Andres Cantor’s dedication and exceptional work over the past 39 years, transformed him into an internationally acclaimed sportscaster. Cantor has been the lead soccer play-by-play announcer for Telemundo since 2000 and made his English language debut as the play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

 

His hiring was the catalyst for NBC’s commitment to carry every Olympic soccer game over their various networks.  Prior to working at Telemundo, he worked for the Univision network where his coverage of the 1994 World Cup helped to put the sport on the map here in the United States. This lead to appearances on major television shows such as the “Late Show with David Letterman”, “Live with Regis & Kathie Lee” and CNN.  Today, in addition to his duties on Telemundo, he is a frequent contributor to NBC and NBC Sports Network for their coverage of the EPL and the Olympic Games.  In 2020, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame a recognition resulting from his meaningful contribution to the growth of soccer in the United States.

 

Cantor, whose famous “Gooooal” call punctuates his fast-paced work when calling soccer matches, was named the 9th most influential person in the game by Soccer America Magazine. FIFA named him one of the top 10 broadcasters in the world and singled him out as the number one from North America, in any language.  His distinguished track record as a sports journalist is highlighted by his coverage of the past eight World Cups.

 

In Radio, Cantor can be heard daily on his syndicated radio program, “Futbol de Primera” which airs in over 100 markets across the US. His company, Futbol de Primera (FDP) was started by Cantor 30 years ago and is dedicated to the promotion of the game and is the current rights holder for all FIFA tournaments.

 

He was the main host and play-by-play announcer for the most important matches of the FIFA World Cup from Russia on Telemundo and hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies.  In addition to his play by-play duties, he was the main host for many pre-and post-game shows.  If that was not enough, he also lead the team for Futbol de Primera as owner and talent in their coverage of the World Cup, where he also did play-by-play and hosted their nightly radio show from Russia.

 

As a commercial spokesperson, he has participated in countless soccer related campaigns in both the general and Hispanic markets working for many top brands in on-air commercials such as: Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Nike, Gatorade, Snickers, Geico, Pepsi-Cola, ATT, O” Reilly’s, Budweiser and many more.  His commercial for Pepsi-Cola in 1995, directed by Joe Pitka, won numerous international awards and was a catalyst for Pepsi-Cola signing up as an original sponsor for the launch of MLS.  In 2018, he inked a deal with SONOS as a spokesperson for their home speakers with a soccer themed campaign that revolved around watching the sport at home.

 

Andres Cantor has been featured by many of the top media and news outlets in the world including; The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Miami Herald, Sports Illustrated, People Magazine, The New York Post, The Dallas Morning News, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, ESPN, CNN, NBC News and CBS News amongst others.

 

Cantor’s accomplishments have been recognized on many occasions.  He won a Lifetime Achievement Emmy, earned six Emmy Awards for his participation on televised broadcasts and a regional Emmy as well.  The American Sportscaster Association named him “Sports Personality of the Year”, an honor previously bestowed upon John Madden and Dick Vitale.  The Hispanic Heritage Foundation at the Kennedy Center bestowed him with their highest honor in sports and is the only non-athlete to win the award.  He was also honored by MLS when he was chosen to execute the honorary first kick of the league prior to their first game in San Jose, California.

 

Cantor started his career as a broadcaster for Radio Mitre of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he covered the ’84 Olympics. Previously, he worked for Editorial Atlantida, a publisher of six magazines. It was there, in 1979,  that he began his career as a writer covering international soccer events. His book, “GOOOAL: A Celebration of Soccer” was published in both Spanish and English by Simon & Schuster.

 

Cantor’s voice is heard across the globe by millions of listeners and his popularity amongst soccer fans grows greater each year. He lives in Miami, is married and is the father of two.  His son, Nico, is also a professional soccer broadcaster working for CBS Sports and ensuring the Cantor legacy as the first family of soccer broadcasting in America.