The series is built around movement between cities rather than a single host venue. Stops reportedly include Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Miami.
That route reflects how major tournaments create football spaces far from the ground. Bars, restaurants, community groups and grassroots clubs become part of the event, giving supporters a way to experience the competition through local habits and neighbourhood culture.
The key point is that a World Cup does not arrive in a blank space. Every host city already has its own football history, immigrant communities and sporting rivalries. The tournament adds a global layer to those existing identities.
Zohn’s background makes the project more than a conventional travel show. He is associated with Grassroot Soccer, which uses football to support health and education initiatives, and his public profile also spans professional sport, television and advocacy.
That combination gives Kicking Back a broader brief. The report says the series will explore food, local businesses, sport and the people shaping each city, while avoiding a narrow focus on any single part of Zohn’s profile.
Football’s influence is often measured through attendance, broadcast reach or commercial growth. Local storytelling measures it differently: through who gathers, which businesses benefit and how communities use the game to discuss wider issues.
The challenge will be maintaining that community focus once the tournament’s global spectacle takes over. The World Cup naturally draws attention to stars, results and knockout drama, but the strongest episodes may come from quieter stories around the matches.
As filming continues across North America, the next question is whether Kicking Back can show how the 2026 World Cup is being absorbed by host communities-and what remains after the final whistle.