U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General Will Wilson to step down in October

CHICAGO – The U.S. Soccer Federation today announced that Will Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of U.S. Soccer, will leave his position on October 31, 2022, to pursue new professional ventures and opportunities.

U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors will immediately begin a nationwide search for Wilson’s successor to build on the remarkable progress achieved during his tenure. Wilson will remain CEO and Secretary General during this transitional period to ensure seamless continuity of operations as U.S. Soccer prepares to lead this pivotal next phase of growth and opportunity across the entire American soccer ecosystem.

As CEO, Wilson led the organization in its efforts to secure the historic collective bargaining agreements that achieve true equal pay for its senior Men’s and Women’s National Teams. These agreements include identical performance-based bonuses and appearance fees for all games and competitions and a first-ever commercial revenue sharing framework. Most importantly, the agreements contain a monumental provision to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money between Men’s and Women’s National Team players – making U.S. Soccer the first federation in the world to do so.

“It has been an honor to work with the U.S. Soccer board and the dedicated executives and staff at the Federation, and especially with Cindy Parlow Cone, during this pivotal time in sports and for the organization,” said Wilson. “My goal has always been to make sure the Federation was in a better place than when I started, and I’m stepping away knowing that the organization is positioned for continued long-term global success.”

Since joining U.S. Soccer in March 2020, Wilson played an integral role in the organization’s recent evolution, helping to establish a new and sophisticated platform for sustainable growth ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This includes expertly steering U.S. Soccer through the early disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which enabled the Federation to keep its Women’s and Men’s Senior National teams on the field and competing when many other federations were not.

Under Wilson’s leadership, U.S. Soccer also secured a record-setting 10-year renewal with apparel partner NIKE and closed an 8-year English-language broadcast and digital media deal with Warner Media that commences in 2023. He also oversaw the Federation’s strategic decision to bring its commercial rights in-house beginning in 2023.

“Will joined U.S. Soccer at a unique and uncertain moment in our Federation’s history, and his leadership and relentless focus on using commercial success to grow our game have been instrumental in making U.S. Soccer more resilient, more inclusive and better positioned for the future than ever before,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “Will’s impact on U.S. Soccer will long outlast his tenure, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Will and our entire staff during this transition process.”

During his tenure, Wilson also established the first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council at U.S. Soccer and implemented key organizational changes, including developing its Principles and Values framework and outlining and beginning the execution of new 10-year strategic goals. Wilson built a strong executive team through the addition of new organizational hires, including a Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Legal Officer, Chief People and Diversity Officer and Head of Strategy, a newly-created position tasked with leading the Federation’s first ever strategy team.

Prior to U.S. Soccer, Wilson was the co-head and Executive Vice President, Football at Wasserman Media Group, and has held executive positions at Soccer United Marketing and the National Football League.

U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors intends to retain a leading executive search firm with relevant experience in sports administration and related fields to assist in its search for Wilson’s successor. U.S. Soccer will seek a seasoned executive with demonstrable experience aligned with the organization’s values and long-term vision for growth for its membership, fans, athletes, sponsors and partners.