Roger Bennett Talks Everton, Club's Future, and What 2026 World Cup Means for U.S. Soccer

Roger Bennett and His Love For Everton FC

Roger Bennett's love for Everton fueled his excitement to host a live show in New York City, as he was partnering with the club he loves most. The live show was a huge success, as many Everton fans were in attendance at a sold-out Racket NYC.

The enthusiastic presenter interviewed Everton players James Tarkowski, Iliman Ndiaye, and Seamus Coleman. He also interviewed Everton manager David Moyes, who returned to the club earlier this year, marking his second spell as Everton boss.

Just hours before hosting the live show with Everton in New York, Bennett described how special Everton and football are in his life — passions that have been with him since birth.

Roger Bennett: "I grew up in Liverpool as a third-generation Evertonian, so football was in our blood; It was what was handed to you in Liverpool. There were two things in the city: there was music, and there was football. It's how we [Liverpool] announced ourselves to the world. So you become a football fan the moment you're born, you’re either a blue or a red, and God bless that I'm Liverpool by birth, Everton by the grace of God, as they say."

Roger Bennett mentions that he does not take his career in football for granted, and has had the opportunity to interview legends of the game, from Wayne Rooney to Thierry Henry.

He enjoys the connection he creates with the football audience and expresses pure joy when discussing football with other Evertonians.

Roger Bennett: "Doing what I do is pretty remarkable. It's pretty amazing, and you know I never take it for granted. Being able to have these conversations, engage this kind of audience. Bring this fan base [Everton] together in this incredible time... it's very meaningful."

Roger Bennett On Expressive Calls

One of Bennett's charismatic features is his usage of words when describing iconic football moments or football players. He does it in his podcasts when interviewing players and coaches, or recalling a play he has in his head.

Bennett insists his expressive calls come naturally to him as football creates moments one cannot describe in only one way.

Roger Bennett: "Everybody experiences football differently. The gift of football, being football fans, being a football obsessive, is the sense of emotion that makes you feel joy, agony, glory, defeat, and also the sense of connection, a profound connection, and it makes you feel to other people not just the people you know; for me my dad, my grandpa, my friends."

Roger Bennett recalls James Tarkowski's dramatic equalizer against Liverpool in the last-ever Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park this past season. He remembers how he and many Everton fans felt after the English defender scored against Liverpool very late in the game.

Roger Bennett: "That moment made millions of people around the world feel alive. Just the exclamation point. Emphatic moment and that's the joy of football for me, and that's how I experience it."

Bennett brought it up in his live show when interviewing Tarkowski on stage. Bennett, Tarkwoski and the Everton fans in attendance relived the iconic goal scored at Goodison Park.

Roger Bennett on Everton's New Stadium

Everton will move into the new Hill Dickinson Stadium for the new season, replacing the iconic Goodison Park. The new 52,000-seater stadium marks a new era for Everton, and while leaving Goodison Park is difficult, it sends a message towards the future of the club.

When asked if he is in favor of moving into a brand new stadium instead of remaining at the traditional Goodison Park next season, Bennett recognized the modernization of football today.

Roger Bennett: "Ultimately, football changes. Football has changed so much. When I was a kid, to go to Goodson Park, that was a model. The model of football, English football, was just to fill the stadium every week, and now football is a global game. If for better or for worse, it's about the commercial side of the operation..."

Bennett mentions visiting the new stadium before its opening. His emotional attachment to Goodison Park may never go away, but he understands that the future for Everton is exciting.

Roger Bennett: "I'm emotionally attached to Goodison Park, more than I can say with so many of my memories. My family, multigenerational memories have taken place. I do understand for the club to have a future. A future that in which glories of the past were possible, and that is something that they have to do. And I've been to the new stadium. I visited it several times during construction. It's an incredible place. The club has taken features of the city, about Liverpool, the history of the club into the stadium, and I think it's gonna be one of the most magnificent experiences in the Premier League starting next season."

Roger Bennett on the 2026 World Cup

A World Cup is important for any country and the 2026 World Cup is no exception. It is arguably more important for the host countries, and the United States will host the prestigious tournament along with Mexico and Canada.

There is pressure among the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) and the country as a whole as the tournament could add more growth of the sport in a country that's oversaturated with popular sports.

When asked if the 2026 World Cup could be a crucial turning point in how the U.S receives football, Bennett did not question it for one bit. He believes the football culture in the U.S. is already huge and it will only grow from where it is now, especially with a World Cup on the horizon.

Roger Bennett: "Undoubtedly, we're living in incredible times. Yeah, I moved here in 1994, right before the World Cup. And it was meant to turn America into a massive football nation, and they did do, but they thought it would do it overnight. Instead, it's taken over 30 years. In different cities across America, different footballing cultures have been able to grow organically, and the passion is immense from the fans. The interest level is enormous. You could watch more football in New York City live then you can in London. More Premier League football."

Bennett expresses his excitement for the upcoming World Cup that is less than a year away. The United States is set to host 78 matches in 11 host cities including New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, and more.

Roger Bennett: "Hosting the world for 39 days. The circus, the noise, the spectacle and the wonder is everything I think we need to do to finish off the job that 1994 was meant to do overnight but again instead of being overnight it's taken decades... I can't wait, man. I cannot bloody wait."