When teams and fans leave, every World Cup is supposed to leave a legacy.
For 2022 host Qatar, it’s increased access to soccer for women and girls, among other initiatives.
What will be left after World Cup 2026, in the U.S.?
Lex Chalat is working on that. In January, she was appointed executive director of the Soccer Forward Foundation — U.S. Soccer’s 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup legacy organization.
She’s the right woman for the job. Her work with the Qatar Foundation included director of legacy and community engagement. Before that, she served as managing director of the Beyond Sport Foundation, helping fund and support organizations using sport as a tool for social change.
Chalat has worked and lived in more than 20 countries, devising programs and partnerships around sport’s role in issues like the refugee crisis, youth gun crime, and racial and ethnic divides. She’s helped develop ESPN’s global community engagement approach; has been involved with legacy projects from South Africa and the UK to Brazil; spearheaded partnerships with the Premier League, MLS, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and NASCAR, and worked with the likes of David Beckham, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Ali, Tony Blair, Tiger Woods and Billie Jean King.
That’s quite a resume for the former University of Pennsylvania English major, art history minor, and competitive gymnast. She first understood the impact of sport on community development while working on a small community newspaper in Philadelphia. Pursuing a master’s at the London School of Economics, Chalat learned how sports and arts play a role in socioeconomic development. Her work with Beyond Sport around the 2012 London Olympics solidified her belief that together, sports and brands can make a difference long after a particular event or campaign has ended.
But of all the sports she’s seen, soccer has the greatest potential. It is “accessible and easy to implement. It’s the global game and language. It connects with young people in a way no other sport does,” Chalat says. “All sports can be a catalyst for change. But soccer is the most impactful.”
Now, Chalat has the chance to bring her work to her home country. And U.S. Soccer Federation CEO and secretary general JT Batson “is putting his money where his mouth is.” Chalat says he understands that when the 2026 World Cup — and the Women’s World Cup, which follows five years later — are over, the national governing body will be left with an important foundation on which to build enthusiasm, build programs, and utilize infrastructure.
But, she notes, U.S. Soccer cannot impose its will in a “top-down” manner. Her role right now is to assess the current state of soccer in this country — in all its forms, including grassroots — and help grow the game inclusively. Stakeholders include professional leagues, local clubs, state associations, players, supporters and corporations.
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She’s already helped develop a Resource Hub. A free bank of “tried and tested approaches gathered from across the soccer community” available on the U.S. Soccer website, it offers case studies, models, tools and training for clubs and organizations to use, along with fundraising support. Topics range from coaching education and best practices guidelines, to parenting and refereeing tips.
One popular section highlights “Let’s Play!” The Maryland State Youth Soccer Association program expands access to the game in underserved communities, combining soccer with nutrition, mentorship and social-emotional learning.
Another element is the “Keeping Score of What Matters” campaign. It’s a national movement that “reframes what success looks like in soccer.” Beyond goals and wins, the initiative helps organizations spotlight “the everyday impact of the game — friendships, confidence, belonging and stronger communities.”
Chalat’s long-term legacy plan will involve, she hopes, every middle and elementary school in the United States. She would like to see parks and schoolyards systematically build spaces, and utilize best practices, to roll out the game everywhere — especially in under-resourced places, where it can reach young people who need its benefits.
“The bedrock is community leaders and educators. We have to equip them with the skills to coach the game in a way that supports kids who are dealing with so much now: food insecurity, mental health, and social media issues.”
It’s an ambitious, nationwide plan. How will Chalat, and U.S. Soccer, measure success?
Metrics include increased participation in school and after-school programs, along with places to play; the number of coaches and physical education teacher trainings offered, and a “behavioral and sentiment shift.”
Then there are individual stories. Chalat cites two recent examples of soccer’s impact.
The Oakland Genesis — a non-profit that provides youngsters with free transportation, academic support, mentorship, nutrition and professional soccer coaching — inspired one girl, who had never considered college, to apply to some of the top schools in the nation.
In Florida, a boy who had lost his father had contemplated suicide. Attending a soccer clinic, he rediscovered joy in life.
Those two small stories show Chalat the power of soccer and community engagement – and the potential for so much more, in the World Cup’s wake.
And if she could help make change happen in Qatar, and around the world, she is excited to do the same right here in her home country.
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