Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
New Jersey, United States – Tobin Heath knows all about winning World Cup football and defending it well.
As a key member of the USA women’s soccer team in the late 2000s and 2010s, Heath won the FIFA World Cup in 2015 and 2019, as well as Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
Recommended Articles
list of 4 itemsend of series
But it’s not just the medals and honors that elevated him to the top tier of football stars. Rather, it was Heath’s work to change the women’s game as a skilled and talented professional that set her apart.
From outrunning defenders while running down the flank to making jaw-dropping assists and finishing inside the penalty area, Heath is often regarded as one of the most talented players in football history.
So it’s no surprise that Heath’s assessment of the World Cup teams as a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group went viral on social media and asked why he didn’t appear in the famous football match before the event.
The 38-year-old is hanging up his boots in 2025 after a serious injury forced him to retire. His 181 international appearances brought him 36 goals but left an indelible mark on the game.
After following the knock-out match as the only female in the men’s World Cup elite, Heath’s brilliance was evident as the tournament progressed to the finals.
As the World Cup overflows with goals – 307 in 103 games, an average of three goals per game – the ongoing tournament has left fans questioning whether the high scoring rate equates to a general audience.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Sport, Heath shares his thoughts on the goals, players, styles of play and teams that have made the FIFA World Cup 2026 stand out and the tournament’s legacy:
Al Jazeera: Did more teams and more matches lead to more goals at the World Cup? Is it fair to rank this race as the most exciting race?
Tobin Heath: Yeah, that’s a big thing. For me, this is the evolution of football. It’s a change in football that fans are obviously excited about.
There are several factors (behind most goals) that we are analyzing. But the top is where these teams are getting the ball back, how they are pushing and using attacks in many areas. The use of full-backs in attack has become an important and well-known topic in football.
We always want to see more goals. So we need to look at how the team is growing and the diversity of the teams being followed. Personally, I like to see diversity in football.
In general, it makes for very interesting matches, and I think we saw some of the most interesting matches in the group stages and in the early stages of the knockout stage, where we saw teams with different playing styles go toe-to-toe with football’s giants.
Al Jazeera: What did the players of Cape Verde, Egypt, DR Congo and other African teams leave behind for you?
Heath: It was fun. Cape Verde is at the top in my opinion in terms of their results. If you look at their results against Spain in particular, and then the interesting game against Argentina, they are actually the last two. There is a direct connection there, which is nice to see. And the audacity with which he played – with such low blocks – is rare.
Then you play Egypt, another great game against Argentina. The result, so good, could have gone either way for me. It was just a beautiful display of football.
I remember watching African club teams in the Club World Cup last summer and enjoying African football. I have also enjoyed playing for African teams in the World Cup. For me, as a player, it gives you another challenge to solve.
Another team that stood out for me and that I really enjoyed this tournament was the Ivory Coast. I loved their football, I loved their style, I loved their intelligence.
For African football, this is a very good thing, and another step in the development of football in the continent with different styles. And I hope to see the same in the Women’s World Cup next summer.
Al Jazeera: Being a keen football fan during your playing days and a supporter in retirement, how would you rate the different styles on display at the World Cup? And you thought it was a fun World Cup?
Heath: Oh, 100 percent! What we have seen on the technical level in this competition has been encouraging.
I became a big fan of France because every time on the pitch, you could see something that had never happened before in football. You will see modern football, each individual player.
The production has been very high. When you see the best players in the world performing at the highest level, being high in all metrics. You are looking at (Jude) Bellingham, (Kylian) Mbappe, (Lionel) Messi, (Erling) Haaland – these are the best players who are showing their best football in this competition.
There is something in the water in the US that we just love our stars, we love to put them on the platform and the stars showed big time at this World Cup.
Al Jazeera: Which young players have impressed you the most and what will their performance mean for the future of football?
Heath: The most amazing name that represents me is (Pau) Cubarsi.
Being very young, playing many minutes and being effective with this Spanish defense, shows the amazing way Spain is able to put together ideas and establish the type of football they want to play.
I hope and pray that we get to see Lamine Yamal perform amazingly in the finale. You’re almost there. Expectations have been there throughout the tournament.
We talked about these young players, but we also need to highlight what Messi is doing and how old he is. It’s not surprising. I was laughing that we should give the award to a former champion, but they can also win a football player.
From young stars to veterans, football is in the hands of the next generation.
Al Jazeera: What do you think about the future of soccer in the US and what this World Cup has done?
Heath: It’s really interesting because I’ve been thinking a lot about this. Our culture and our culture move fast. There are many things that capture the attention of the American public at any time, and the World Cup captured the audience.
We put on a fun event; we featured amazing stadiums and what different parts of our country look like in the summer, from the Pacific Northwest to the heat of Miami. Covered arenas to uncovered stadiums.
And yet, I just wonder how football affects us, especially men’s football in our country.
We talk about stars and the importance of stars in our country, but when I think about the players who had good competition, including Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun, there are no stars. It’s a little rarer than what Team USA and the World Cup have done in terms of popularity and interest in the country.
I believe there is a direct connection with the upcoming players, girls and boys, who can point to this World Cup as their inspiration. It will be a big indicator of whether the competition was successful.
Our world is caught up in the time of watching the World Cup, but no one knows if they are caught up in their lives. It sounds a bit like a flash in the pan.
Al Jazeera: What was the biggest part of football that represented you at this World Cup?
Heath: The difference between being able to win the World Cup and actually winning the World Cup. It is still very broad.
We had competitive matches, small teams going toe to toe with the biggest giants in the world, but it seems that the closer you get, the bigger the difference between the top teams that can go far in this competition and the ones we liked to see at the beginning.
I always say, success is muscle. It is no surprise that we have two teams in the final who have done so well in the world championship.
We see this in men’s and women’s soccer. It will take something very special to get into that category.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
