Alan Rothenberg, the man who ran the last American World Cup, is about to witness his vision finally come to life. When Madonna and Shakira take the pitch at MetLife Stadium for this summer's final, he will know something FIFA blocked three decades ago: a major pop star performing directly on the field at soccer's biggest stage.
Back in 1994, Rothenberg wanted Whitney Houston to sing at the Rose Bowl final in Pasadena. It seemed like a natural fit for a tournament he was determined to transform into an American spectacle, complete with the glitz and production value of a Super Bowl halftime show. But FIFA said no. The reason given: rain might damage the pitch.
Rothenberg was so convinced of the safety that he brought FIFA officials to the 1993 Super Bowl at the same Rose Bowl venue to watch Michael Jackson perform from a stage erected directly on the field. "We walked out to see if there was any torn up or broken down grass," Rothenberg recalled. "There was none whatsoever, but FIFA still said no."
The objection puzzled him then and still does. "If there was rain or precipitation, which was never likely to be a problem in California in July, they didn't want a stage in the centre of the field," he said. Houston ended up performing from the sidelines with what Rothenberg described as "all kinds of people around her." Stadium fans weren't even certain where the music was coming from.
The 1994 World Cup marked a turning point for how the tournament could be packaged and sold. "Prior to 1994, the World Cup was basically a soccer tournament, and there was not a lot of hoopla other than passionate fans," Rothenberg said. "We consciously tried to make 1994 very entertaining." Though FIFA initially resisted some innovations, the organization eventually adopted them. Now, three decades later, the halftime spectacle Rothenberg pioneered has become standard.
The politics surrounding this year's tournament are far messier than anything Rothenberg faced in 1994. He acknowledged that FIFA has made uncomfortable compromises to appease the Trump administration, and some of FIFA President Gianni Infantino's statements strike him as embarrassing. "But it's an embarrassment that's worth taking just to keep the government on side," Rothenberg said. "The goal is to have a great tournament."
He does not expect ICE raids to significantly disrupt the tournament. "There was lots of talk of ICE being active at the Super Bowl this year, and around other major events, but in reality very little happened," he noted. "I suspect that there will be a similar position at the World Cup. I don't think he wants to end up having the tournament overshadowed by discussions of ICE raids."
Rothenberg's tenure in soccer administration spanned decades. He served as president of US Soccer for eight years and ran the soccer competition at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The sport's transformation in America has astonished even him. When he led the federation in 1990, the offices occupied a trailer in Colorado Springs thanks to free rent from the US Olympic Committee. The entire operation had six or eight employees and was effectively bankrupt.
Today, US Soccer operates several hundred employees and just opened a $300 million training center with hundreds of millions in annual revenue. "It's quite a transformation," Rothenberg said. The globalization of soccer was inevitable, he believes, but the recent acceleration has exceeded even his expectations. "Hopefully the World Cup can take it to another level."
Author James Rodriguez: "Rothenberg's fight for Whitney Houston on the pitch was ahead of its time, and FIFA's rain excuse looks pretty silly now that halftime productions have become expected spectacle."
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