Jason Sudeikis, widely recognized for his role as Ted Lasso, is set to kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup as an official ambassador at SoFi Stadium tonight. He will welcome fans ahead of the United States' opening match against Paraguay at 9:00 p.m. ET. This marks the latest and most prominent chapter in a surprisingly deep relationship between Ted Lasso and American soccer. With the show's fourth season dropping on August 5, Sudeikis is about to be everywhere this summer.
Why is Jason Sudeikis the FIFA World Cup 2026 ambassador?
The choice is not arbitrary. Since its debut on Apple TV, Ted Lasso has played a notable role in growing soccer's popularity in the United States, and FIFA clearly wants to lean into that cultural momentum at home.
Tonight's opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, ahead of the USA-Paraguay kickoff at 9:00 p.m., and Sudeikis will be on the pitch to officially welcome fans to Los Angeles. He will not be alone. Katy Perry headlines the entertainment lineup, joined by Future, Anitta, BLACKPINK's Lisa, Rema, and Tyla. Country duo Dan + Shay will sing the United States national anthem, with Paraguayan folk-pop group Purahei Soul performing Paraguay's anthem. It is a massive stage, and Sudeikis landing a central role on it says something. This is not a cameo or a novelty booking. His character helped normalize soccer for millions of American viewers who previously had no entry point into the sport. That cultural work earned him this moment.
This is also not the first time Sudeikis has shown up for U.S. Soccer. Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he wrote personalized letters to USMNT players in Lasso's voice, which were posted on billboards across the United States. The campaign was clever, warm, and completely on-brand, and it landed. The squad went on to reach the round of 16.
Beyond the ceremony, Sudeikis is all over this World Cup commercially. He appears in Nike's campaign alongside LeBron James, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, and Channing Tatum. For Visa, he shared the screen with Haaland again, as well as Spain's Lamine Yamal. The character has become a genuine marketing vehicle, not just a TV show.
When does Ted Lasso season 4 come out?
Apple TV+ is scheduled to release the new season on August 5, just over two weeks after the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on July 19. The timing is intentional — the sport will be at peak visibility in the United States, and Ted Lasso returning right after the tournament ends is designed to ride that wave.
Season 4 takes a sharp turn from the first three. Rather than continuing with AFC Richmond in the Premier League, the new season puts Lasso in charge of a second-division women's team. Few details have been made public beyond that premise, which is smart. The mystery keeps interest high without overselling what the show can deliver.
What is clear is that Sudeikis has been carefully positioned across this entire World Cup, from the pre-match ceremony tonight to ad campaigns to the season premiere in August. The character started as a joke in an NBC Sports commercial in 2013, became a beloved TV series, and is now an official FIFA ambassador. That arc is genuinely unusual.
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About the Author: Prantik Prabal Roy is a passionate sports writer who eats, breathes, and lives the game. Since 2020, he has been in the content writing industry after completion of his Master's degree in English literature and covering the NFL since 2024 with sharp insights, while also diving into the NHL and MLB with equal enthusiasm. He loves crafting content that drives traffic without sacrificing quality. He blends storytelling with analysis to keep readers hooked. When he’s not writing, Prantik can be found cheering on the Buffalo Bills or diving into books that celebrate the world of sports.
