Chris Wingert spent 14 seasons in Major League Soccer as a defensive stalwart for a number of clubs, most notably Real Salt Lake, where he ranks third in all-time appearances.
Since retiring in 2018, Wingert has been equally as dutiful as Head of International Football in North America for Roc Nation where he helps identify and support the game’s next generation.
Tasked with building upon Roc Nation Sports International’s successful European football operations which include representing Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Chris Richards and Axel Witsel, Wingert is currently a one-man team on this side of the pond.
“For the majority of my career, I don’t think there were any former players representing guys here,” said Wingert, who played for Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, New York City FC and Real Salt Lake from 2004-17. “I always thought, ‘Man it would be nice to have someone who understands what I’m going through and that I could relate to and speak to about everything.’”
Since February 2022, Wingert has been a reliable and relatable resource for his 18 players including Tim Parker (St. Louis City SC), Aziel Jackson (St. Louis City SC), Nkosi Tafari (FC Dallas), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union) and Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati).
“There’s definitely parts of the job that aren’t part of my job description that I enjoy doing and think can make a difference like watching video with several of my players,” Wingert said. “I think the guys appreciate that part of it and being able to relate to them with different things with everything.”
For Wingert and Roc Nation, which launched Roc Nation Sports in 2013 and Roc Nation Sports International in 2019, expanding into the North American soccer market couldn’t come at a better time. It’s also partly why RNSI launched Roc Nation Sports Brazil in July through the acquisition of TFM Agency, which represents some of Brazil’s brightest young stars including Vini Jr., Endrick and Gabriel Martinelli.
MLS multiplied its reach thanks to a 10-year, $2.5 billion global media rights deal with Apple, while welcoming eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, whose arrival has been a force multiplier on everything from merchandise to ticket sales and social media engagement.
Setting a new single-season attendance record in 2023, MLS announced the addition of its 30th franchise, San Diego FC, which will begin play next season. Club valuations continue to skyrocket with the average MLS franchise worth $658 million, up 14% from a year ago, per Forbes estimates with LAFC leading the pack at $1.2 billion.
Not only is MLS and other domestic leagues including the NWSL and USL growing and more popular than ever, but North America and the U.S. are set to host some of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport over the next five years, including the 2024 Copa América, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. The U.S. and Mexico also submitted a joint bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“I don’t know if it’s harder or easier (to do my job), but it’s certainly more exciting,” Wingert said. “It’s what you want. We want these big tournaments. We want all the eyeballs. We want it to grow. We all know the supplemental effect these things have. Our hopes are extremely high—I don’t just mean at Roc Nation, I mean MLS and U.S. soccer in general.
“MLS is a league in large part because of the 1994 World Cup, so can we take the 2026 World Cup and have it give a similar explosion to the sport in our country? I hope so and I don’t see why not.”
While Wingert hopes soccer in the U.S. sees more growth leading up to and after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he isn’t expanding his own operations as rapidly.
Wanting to remain a full-service agency that does everything from contract negotiation to conceptualizing and executing marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable/philanthropic efforts, media relations and brand strategy, Roc Nation also prioritizes its close knit relationship with its clients, whether it’s Rihanna, J. Cole, Dez Bryant, Skylar Diggins-Smith or De Bruyne.
That’s why Wingert hasn’t grown his team yet nor is looking to add as many players as possible, though he said it’s a priority to add North American women’s soccer players.
“We feel like, ‘Look at what we’ve done in a short amount of time,’” he said. “… We’re headed in the right direction and we’re growing, not just for the sake of growing, but to do it with the right timing and some thought behind it.”