Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn built two Major League Soccer clubs from nothing — LAFC in the most crowded sports market in America, and now San Diego FC on the U.S.–Mexico border. In this episode of Cars and Culture, he tells Jason Stein why the 2026 World Cup was "the best sporting event in the history of humanity," what it actually did for MLS, and why the league is still ahead of American soccer culture.
Tom also opens up the automotive side of the business — the day his partnerships lead drove a Porsche onto the stadium concourse to pitch the Porsche Director's Box at LAFC, how Lexus, Ford and Toyota fit in, and why the local dealer association board is the group that really decides.
In this conversation:
- The post-World Cup bounce: 25,000 at the home opener and a sold-out Leagues Cup match against Club Tijuana
- Why MLS keeps expanding — Detroit, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Raleigh-Durham are still open
- LAFC vs. San Diego FC: a club "of the city" vs. a club of an entire county
- The FIFA 50-kilometer rule that lets San Diego FC recruit youth talent across the Mexican border — and nobody else can
- Right to Dream: full scholarships for 10- and 11-year-olds, from Ghana to Denmark to Cairo to San Diego
- How supporter culture really gets built — the 3252 and Frontera SD, drums, flares and safe standing
- Porsche, Lexus, Ford and Toyota: how car brands buy into soccer, and the lowrider car-show activations in Chula Vista
- Peoria, Bradley basketball, the Vancouver-to-Memphis Grizzlies move, and the four-day ESPN contract that turned into eight years
- Why live sports is "AI-proof" — and why franchise valuations are rocketing
- San Diego FC's next five years, new MLS commissioner Larry Berg, and selling homegrown players to Europe
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:33 The post-World Cup bounce and "the best sporting event in history"
7:38 Why MLS keeps expanding
9:06 LAFC vs. San Diego FC: two different brand playbooks
11:35 The binational edge — recruiting across the Mexico border
15:11 How supporter culture actually gets built
18:53 Porsche, Lexus and Ford: why car brands buy into soccer
25:15 Peoria to the NBA, and a four-day ESPN contract
30:33 Why live sports is "AI-proof"
35:40 The next five years for San Diego FC and MLS
42:54 Favorite World Cup moments
Subscribe for new episodes of Cars and Culture with Jason Stein
#SanDiegoFC #MLS #WorldCup #Soccer #TomPenn #LAFC #Messi #MajorLeagueSoccer #CarsAndCulture #JasonStein
San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn built two Major League Soccer clubs from nothing — LAFC in the most crowded sports market in America, and now San Diego FC on the U.S.–Mexico border. In this episode of Cars and Culture, he tells Jason Stein why the 2026 World Cup was "the best sporting event in the history of humanity," what it actually did for MLS, and why the league is still ahead of American soccer culture.
Tom also opens up the automotive side of the business — the day his partnerships lead drove a Porsche onto the stadium concourse to pitch the Porsche Director's Box at LAFC, how Lexus, Ford and Toyota fit in, and why the local dealer association board is the group that really decides.
In this conversation:
- The post-World Cup bounce: 25,000 at the home opener and a sold-out Leagues Cup match against Club Tijuana
- Why MLS keeps expanding — Detroit, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Raleigh-Durham are still open
- LAFC vs. San Diego FC: a club "of the city" vs. a club of an entire county
- The FIFA 50-kilometer rule that lets San Diego FC recruit youth talent across the Mexican border — and nobody else can
- Right to Dream: full scholarships for 10- and 11-year-olds, from Ghana to Denmark to Cairo to San Diego
- How supporter culture really gets built — the 3252 and Frontera SD, drums, flares and safe standing
- Porsche, Lexus, Ford and Toyota: how car brands buy into soccer, and the lowrider car-show activations in Chula Vista
- Peoria, Bradley basketball, the Vancouver-to-Memphis Grizzlies move, and the four-day ESPN contract that turned into eight years
- Why live sports is "AI-proof" — and why franchise valuations are rocketing
- San Diego FC's next five years, new MLS commissioner Larry Berg, and selling homegrown players to Europe
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:33 The post-World Cup bounce and "the best sporting event in history"
7:38 Why MLS keeps expanding
9:06 LAFC vs. San Diego FC: two different brand playbooks
11:35 The binational edge — recruiting across the Mexico border
15:11 How supporter culture actually gets built
18:53 Porsche, Lexus and Ford: why car brands buy into soccer
25:15 Peoria to the NBA, and a four-day ESPN contract
30:33 Why live sports is "AI-proof"
35:40 The next five years for San Diego FC and MLS
42:54 Favorite World Cup moments
Subscribe for new episodes of Cars and Culture with Jason Stein
#SanDiegoFC #MLS #WorldCup #Soccer #TomPenn #LAFC #Messi #MajorLeagueSoccer #CarsAndCulture #JasonStein
