Obama Says World Cup Provided "Quantum Leap" for US Football

(WFI) US President Barack Obama says that the performance of the national team at this summer’s World Cup provided a “quantum leap” for the football in the United States and will benefit his country’s World Cup bid.

The United States topped World Cup Group C, pipping England into second place.

US TV network figures reveal that the country’s second round match with Ghana and Sunday’s final between Spain and Holland were the two most watched matches in the country’s history.

“I think that you saw a quantum leap this year because of the excellence of the US team,” Obama said in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

“It’s absolutely true that they call baseball the national pastime here in the United States; that basketball is obviously a homegrown invention; and we dominate American football. Those are all sports that developed here and that the United States is obsessed with.

“Soccer is a late entry. But what you saw with the U.S. team was huge enthusiasm of the sort that I haven’t seen about soccer before.

“And the younger generation is much more focused on soccer than the older generation. I mean, my daughters, they play soccer, they paid attention to who was doing what in the World Cup. And so I think what you’re going to continue to see is a growing enthusiasm and I think people are very serious about the World Cup being hosted here in the United States.”

Obama has been a fulsome supporter of the US bid, meeting FIFA President Sepp Blatter at the White House last summer and dispatching his vice-president Joe Biden to the World Cup opening ceremony.

In an exclusive interview to be published on INSIDER tomorrow, USA World Cup bid CEO David Downs hails the the huge impact President Obama and former-President Clinton have had on his country’s efforts to host the 2018 or 2022 finals

“He’s been terrific,” Downs tells INSIDER of the White House’s present incumbent.

“Up to now [Obama’s] done everything we’ve asked of him,” he said.

As for Clinton, Downs says: “He’s not merely a name on a masthead, he is actually somebody who is involved in the political campaign strategy of the bid.”

“He has been very engaged with us in terms of behind the scenes strategizing He has also been involved in reaching out to the voters – to introduce himself and talk about his role in the bid process.”

By INSIDER’s James Corbett.

Read James Corbett's exclusive interview with USA bid CEO David Downs tomorrow on World Football INSIDER.

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