In 2023, Alianza de Futbol is celebrating what it’s billing as “20 years of passion for the community.” Since 2004, when it was founded, the organization has done much to bridge talented young Hispanic soccer players to the scouts and the teams who could help them make their dreams come true.
Part of Alianza’s history even includes the Spanish word for dream — “sueño” — anchoring the name of a reality show which helped unknown players get to MLS tryouts.
Today, Alianza is part of For Soccer, billing itself as “the preeminent soccer marketing, media, and experiences company in North America, bound by a shared vision for the growth of the sport,” doing work to help make the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup the biggest and best yet.
Eduardo Ruiz, senior director of soccer property operations for Alianza, notes that even though the organization has grown and changed over time, it’s still connecting with the U.S. Latino community by sticking to its core values.
“I think our success is based on being consistent with our mission, which is providing biggest opportunities to the Hispanic community,” Ruiz noted. “Also, the recognition that we already have and rounds that we have put into the markets in 20 years of doing this.”
Ruiz sees the ultimate goal of Alianza de Futbol through the analogy of “setting the table” for talented players. Rather than partnering with just a single federation or team, the organization’s able to create events that invite scouts from a great number of teams in MLS, Liga MX, and youth clubs in the event markets.
This year, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Jose were chosen for Alianza events, which combine tournaments showcasing young Latino soccer talent, overseen by scouts from MLS and Liga MX teams, with coaching clinics taught by experienced soccer coaches.
Ruiz noted, “Every year, we always try to improve, step by step,” even with the long history and established mainstays of an Alianza event.
“For the first time in four years, we are conducting a coaching clinic for the coaches that they are coming to our event in partnership with U.S. Soccer,” he revealed. “That's one of the biggest improvements we’ve made in the last few years.”
Ruiz also points to the gain the program’s made to develop girls. He said, “Our focus is try to bring more girls to our events,” and by creating more tournaments and drawing more scouts looking to build up women’s leagues, they’ve been able to do that.
Witness the recent Houston tournament, which brought more than 32,000 fans to see nearly 3,000 male and female players up and down the youth spectrum. While Ruiz observed that much of that draw comes from Alianza’s brand recognition in Space City, it also speaks to the program’s expanded scope.
Recognizing that the U.S. has the best women’s team in the world, he noted, “We need to keep improving it; we need to start bringing the Hispanic market on that.” He also observed, “There’s a big opportunity in Mexico now that Liga MX Femenil is growing a lot and inviting players based in the U.S. to play there. We have developed a lot toward that.”
Ruiz is proud of the opportunities they’ve been able to create for young players, whether they’re making the leap to the college ranks or the pros, but he’s also proud of the kinds of showcases they’ve been able to put on, and how it reflects on the Hispanic community as a whole wherever they travel throughout the States.
“We generate this opportunity around the whole community to come to and enjoy an event with a high level of quality,” Ruiz noted. “We have the level of refereeing, the level of the tournament, the level of the venue … it's first class and we're delivering a first-class event for the community, creating an environment where people in the community can create relationships. We are trying to improve and live a little bit of this legacy in our work.”
This article is part of a sponsored content series highlighting Alianza de Futbol.
