{
  "id": 169670,
  "title": "How ‘Ted Lasso’ found a love for women’s soccer in Kansas City",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/how-ted-lasso-found-a-love-for-womens-soccer-in-kansas-city",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-05T10:16:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ted-lasso-found-love-women-101605999.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The creators of the popular Apple TV series \"Ted Lasso\" decided to take their show in a new direction for its fourth season, focusing on the women's soccer team of AFC Richmond instead of their male counterparts competing in the Premier League. Season 4 of the show, which premieres on Aug. 5, is set in Kansas City, Missouri, and follows the ups and downs of AFC Richmond's women's team as they chase promotion to England's second division. This shift reflects the growing popularity of women's soccer, both in the United States and internationally.\n\nThe decision to anchor the new season in Kansas City was influenced by the Kansas City Current, a professional women's soccer club that plays its home games at CPKC Stadium, the league's first stadium built specifically for a professional women's soccer club. The Current's growth and success in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) have been impressive, with franchise values continuing to rise and attracting significant investment from fans and stakeholders. The Longs, owners of CPKC Stadium, saw an opportunity to capitalize on the growing interest in women's soccer and partnered with former professional soccer player Brittany Mahomes and her husband, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, to purchase the franchise rights to the relocated Utah Royals in 2020. They later renamed the team Kansas City Current and invested $120 million to build CPKC Stadium, which opened in 2024. The Current has since won the NWSL Shield and is one of the league's highest-revenue clubs, generating an estimated $38 million annually.\n\nThe show's creators, including Jason Sudeikis, who is a native of Kansas City and a regular at Current matches, played a significant role in shaping the storyline. Series co-creator Sudeikis, who is also a fan of women's sports, was inspired by the positive atmosphere at CPKC Stadium and wanted to create a show that would evoke similar feelings of joy in viewers. Juno Temple, who plays Keeley Jones, a key member of AFC Richmond's women's team, echoed the enthusiasm of the Longs when she visited the stadium for the first time, saying she \"cried when I walked in here.\" The Longs hope that millions of viewers watching the first episode of Season 4 will experience the same sense of awe and appreciation for women's soccer as they did.",
  "summary": "When creators of “Ted Lasso” decided to return after a two-year hiatus, they could have taken the easy route. With a release date set on the heels of the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup, America’s favorite soccer coach could have returned to AFC Richmond to reclaim the helm of the (fictional) club’s men’s team, now competing in the Premier League. Reunited with Coach Beard, they could have faced a…",
  "key_points": [
    "\"Ted Lasso\" shifts focus to AFC Richmond's women's soccer team in Season 4.",
    "Kansas City Current's success inspires show's location and storyline.",
    "Jason Sudeikis, native of Kansas City, contributes to show's focus on women's soccer."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}