Andrés Cantor Stars in 10th Men’s World Cup at 63 for Telemundo

Q: Beyond his voice, how has Cantor's company quietly shaped Spanish-language sports media for over two decades?

Cantor’s broader impact has come through his company, Fútbol de Primera, which has been a quiet power in Spanish-language sports media by controlling key soccer audio rights and building a national distribution network. Since 2002, Fútbol de Primera has held the U.S. Spanish-language radio rights to the FIFA World Cup, giving it a long-running gatekeeper role for the sport’s biggest event among Hispanic audiences. That matters because radio remains a major access point for fans in cars, at work and in communities where live Spanish-language coverage is part of the match-day experience. The company’s influence extends beyond one tournament. It has carried other major soccer properties, including national team and regional competitions, helping create a steady Spanish-language soccer media ecosystem rather than a one-off World Cup presence. Its daily programming and affiliate relationships have also kept soccer coverage on the air year-round. Its recent partnership with TelevisaUnivision for the 2026 World Cup shows how that model has scaled: Fútbol de Primera supplies the exclusive live Spanish-language radio coverage, while major station groups expand reach in top Hispanic markets. In practice, Cantor’s company has helped professionalize and nationalize Spanish-language soccer radio in the United States, making premium coverage more consistent, widely available and commercially valuable for more than two decades.

Q: With the USMNT now in the knockout stage, what is the key to them finally reaching the quarterfinals?

The USMNT’s path to the quarterfinals comes down to defensive stability and getting its core players healthy and decisive in one-off knockout games. The talent base is strong enough. Under Mauricio Pochettino, the U.S. has a deeper, more European-tested group than in past cycles, led by Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun. That “golden generation” is no longer just promising; it is now expected to deliver. But knockout matches are usually decided less by potential than by whether a team can stay compact, avoid mistakes and take its few big chances. That makes the back line and midfield balance the biggest issues. Chris Richards is widely viewed as the key defender, while Antonee Robinson and veteran Tim Ream provide structure around him. Adams’ fitness is just as important because he protects the defense and sets the team’s tempo. If the U.S. is solid through the middle, it gives Pulisic, Balogun and the other attackers a platform to win the match. Pochettino’s influence may be the swing factor. He has emphasized culture, trust and tactical flexibility, and the U.S. will likely need both in the knockout stage. The team must be able to adjust to different opponents, manage pressure and stay composed if the match becomes tight or goes to penalties. Home support helps, but the real key is simple: defend reliably, keep Adams and Richards available, and get a clinical performance from Pulisic and Balogun when the moment arrives.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26

Andrés Cantor, 63, is working his 10th men’s World Cup as Telemundo’s play-by-play announcer, extending a broadcasting run that has made him one of soccer’s most recognizable voices.
Telemundo built that profile around Cantor’s trademark “GOOOOOOOOOOOAL” call, which he can stretch for up to 10 seconds when a player scores.
Three decades of World Cup broadcasts from tournaments in Brazil, Russia, Qatar and elsewhere turned the Argentine-born announcer into a cultural figure well beyond Spanish-language sports television.
That fame now reaches into mainstream U.S. pop culture through appearances on “The Simpsons,” with David Letterman and Regis Philbin, and in ads for Geico and Coors Light.