LONG BEACH, Calif. – FOX Sports, the Boys and Girls Club of America-Long Beach and Common Goal USA teamed up on Tuesday to celebrate 100 days until the World Cup begins in the United States by hosting a Soccer Forward Festival event.
More than 100 youth from the Boys and Girls Club (BGCA) participated in a series of soccer skill clinics, games and competition with former United States Men’s National Team stars and FOX Sports Soccer Analysts Alexi Lalas and Cobi Jones, Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft and U.S. Women’s National Team star Danielle Slaton.
Courtesy of FOX Sports
The Boys and Girls Club of America Long Beach pose with FOX talent Alexi Lalas, Cobi Jones, Jenny Taft and former USWNT player Danielle Slaton at Soccer Forward Fest in Long Beach, California on March 3, 2026
“I feel like its pretty cool. All the younger kids get to see them [Lalas and Jones] and, you know, it brings good energy for them. It’s a good opportunity for the younger kids,” said Isaiah, a youth from the Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach.
Tuesday’s event opened with statements from FOX talent and BGCA leadership, followed by participants rotating through four stations, each focused on developing skills, fostering teamwork and competition.
Courtesy of FOX Sports
Youth participate in a soccer skills competition at the “100 Days to FIFA World Cup 2026™” Soccer Forward Fest in Long Beach, California, on March 3, 2026.
The festival is the first of many that FOX Sports, BGCA, the Soccer Forward Foundation and Common Goal will host across the country, leading up to and throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026, to create opportunities for communities and showcase the power of soccer.
“We see change every day through soccer; soccer brings belonging. It brings hope, friendship, and access to opportunities. We're planting seeds through these activations that can grow into. There's a lifetime of opportunities, connection, and belonging through the game,” Mary Connor, Executive Director of Common Goal USA, told The Sporting Tribune.
The United States last hosted the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 1994. Since then, Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League have launched, and an estimated 2.5 million youth play the sport at some level, according to the U.S Youth Soccer Association.
“We ain't where we want to be, but we are so far from where we used to be. I grew up playing soccer, and I had to play on an all-boys team because all-girls teams didn't exist when I was young. All colors, all shapes, all sizes, all ages, are starting to have access to the game,” said Slaton, “Soccer changed my life, and I feel like exposing kids, especially at this age, to the small basics of joy and play is so huge for their future and just for what soccer can give you well beyond the sport.”
Part of FOX’s impact leading up to the World Cup is connecting with local communities and providing unique opportunities to get involved across different parts of soccer.
“This is our first of many soccer forward fests, and what I love about this is you're connecting with the community in so many ways. And for so many of these kids, they know the game, but this provides a kind of fun, different outlook. I actually pulled a couple of girls aside today. We were practicing being broadcasters. So for me, it's just fun to see their excitement around the game, whether that's playing or behind the scenes or for us as broadcasters,” said Taft.
Michelle Chavez- The Sporting Tribune
Jenny Taft and Danielle Slaton answer questions from Boys and Girls Club of America Long Beach youth at the FOX “100 Days to FIFA World Cup 2026™” Soccer Forward Fest in Long Beach, California on March 3, 2026
The Soccer Forward Festival and Fox’s foundation aim to broaden the World Cup's impact, with the goal of growing the game beyond fan events. As a former MLS player with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Lalas recognizes the benefits of soccer beyond the pitch.
“You win, you lose, you score goals and all that kind of stuff. But most importantly, it’s about socialization. It’s about learning lessons. It’s about keeping people, especially young people, safe and providing environments where they can go, compete, create friendships and interactions, and get the social tools they need to be successful. That’s the type of thing we need more of," Lalas told The Sporting Tribune.
FOX Sports is the exclusive English-language broadcaster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. and will stream all 104 matches. The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11th with Group A’s opening matches playing in Mexico.