After landing a role as Media Production Manager for newly founded company Kickback Soccer Media, Gallatin School of Individualized Study graduate and South African native Kiyan Singh is joining the effort to bring heightened attention to soccer in the U.S. ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup games, which are being hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
A lifelong soccer fan, Singh immersed himself in NYU’s intramural soccer leagues as a student from 2021-2025. Through weekly games, it was clear to Singh that there was a passionate soccer community. According to Singh, there were always students wanting to join teams, regardless of skill levels. It was about the community. He knows that there’s a market for more U.S.-based soccer media in New York City, even if it isn’t the sport at the forefront of most American minds.
Despite many European games taking place early morning or mid-afternoon New York time, Singh would often find himself surrounded by fans at local bars around campus.
“Some of my friends that didn’t even watch football found out that I was doing this, and they would come and join me for the game, and then they’d be like, ‘Gosh, this is the Champions League quarterfinals. I have to be here for the semifinals now,’” Singh said. “Sport just has that way of capturing people.”
Following his graduation in 2025, Singh accepted an internship with Legends for the Soccer Champions Tour, a series of high-profile games between the top international teams. As a part of this, Singh interacted with clubs such as Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City. During this time, he met the former general manager of SCT, John Parker. Shortly after they were acquainted, Parker quit his role there and founded Kickback Soccer Media — bringing Singh on as a founding member and into his current role of Media Production Manager.
“That was the serendipitous moment,” said Singh. “John is probably one of the most passionate and entrenched soccer people I have ever met.”
Along with Singh, Kickback has recruited top talents like broadcaster David Gass from Major League Soccer and Apple TV+ and Susannah Fuller from CBS. Along with their agreement with the social media platform Bluesky to spearhead soccer coverage in the U.S., Kickback looks to address the need for media coverage of international and domestic soccer events for national audiences.
“All of the media we consume is European and international,” Singh said. “We are trying to be the home of American soccer media, and we are focusing right now on the American game.”
As New York City is the host for the World Cup final, NYU students have the opportunity to watch the world’s best players close to campus. Kickback Soccer Media hopes to connect with NYU students, regardless of their previous knowledge, through Singh’s university ties.
“Whether they’re deep in the sport and they watch every single game or it’s their first time watching a game, when they get to the World Cup final, we want to be able to touch every single one of those consumers and give them a platform to voice and engage with the sport.”
U.S. soccer viewership has increased by 60% since 2018, coupled with America hosting the World Cup for the second time since 1994, Singh expects “135 million soccer fans in the United States of America” by the end of the tournament. He credits the fan culture in his home country of South Africa — especially around the 2010 World Cup — as the primary reason for his love of the game.
“The entire world stopped in its tracks for four weeks,” Singh said. “Nothing mattered other than football. All of the good, bad and ugly things happening in South Africa fell away, and all that mattered was that there is this phenomenal game bringing the world together.”
With controversy around comments made by President Donald Trump towards host cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, there are many unknowns about the World Cup and how FIFA and the United States will proceed. However, Singh is hoping the unity seen in South Africa during the 2010 World Cup will carry over to the U.S. now.
“It showed me that sport is so much more than just the game that is followed by many,” Singh said. “It is something that can unite people. … My grandfather used to say to me, ‘Sport is the one unifying force of all men, and you put your differences aside and just go and give it your all in the field.’”
Contact Naseem Rahman at [email protected]