Women’s soccer star Julie Ertz chats about the World Cup marketing moment

The GIST: Last month, retired women’s soccer stars and lifelong friends Julie Ertz and Kealia Watt launched their Style of Play podcast in what seems like a perfect moment. Not only is this undoubtedly the “summer of soccer” on U.S. soil, but everyone seems to be thinking about how to build momentum ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

• Earlier this month, we chatted with Ertz about how she’s building her profile in retirement as a former athlete and devoted mom. We asked about how soccer, and sports fandom at large, has changed — and what brands can learn from the moment. Meeting those quarterly goals.

⚽ “Sports unite people.” Ertz said this to explain her recent campaign with International Justice Mission and why the anti-trafficking org chose the WC moment (and Ertz) to drive home its mission. But we don’t just see this in brand campaigns: It also brings in podcast listeners.

• Ertz and Watt’s podcast, which has 9.9K YouTube subscribers, drew 24.2K views for a Father’s Day episode featuring their NFL star husbands, Zach Ertz and J.J. Watt.

📺 The times are a-changin’. While there’s been criticism about the U.S. not investing enough in its youth soccer pipeline, Ertz cites this as one of the biggest things that’s changed since she and Watt started playing together as teens. She expects media exposure to make a difference, too.

• She said she could hardly watch men’s soccer growing up, and women’s soccer just hit national airwaves a few years ago. She also sees media accessibility as a big differentiator for engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans: Whatever game is on in the Ertz household, “it’s the sport that the kids want to play.”

💼 Thanks to increased exposure and interest, women stars can win big off the field. “You’re really getting a full picture of your athlete now,” she said, which many fans clearly want. And from an athlete perspective, they’re able to channel their competitive streak into off-field businesses, added Ertz.

⚽ Any category can get in on the fun. “It doesn’t even matter at this point what the actual brand is — there’s a way that they want to be a part of it,” Ertz said about WC brand campaigns, highlighting how Levi’s spun a FIFA ban into marketing gold. Get in now and play the long game.