World Cup Champion Poised to Shape Defining Era of U.S. Soccer in Unopposed Election—Report

Cindy Parlow Cone has led U.S. Soccer since 2020 and will lead the organization through the 2026 World Cup, 2028 Olympics and potentially 2031 World Cup.

Cindy Parlow Cone will be elected to lead U.S. Soccer for the next four years in an uncontested election | Mike Lawrence/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

The future of the U.S. Soccer Federation appears to be in the hands of the current president, Cindy Parlow Cone, who will reportedly run unopposed for the role at the annual general meeting in mid-February in Atlanta.

Parlow Cone has been the U.S. Soccer president since 2020, when she took over from Carlos Cordeiro, who was elected in 2018 in an eight-person election, but resigned two years into his term due to the legal battle with the U.S. women’s national team, leaving the 2019-elected vice president, Parlow Cone, to elevate to the presidency. 

Without any competition this year, the current incumbent will retain her position, as reported by The Athletic.

A former USWNT player, she ran in 2022’s presidential election, defeating Cordeiro, who sought to re-establish himself in the position. Since then, U.S. Soccer has undergone massive preparations for the 2026 World Cup on home soil, which will see the U.S. men’s national team split prize money payments with the women’s national team for the second time. 

The 2018 elections, during which Cordeiro first assumed the role, ended the tenure of Sunil Gulati, who served as the federation’s lead betwenn 2006–18. 

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Two World Cups, Olympics on the Horizon

Cindy Parlow Cone (left) helped recruit Mauricio Pochettino (right) for the U.S. men's national team managerial role. | Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

By running uncontested, Parlow Cone will take on a second term that will see her through the 2030 elections, and she would be eligible to run again in that year, having only completed two terms of the USSF’s three-term presidential limit. 

As such, her term will be one of the most formative in American soccer history, having led the preparations for the 2026 World Cup, including the hiring of USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, as well as laying the groundwork for the 2031 World Cup, where the U.S. is set to be a primary co-host alongside Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica. 

U.S. Soccer will also have a role in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but alongside the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee and local organizers. 

In her leadership thus far, Parlow Cone has taken on roles with the FIFA and Concacaf Councils, operating as a significant stakeholder within the North American and global game beyond American borders, while allowing her to step away from her coaching role in North Carolina to focus entirely on leadership in sport. 

In 2025, the two-time Olympic champion and 1999 World Cup winner was also named to Forbes’ list of America’s Most Powerful Women, ranking 14th out of 25, having led the federation through ample preparations and restructuring. 

“It’s been an honour to serve as President of the U.S. Soccer Federation,” Parlow Cone said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue serving alongside our members as we bring people together, run a financially strong and sustainable Federation, and serve the entire soccer community.” 

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