Overview:
You might say Stephen Flamhaft has been around the block and then some in soccer, on and off the pitch.
Stephen Flamhaft has played many roles in soccer, on and off the field. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Flamhaft)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
You might say Stephen Flamhaft has been around the block and then some in soccer, on and off the pitch.
He learned how to tie his soccer boots from no other than English World Cup champion Bobby Charlton.
He got an opportunity to talk soccer with legendary Manchester United head coach Matt Busby on several occasions.
He was an All-American at Bucknell University and represented the United States at the 1963 Pan American Games.
As an attorney, he also was general counsel for the U.S. Soccer Federation and served on a myriad of committees, including as chairman of the legacy committee for New York at the 1994 World Cup.
Now, he would like to give back to the game one more time – as New York City’s World Cup czar.
That’s right, World Cup czar, a position that new NYCFC mayor Zohran Mamdani said he wanted to create to ensure the city benefits during the 2026 tournament from June 11 to July 19. The final will be held across the Hudson River at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Mamdani was scheduled to be sworn as mayor at midnight, Wednesday into Thursday.
On Tuesday, Flamhaft made his pitch to become World Cup or soccer czar, whatever the position will be officially called.
“I have the credentials and the qualifications, in all modesty,” he said. “I’m not sure if anybody can come closer. That’s only one part of this selection process. Politics is politics. I’m most qualified. It doesn’t necessarily get the position.”
A while ago, Flamhaft was chatting with Michael Lazar, who is the USSF senior vice president, strategy, who told him he knew someone on Zamdani’s transition team. Flamhaft asked Lazar to tell the gentleman to let him know he was interested in the position.
Flamhaft admitted that he did not know the exact role of such a “czar.”
“Well, as far as I know, it’s undefined,” he said. “At one point he calls it the World Cup soccer czar. Another point, he calls it the New York soccer czar, so I don’t think it’ll be something that’ll last past the World Cup. I think that’s his focus. It may have been just a political slogan to use at the proper time, and he may not even have an interest in it.”
But Flamhaft said that he was ready to take the position if offered. In fact, he said that he would take the job without any compensation.
“I would not, I don’t expect, nor would I accept any remuneration for the position,” he said. “I want to make that clear that that’s not my intent. This is a labor of love for me to continue my legacy to soccer. I want to give. I want to give back for the more than 50 years of enjoyment that they provided me. So, I don’t have any idea what the responsibilities would be. I don’t know if it’s a daily obligation.”
Flamhaft already has received several endorsements, including one from Eastern New York State Soccer Association, which covers New York City, and a former state Supreme Court judge who once played soccer.
“Steve Flamhaft possesses what we believe to be the strongest qualifications, credentials and experience among the candidates,” ENYSSA president Peter Pinori said in a letter to Mamdani. “His extensive background in soccer as a player, administrator and community involvement has quipped him with unapparelled experience in fostering the growth and development of the sport at all levels. Moreover, Steve’s deep institutional knowledge of U.S. Soccer and the world of soccer after over 50 years in the sport will enable him to effectively bridge local initiatives with national standards, ensuring that New York Soccer thrives under his leadership especially in 2026 for the FIFA World Cup.”
Pinori added about the state association: “We are confident that Steve’s vision, dedication and proven track record will make him an exceptional ‘Czar,’ driving positive change and unity within our soccer community. The Eastern New York State Soccer Association wholeheartedly supports his election and urges all stakeholders to consider his candidacy favorably.”
As for his soccer background, it started on the field and wound up in the boardroom. The son of former USSF president Jack Flamhaft, he started playing the beautiful game at a young age in Brooklyn. Flamhaft played for several teams for some two decades.
“He arrived here as an immigrant, and that was what a lot of immigrants did to stay active and involved with their community,” Flamhaft said. “He would take me to games on Sunday, and I developed an attitude towards it.”
Indeed, he did.
As a teenager, he was a ball boy at games on Randall’s Island, earning two dollars a match.
When English teams came to play in New York and the states during the summer, Flamhaft got an opportunity to meet some legends. His father was federation vice president to James McGuire.
“He was very, very close with Matt Busby, who was almost like a godfather to me,” he said. “Whenever Manchester United came here, we always socialized in three families.”
When ManU played a friendly in Philadelphia, Flamhaft was in the team’s locker room.
“I saw Charlton with his lacing up his slate, and I asked him a question. He told me how to do it.”
He took George Best around the city and to Peter Lugers for a meal.
“The ladies couldn’t believe that Georgie Best was there,” he said.
Flamhaft attended Bucknell on a baseball scholarship, but excelled in soccer, earning Patriot League honors. “I was more of an athlete than a lawyer,” he said.
Asked what he loved about soccer, Flamhaft replied, “The intensity of it. The competition, the teamwork. … Playing in certain types of weather, I was motivated by that, too.”
He was a member of the U.S. Olympic team that participated at the 1963 Pan American Game in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Flamhaft was attending New York Law School at the time and asked the dean if he travel to Brazil and play with the U.S. squad.
“Well, Mr. Flamhaft, you are not one of our best, but I can’t say no,” Flamhaft said. “So, he let me go.”
Flamhalf noticed something intriguing about the team.
“I was the only American [born in the states]. Everybody else was a naturalized citizen,” he said. “So, that was a little unusual. The coach would stop practice in the middle of practice. Everybody was talking mostly German. He stopped because Steve doesn’t understand what you’re saying.”
The U.S. did not fare well in the tournament, finishing at the bottom of the table with a 0-4-0 mark while being outscored, 30-3.
“Every game. We got killed and we lost, 11-0, 8-0, 6-0. We never had a chance,” he said.
It was all part of Flamhaft’s learning experience in his path in the American soccer experience. He currently is a member of the U.S. Soccer appeals committee after serving as head of delegation when the U.S. men’s national team played Ireland in Dublin and several other committees.
It should be noted that Flamhaft worked as a prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office for five years before establishing a law firm, Flamhaft Levy Hirsch & Rendeiro LLP.
He also is a member of the Eastern New York and New Jersey Soccer Halls of Fame.
Flamhaft, 86, also is seeking to become a match commissioner for the World Cup. He said that he already has contacted the USSF about that post. Flamhaft added that he took a commissioner’s course and earned a certificate in Trinidad & Tobago in 2005, but he expected to take another one if selected.
“It would be fine for me. I would be pleased with either one,” he said of the czar and commissioner’s roles.