Missouri School of Journalism alum Ethan Triebsch finds pitch-perfect role during World Cup
By Raigan Clay
COLUMBIA, Mo. (July 30, 2026) — From the Mizzou sidelines to the world’s biggest stage, Ethan Triebsch found his stride in the big leagues.
Triebsch, BJ ’21, is a writer and producer for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at the U.S. Soccer Federation. He’s charged with overseeing editorial coverage and crafting compelling stories on the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the country – a role that always felt within reach thanks to the foundational skills he acquired during his time at the Missouri School of Journalism.
“Thinking about the people I was in class with and seeing where they are today is surreal,” Triebsch said. “It’s awesome that you run into those classmates who are now journalists, and it’s because the J-School set us up for that sort of success.”
Despite being born and raised in metropolitan Atlanta, Triebsch grew up a Mizzou fan and knew attending the university was always in the cards for him. As a bright-eyed freshman, he found himself in the Communications department unsure of how a career in sports would manifest.
Then, something clicked.
“Well, Mizzou has the best J-School in the world, so why wouldn’t I just switch over to journalism,” Triebsch said.
Triebsch, a longtime player and fan of soccer, rekindled his love for the game through watching matches and playing FIFA with roommates at Mizzou. There was a yearning to be back on the pitch, and he capitalized on any and every opportunity if that meant he was one step closer to a fulfilling career in the world of soccer. Whether he was covering Mizzou women’s soccer for Mizzou Athletics or driving late at night to Kansas City – assisting Sporting Kansas City or managing fan-focused operations for the Kansas City Chiefs – Triebsch rose to every single occasion.
“Working with the Mizzou Athletics department and all of those opportunities combined were really beneficial in helping me get things off the ground once I graduated,” Triebsch said.
On the world stage
The last time the United States hosted the World Cup was back in 1994, the year of the second Woodstock, the infamous OJ Simpson chase and debut of the original PlayStation. More than three decades later, fans and players traveled from across the world to represent the 48 countries competing for the World Cup.
In his role with the U.S. Soccer Federation based in Atlanta, one of 16 host cities for the tournament, Triebsch was tasked with covering the World Cup. As the tournament commenced, he jumped at the opportunity to form an “editorial duo” with his boss heading out West to write about each of the United States Men’s National Team’s five matches.
“Our objective was to operate more like a newsroom and focus on volume, really getting information out there,” Triebsch said. “Yes, we work for the Federation but at the same time we were treated as media throughout the World Cup.”
Working alongside national news outlets like FOX Sports, The Athletic, CNN and NPR, Triebsch was able to utilize those journalism skills he honed at Mizzou. Since graduating, Triebsch has had communications and public relations roles with soccer giants like the United Soccer League (USL) and Major League Soccer (MLS). He credits his Mizzou foundation with preparing him to transition from PR to the editorial rigor of covering the World Cup.
“In a sense, we had to compete with these bigger outlets,” Triebsch said. “We had to navigate that, and it was a cool challenge, trying to be innovative and tell unique stories that traditional journalists weren’t telling.”
Triebsch spent extensive time going to daily player training, observing matches in real time and conducting postgame interviews. The U.S. Soccer Federation’s editorial team emphasized engaging storytelling and impact in their coverage of the matches. Triebsch and his team’s diligence managed to produce over 150 stories recounting the U.S. Men National Team’s journey to the Round of 16, garnering over 5.3 million visits to the U.S. Soccer Federation’s website. This traffic was more than double what U.S. Soccer did in the 2022 World Cup group stage.
“It may sound cliché, but I felt prepared to cover the World Cup because of what I had done at Mizzou and what I’d done since graduating,” Triebsch said.
He notes that one of his fondest memories of the tournaments was hearing the United States’ and different countries’ national anthems and getting to witness a piece of their culture.
“That’s why I wanted to work in soccer above any sport,” he said. “I love the multicultural aspect of the game. It really can unite everybody. It’s a universal language.”
Updated: July 30, 2026