With the goal of bringing soccer to the forefront of sports in North America, Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, and Matthew McConaughey, the UT minister of culture and co-owner of Austin FC, discussed the future of Major League Soccer in their South by Southwest 2021 panel.

“We’re one of the newest major leagues in the United States and Canada, throughout North America,” Garber said. “Probably 20 years ago, we started saying that MLS was going to be a league for what we were calling a new America — changing demographics, young people that are getting empowered and … seeing the voice that young people could have. Those young people grew up with a game of soccer, and now they want a team of their own.”

In 2026, the United States, Canada and Mexico are coming together to host the FIFA World Cup. Garber said the demand and excitement for the sport will allow North America to become the North Star.

“It’s an opportunity to create this connection between Mexico, Canada (and) us,” Garber said. “What really matters to everybody is the fact that they love the game of soccer … this is going to be an unbelievable opportunity.”

For McConaughey, soccer is a family affair. Along with co-owning Austin FC, he said his kids and his wife also enjoy the sport.

“Austin FC came to me at a time … where my family’s love for the game meets a city … that is absolutely prime for the game in many (ways),” McConaughey said. “It’s a game and it’s a city that are both on the come (up). It’s an emerging city and emerging game.”

Austin has the food and music, but McConaughey said it is about time to add Major League Soccer to the mix.

“The DNA of Austin, which makes it so great, is the people,” McConaughey said. “The people make up the vibe. You’ve got this capital of the state in Austin, Texas, on this side of the street and across the street, you have this young vibrant university with 50,000 young men and women (striving) for progress. Where those two reach across and push and pull off each other is part of the vibrancy of Austin.”

Garber said the owners really do matter when it comes to major league teams. As a caretaker of the brand, McConaughey plans to bring a young and diverse identity to the team.

“We want the club Austin FC to be synonymous with Austin,” McConaughey said. “We want the club to be the flagbearer for Austin, inside and outside the sport. My hope is that if you take a snapshot of the stadium on any given night … (it) should look like all the rich and diverse pieces of Austin in one stadium. And now we’re creating a destination for all the different communities in Austin to come together.”

As the future of soccer arrives at the front porch of Austin, Texas, McConaughey hopes to make it a part of his legacy.

“For the next year or 10 years, I’m looking for choices that I look forward to having on my proverbial Monday morning desk,” McConaughey said. “Hopefully, (this will be) something to pass on after I’m gone to my kids and future generation. I saw Austin FC as a chance for (a) real legacy choice.”