Alan Rothenberg is a successful businessman and one of the most influential figures in US Soccer history. Rothenberg has served as the President of United States Soccer Federation from 1990-1998 and was President of soccer’s World Cup in 1994 and 1999 as well. Rothenberg is also one of the founders of Major League Soccer.

The 1994 World Cup, for which Mr. Rothenberg was also Chairman and CEO along with his Presidency, was the most successful World Cup in history and was the largest single sport event ever at that time. The 1994 World Cup set records for total ticket sales, per game average sales, sponsorship and licensing revenues and global TV ratings.

The record setting financial results, a $70,000,000 surplus, was used to fund a new non-profit foundation, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which Rothenberg established and where he continues to work as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

As United States Soccer Federation President, Rothenberg led the organization’s growth from an annual budget of less than $5 million and only 20 employees to an organization with an annual budget of over $30 million and over 75 employees. Rothenberg also negotiated major sponsorship agreements with companies such as Nike (a contract that is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world), secured national TV deals (the first-ever for U.S. Soccer) and established collective bargaining agreements with both the men and women’s national teams, respectively.

Rothenberg also formed Major League Soccer by securing investors that included great business minds such Lamar Hunt, Robert Kraft, John Kluge, George Soros and others, but didn’t stop there. He secured and negotiated national TV contracts with ABC and ESPN, signed on major sponsoring companies including Nike, adidas, Reebok, Anheuser-Busch, MasterCard, Honda, Fuji.

Rothenberg’s past business experiences are very extensive and include working as an executive for sports teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Kings, Clippers and Aztecs; for cable TV at Jack Kent Cooke, Inc.; in live theater on the popular rock opera “Tommy;” in feature films on the movie “With Honors;” in directing many non-profit companies as well as for-profit companies, like First Los Angeles Bank, the NBA and MLS.