{"id":2553,"date":"2026-07-02T09:32:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2553"},"modified":"2026-07-02T09:32:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:32:27","slug":"miami-billionaires-investment-in-team-usa-pays-off-as-world-cup-run-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2553","title":{"rendered":"Miami billionaire\u2019s investment in Team USA pays off as World Cup run continues"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Miami billionaire Ken Griffin\u2019s investment in Team USA continues to pay off \u2014 all the way to the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2551\">See how Miami fans celebrated Team USA\u2019s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>With a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night, the U.S. men\u2019s national team advanced to the knockout stage for the first time since 2002 and won three matches in a single World Cup for the first time in program history.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Up next is a Monday showdown against Belgium in Seattle, where a quarterfinal berth will be on the line.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Much of the credit for the team\u2019s resurgence has gone to coach Mauricio Pochettino, who inherited a program reeling from its disappointing first-round exit at the 2024 Copa Am\u00e9rica.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Nearly two years later, the Argentine has restored optimism around the national team and guided the Americans on their deepest World Cup run in decades.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>So what does a Miami billionaire have to do with Team USA\u2019s surprising success?<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Quite a bit.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>When fellow hedge fund manager Scott Goodwin approached Griffin about helping fund U.S. Soccer\u2019s pursuit of Pochettino, Griffin agreed to make the largest private contribution toward the coach\u2019s contract, Reuters reported this week. The amount of Griffin\u2019s contribution has not been disclosed, but it is believed to be in the millions.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Pochettino did not come cheap. The highest-paid coach in U.S. Soccer history earns an annual base salary of about $6 million. Tax filings show he received more than $5 million during his first seven months on the job, including an approximately $2.5 million signing bonu, Reuters reported..<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Now, as the Americans prepare to face Belgium with a chance to reach the World Cup quarterfinals, Griffin\u2019s investment appears to be paying dividends.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2550\">Little Havana residents beg for a lifeline as development plans push them out<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Griffin\u2019s support for the sport goes well beyond writing a check. The 57-year-old billionaire has been passionate about soccer since childhood, beginning to play at age 6, competing on a state runner-up high school team and later playing and coaching as an adult, according to Citadel.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a soccer fan and has been a big supporter of youth soccer,\u201d Citadel spokesman David Millar told the Miami Herald.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>That passion has translated into philanthropy.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>In 2017, Griffin donated $3 million to the U.S. Soccer Foundation to build 50 neighborhood mini-pitches across Chicago.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>After relocating Citadel\u2019s headquarters to Miami, he committed another $5 million in 2023 to build 50 mini-pitches throughout Miami-Dade County as part of a public-private initiative to expand access to soccer in underserved communities ahead of the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The initiative continues to grow. Earlier this year, officials announced that 25 of the mini-pitches will be installed at Miami-Dade County Public Schools, helping complete the countywide goal of 50 fields by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Griffin has also helped local residents experience the World Cup firsthand. He and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross donated more than 1,200 match tickets to Miami-area residents so they could attend games in one of the tournament\u2019s host cities.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>If Pochettino can lead the Americans past Belgium on Monday, the conversation will shift from an improbable World Cup run to whether Team USA can make a serious push toward the semifinals \u2014 and perhaps even the final.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2548\">See how Miami fans celebrated Team USA\u2019s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><\/p>\n<p>This story was originally published <span>July 1, 2026 at 5:12 PM<span>.<\/span><\/span><!-- --><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Miami billionaire Ken Griffin helped fund Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s hiring and invested in Miami-Dade mini-pitches, aiding the U.S. men\u2019s World Cup campaign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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