The FIFA World Cup is the biggest stage in global sports.
Billions of viewers. The world’s greatest athletes. Unlimited access to icons who have spent decades becoming household names.
So why would Fox Sports choose a 1980 hockey player to help sell it?
Not Lionel Messi. Not Cristiano Ronaldo. Not a current U.S. Men’s National Team star.
Mike Eruzione.
The captain of a team that pulled off one of the most improbable victories in sports history.
On the surface, it seems like an unusual marketing decision. In reality, it was a masterclass in understanding something far more powerful than star power:
People don’t just buy into greatness. They buy into possibility.
Fox wasn’t just promoting a soccer tournament.
They were asking America a question it has been answering for nearly half a century:
Do you believe in miracles?
The Miracle Was Never Just About Hockey
On February 22, 1980, a group of American college players stepped onto the ice against the Soviet Union, a hockey dynasty that had dominated international competition for years.
The matchup appeared almost unfair.
The Soviets were essentially professionals. The Americans were young, inexperienced, and given little chance to compete.
Then something impossible happened.
They won.
The final score was 4–3, but that is not why the moment still lives in American culture.
Most people don’t remember the statistics.
They remember the feeling.
They remember Al Michaels’ famous call.
They remember what it represented: the moment preparation, teamwork, belief, and resilience overcame impossible odds.
That is the part of the story that matters.
The Miracle on Ice was not an accident.
It was a system that created the conditions for the impossible.
Coach Herb Brooks didn’t simply tell his players to believe harder. He built a culture based on sacrifice, clearly defined roles, relentless preparation, and a shared mission that was larger than any individual player.
The lesson applies far beyond sports.
The organizations that achieve extraordinary results are rarely the ones relying solely on the most famous person in the room.
They are the ones where every individual understands their role, trusts the system, and executes with consistency.
Forty-Six Years Later, The Lesson Is Still Playing Out
The same psychology that made the Miracle on Ice resonate in 1980 continues to capture us today.
Look no further than the New York Knicks’ championship run.
For decades, the Knicks represented frustration more than success. They had not won a championship since 1973, and entering this season, few people expected them to be the last team standing.
They did not build a roster of superstars assembled through shortcuts.
They built a team.
Jalen Brunson became the face of the franchise, but his journey itself was an underdog story. He was not viewed as a generational talent or a player destined to carry one of the biggest brands in sports.
The Knicks succeeded through a culture of accountability, defensive intensity, role acceptance, and a collective belief that the sum could become greater than the individual parts.
The details were different.
The psychology was exactly the same.
Why Fox Chose an Underdog to Sell the World’s Biggest Tournament
Fox had access to some of the most recognizable names in global sports.
They could have made a commercial celebrating soccer greatness.
Instead, they chose something far more emotionally powerful.
They connected the 2026 World Cup to an American story everyone already understands.
The underdog.
Consumer psychology research consistently shows that people connect deeply with underdog narratives because they see themselves in the struggle. Most people have experienced being overlooked, underestimated, or told their goals were unrealistic.
We don’t just admire underdogs.
We identify with them.
Fox understood that the World Cup would not become an American moment simply because the best players in the world arrived on our shores.
It would become an American moment if people allowed themselves to imagine the impossible.
Not just hosting the World Cup.
Not just competing.
Winning.
They weren’t selling soccer.
They were selling belief.
The Greatest Performance Brands Do the Same
This is where many brands get storytelling wrong.
They believe their story is something they tell.
In reality, the strongest stories are something they prove.
Anyone can claim to be innovative, elite, or performance-driven.
The brands that earn loyalty create systems that make those claims believable.
That means aligning three things:
Narrative.
What do you want your customers to believe about themselves when they choose you?
Not:
“I drink a beverage with better ingredients.”
But:
“I am someone who shows up, puts in the work, and refuses to settle.”
Experience.
Every interaction must reinforce the story. The website, packaging, customer service, education, and community all tell your audience whether your brand truly believes what it says.
Infrastructure.
This is the part most people overlook.
Belief without execution eventually breaks.
The strongest organizations build systems that allow them to consistently deliver the experience they promise.
The Miracle on Ice had a system.
Championship teams have systems.
The most successful brands do too.
The Real Miracle
Forty-six years after the Miracle on Ice, Americans still remember where they were when Al Michaels asked:
“Do you believe in miracles?”
Many cannot tell you the exact details of the game.
But they remember how it felt.
That is the lesson Fox understood.
The most powerful brands do not simply convince people that their product is better.
They make people believe something about themselves.
That they can work harder.
Push farther.
Stay in the fight longer.
Overcome odds that others consider impossible.
The companies that win over the next generation of consumers will not be the ones shouting the loudest about how great they already are.
They will be the ones that create a culture, a product, and an experience that allows their customers to believe:
“I’m not done yet.”
Because in sports, in business, and in life, the greatest victories rarely belong to those who begin as the favorites.
They belong to those who build the system that makes a miracle possible.
So the question remains:
Do you believe in miracles?
About the Author:
Kevin Laird is Director of Digital Implementation & Operations at Saltwater Interactive, where he helps brands strengthen their digital infrastructure, optimize workflows, and build systems for growth. A former college football player with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from Georgia Southern University, Kevin brings a performance-focused lens to digital strategy, operations, analytics, and brand development across the sports, fitness, wellness, and consumer product sectors.
