Former US Men’s National Team forward, Jozy Altidore, has played for Team USA in two FIFA World Cups, including 2010 and 2014.
The athlete, who retired in 2023, has recently joined forces with Advil for its “Rewriting Pain” campaign, which includes the important slogan, “no pain, more gain,” as the brand hopes to put an end to the outdated statement “no pain, no gain.”
Advil hosted a festive and interactive soccer experience on a miniature pitch in New York City on June 10, and Jozy spoke exclusively with HELLO! on just how much soccer has changed over the years, and his advice to the new American players who will take the stage soon.
A new era of soccer
Jozy has witnessed just how much America’s interest and passion for soccer has grown over the last decade.
He expressed: “I mean, it’s fever pitch man. It just keeps growing. You think that it hits its point, and then it goes to another level, and I think we’ve seen that with the World Cup. I think people have been excited about it, but now that it’s here, there’s this excitement on a different level now.”
© Getty ImagesJozy added: “People are really curious [about] ‘what’s this all about? What’s all the hype been about?’ So I think people are going to be blown away in a good way, and so I’m excited to see the reaction. I’m excited to see people put themselves out there, meet new people, expose themselves to different cultures.”
The athlete continued: “It’s one of one, what the World Cup can bring, so I’m excited to see that spread across the United States and drawing it back to this campaign, ‘no pain, more gain.'”
© WireImageJozy’s advice for Team USA
Jozy knows what it’s like going onto the nerve-wracking World Cup stage, and he offered helpful advice for the team USA’s soccer players about how to deal with that anxiety and pressure.
He believes that it all comes down to the team trusting they’ve put in the work and using those nerves to motivate themselves out on the pitch.
© Getty ImagesThe star shared: “It’s difficult because playing at a home World Cup is something not a lot of people get to do, but I know our team is excited. I know they’re ready. They’ve done so much great work.”
He concluded: “Leading up to now, it’s not easy being a player dealing with all this anxiety, [and] all the things that go into the pressures of this moment, but I think our team’s gonna knock it out of the park. I’m really, really excited. I can’t wait for Friday. Go USA, baby, let’s go. Let’s go.”
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