In advance of the FIFA men’s World Cup next month, the sports and culture content studio OffBall is partnering with Substack on OffBallFC, a new brand activating around the global soccer calendar in partnership with two American soccer stars.
OffBallFC will include two newsletters per week, social and branded content, and events intended to speak to an American audience through the lens of the sport’s unique culture.
The brand launches this week in advance of the North American World Cup and will be on the ground in New York City the week of July 13, ahead of the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium for brand partnership activations. It will continue beyond the tournament.
“Built for American fans who don’t care about formations and will never use the word ‘fixture’, OffBallFC will move hand-in-hand with Substack to reach audiences who want to know the fun storylines and see the best soccer content from the 2026 World Cup and beyond,” said OffBall CEO Michaela Hammond in a press release. “OffBallFC brings together fresh voices, cross-cultural collaborations, and creators to capitalize on the growing interest in soccer in the U.S.”
The OffBallFC vertical will launch with investment from USMNT striker Folarin Balogun. NWSL midfielder Madison Hammond will write one of the two weekly dispatches and “serve as an OffBallFC voice.”
Regular OffBall contributor Daniel Yaw-Miller will serve as the creative lead for OffBallFC, bringing the brand’s editorial sensibilities and taste to the project.
All content will be distributed through Substack.
“OffBall has done a better job than anyone of finding and elevating original voices to capture the true sports zeitgeist since launch. They often tap into great, independent Substackers, and it feels so fitting for OffBall to bring that curation here to Substack,” said Cam Smith, head of sports partnerships at Substack.
“It’s even more exciting for the team to launch OffBall FC with original reporting as we near the World Cup. Voices like Daniel’s and Madison’s provide the kind of opinion and insight that make Substack a special community for everyone seeking the best sports content. We can’t wait to see how they’ll shape the football discourse for the months and years ahead.”
The World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Mexico.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.