The Time Mussolini Watched An American Soccer Game

Before entering World War II, the infamous Italian dictator somehow ended up witnessing one of the greatest games in American soccer history. This week, we dive into the story of “Il Duce” watching the first-ever match between the USMNT and Mexico. Plus, we revisit one of the most astonishing indoor soccer streaks ever, examine the return of a historic club, take a look at the 2026 Embassy Cup, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 🔥 The Hottest Indoor Soccer Streak

• ⏳ Last Chance to Grab a Copy!

• 🪖 The Time Mussolini Watched An American Soccer Game

• 🫨 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers Set to Return

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

OUR HISTORY
The Hottest Indoor Soccer Streak

Indoor soccer in the ‘90s was truly the wild west. I mean, just look at that haircut from one of the players on the KC Attack. You basically knew the game was over before it even began.

And this ferocious side from the NPSL set one of the greatest records in this particular league, going on a sensational 18-game winning streak during the 1995-96 season.

It felt fitting to remember it 30 years later!

PHOTO BOOK
Last Chance to Grab a Copy!

Get yours HERE. (Orders close this Friday, May 1st, at 11:59 PM EST)

This 250-page documentary photo book was developed over the course of eight grueling months, chasing the 2025 Open Cup across 34 cities, from early games on high school fields to the roaring stadium final in Austin.

Thanks to the incredible work of 20 dedicated photographers, this book offers a never-before-seen window into the scale and diversity of the competition, creating a comprehensive visual archive of the 110th edition of this historic tournament.

In many ways, the frames captured throughout the course of this gritty and colorful cup also gave us glimpses into the best parts of American culture—the very ones that have kept millions of fans and players coming out to this tournament for over a century.

COVER STORY
The Time Mussolini Watched An American Soccer Game

Over the weekend was Liberation Day in Italy (commemorating the end of Nazi-fascist rule and the victory of the Italian Resistance in 1945), so I figured it was as good a time as ever to dig this one up.

Turns out that the infamous Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, watched the first-ever game between the USMNT and Mexico. And it ended up being one of the most insane matches in American history.

This pivotal duel took place in Rome, a couple of days before the start of the 1934 World Cup hosted in Italy. The winner would book a spot in the much-anticipated tournament.

So, under the eyes of a sold-out crowd, and with Mussolini and the American ambassador in attendance, both countries took the field for this qualifier.

And I’ll be the first to admit, as I was reading up on the story of this game, I fully expected the USMNT to have lost… but it turns out we smacked Mexico 4-2 in decisive fashion and punched our ticket to the World Cup over our southern neighbors. But that’s not all.

As if this tale wasn’t crazy enough already, all the US goals were scored by the same player, Aldo Donelli, who’d later go on to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. Just one crazy coincidence after another.

Pretty wild way to kick off this great international rivalry 😅

CULTURE
Ft. Lauderdale Strikers Set to Return

…sort of.

This iconic side from South Florida shocked everyone by announcing that they’ll be “back” for the first time since 2016.

The Strikers will participate in TST this year and compete for the million-dollar prize. It is yet unclear if the team will be comprised of alumni or other players… or if it may be the start of something bigger?

Only time will tell. Regardless, it’s welcome news for fans of this historic NASL club.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Let us know your thoughts—we’ll feature your best answers next week!

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Beef: Why is a team from Switzerland taking shots at LAFC? Find out here. 

Pet Collection: adidas just dropped World Cup “jerseys” for pets. Might need to grab one for my cat…

Iron Kit Man: The USMNT kit man put on a shift last week, completing the Boston Marathon.

Tailgating is Back: In a shocking twist, this World Cup host city announced that tailgating will be allowed at their games after all…

World Cup Prize Money: And speaking of the World Cup, it seems the prize money for the tournament is set to increase after countries raised concerns over costs.

POLITICS
The 2026 Embassy Cup

Pretty awesome scenes out of DC this past weekend!

The Embassy Cup brought together 20 nations for a day of footy, and in the end, the squads from the embassies of Saudi Arabia and Denmark ended up qualifying for the grand final.

The two embassies will face off at Audi Field on June 3, ahead of the annual Congressional Soccer Match.

BOX OFFICE
Catch a Game With Zohran

On Monday, NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gotham FC announced their “Access for All” collab campaign to provide affordable match tickets for $5.

As of the time of writing, the entire batch of affordable tickets for Gotham’s match against the Boston Legacy on May 9th sold out, but you can still grab 20% off regular tickets through the mayor’s discount code.

Get them here.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: Who’s winning the Premier League? Here are some of your answers:

• “Arsenal. It’ll be tight, but our schedule is easier on paper, and City will hopefully drop points.” - BD

• "Manchester City. They’re literally built for this type of scenario. We’ve seen it time and time again.” - Ben

The poll was dead even at 50% for Arsenal and 50% for Manchester City—an unbelievably rare occurrence here. I suppose it’s fitting with how close the race is…

UP NEXT
On the Road Again

After a quick two days in Boston, we’re back on the road (and wrapping this newsletter up in the air).

Excited to work on telling more stories from across the country ahead of the World Cup! It should be a fun few weeks ⚽ 🇺🇸

Enjoying This?

Make sure to forward this email to a friend and help us spread the soccer gospel far and wide! We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo