Business Chief US+CAN Magazine September 2017 | Page 15

team culture reflecting what each of these leaders expects on the field . MLSE takes care of the back office , allowing each of its pillars to develop independently . If he had any fears that soccer would be sidelined by its older , more mature partners , these have been dispelled . “ TFC is a big beneficiary of the best practices across the other two teams ,” Manning explains . “ One of the great things about MLSE is that it ’ s putting so many resources behind TFC and we feel on an equal standing with the other teams .”
Potential Manning feels that TFC ’ s ceiling is now higher . Soccer is growing fast in both Canada and the USA . Now that it looks like CONCACAF will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a joint bid between Canada , the USA , Mexico and the Central American and Caribbean nations , with 10 games booked for Canada , the sport can expect to go into turbo drive .
“ I was in the US in 1994 when they hosted the World Cup and saw how it boosted soccer there ,” Manning recalls . “ We can do that for Canada in 2026 .”
15