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The Men in Blazers podcast and network has transformed the coverage of soccer in the USA. Founded by Everton fan Roger Bennett, it’s helped spread the popularity of the beautiful game in its last unconquered territory. Thanks to Christopher Ward’s sponsorship of Everton Football Club, Men in Blazers has also been working with CW on video content as well as co-hosting Blues events in the US. Now, with North America gearing up to host the 2026 World Cup – and on the back of a MiB show with comedian Trevor Noah – we asked Roger about the country’s soccer revolution.

Hi Roger! First up, tell us about yourself
I grew up in 1980s Liverpool, dreaming of the United States. It was a tough time. Liverpool felt close to America because of the port and it was a time when the city was talking about seceding from the rest of England and becoming a republic. I certainly felt closer to America.

Did you think you’d ever get there?
No, I didn’t know many people who’d even been on a plane! But the first opportunity, I moved to Chicago after university. It was amazing – and was everything I’d ever imagined after watching the Chicago Bears, listening to Public Enemy and watching John Hughes movies. The one thing that wasn’t here was football. And I missed it terribly. When I moved here there were 370 channels on cable, but when Everton were in the FA Cup semi-final I couldn’t get it on TV. I had to ring up my dad and he held the headset to the commentary on Radio Merseyside!

What effect did the US World Cup in 1994 have?
It was meant to put America at the top football-wise. But instead it’s been a slow and steady rise: the English Premier League only took off in 2013 when NBC started to broadcast it. Then EA Sports’ FIFA game brought in an entire generation to the characters, teams and players – ie, how Messi is different to control than Ronaldo. A young audience became incredibly knowledgeable about football through a video game!

What about the internet?
The internet changed everything: you could follow the transfers, the rumours, the intrigue from Anfield – as closely in Los Angeles as in Liverpool. When we travel around America doing live shows, I’ll ask who people support. And they’ll say: “I used to hate football, now I have a Tottenham Hotspur tattoo on my forearm.” American fans are obsessed with football in every guise – men’s, women’s, domestic, international and club. This is super-served by the biggest clubs, and half of the Premier League is American-owned.

How did Men in Blazers begin?
In 2006, the World Cup was broadcast here and was doing large numbers, but the coverage was terrible. The thing that changed my life was hearing a commentator saying, “The world’s most famous soccer player Charlie Beckham takes the field.” And I thought, “God, if only they had people who knew what they were talking about.”

In 2010 we started a podcast which wired together a community of die-hard football-lovers across America. We now have a network where we do three to four shows a day, covering men’s and women’s football, plus a new show for second- and third generation Hispanic football fans called ¡Vamos!. The likes of transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has a show, the captain of the US men’s team Tyler Adams has a podcast.

Who are the most popular teams?
America is obsessed with the Premier League, they love its history and authentic fan culture. They also support multiple clubs: fans will have a German team, an English team – there’s room in their heart for multiple clubs. It’s funny, with Manchester United, many US fans have never seen them win anything. Liverpool are massive, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea too – and Everton punch above their weight, because they’re such a traditional team with a history of American players. The fact that we cheer for them helps, too!

What sort of people come on the show?
We’ve had the likes of Arne Slot, Virgil van Dyke, Pep Guardiola, Jack Grealish – the biggest names want to speak to America via our platform. The coverage we’re trying to create is about their experience being an elite athlete. How they think, how they feel. How they process. We just shot with Bukayo Saka in London. To hear what goes through his mind when he takes possession of the ball in the final third is why we do this.

Christopher Ward is the Official Timing Partner for Men in Blazers. How did that come about?
We’ve been working with Everton for years. When Christopher Ward became the sleeve sponsor, I met [CW CEO] Mike France – and we got on so well, it was like I’d grown up with him. I love the watches because of the company’s Liverpool connection, because of the quality, because of the storytelling. We shot a film together about leaving Goodison for the final Merseyside derby, at which I received the most beautiful accidental punch of my life when James Tarkowski scored the equaliser to make it 2-2!

What about CW’s Goodison watch?
The Goodison is the bomb! The storytelling, the detail, the aesthetic, the turnstile in the case back. When you look at the watch you see a connection to place. Goodison Park was a vessel of memory. This move to Hill Dickinson Stadium is a transformational moment, like a caterpillar going into a chrysalis and coming out as something beautiful. Watching Christopher Ward come in and partner with the club and us has been a dream come true.

Speaking of Evertonians, you did some shows with Wayne Rooney…
When Wayne came over to play for DC United, we did a show with him where he talked about his life, his career and his journey. He’s amazing – an incredibly sweet, incredibly thoughtful human being. He talked often in poetry. I asked him what it was like to score that overhead kick against Manchester City. He said he’d had a terrible game, and that he’d actually caught it badly. He said, “When you’re a footballer, it’s like swimming underwater until that second when you score a goal and present yourself to the fans. In that second, you feel like you’re that swimmer breaking through to the surface and you hear everything.”

Finally, how is it looking for Men In Blazers in 2026?
Our coverage is gearing up for the World Cup. We’re doing live shows in every city, with the likes of singer Noah Kahan and JJ Watt, the NFL star. The World Cup will change the sport. The sky’s the limit!