often headlining stronger pathways, larger audiences, infrastructure development and greater visibility.

Against that backdrop, news of deep financial losses and substantial staffing reductions creates a different conversation: one focused not on where the game wants to go, but on what may be required to sustain that journey. Therefore, this announcement points toward stagnancy, rather than growth.

Further detail surrounding Football Australia’s strategy and long-term direction will likely emerge over coming months. For now, the developments serve as a reminder that growth stories are rarely straightforward.

Often, the periods that appear strongest from the outside can also be the moments organisations face their most significant internal tests.

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