- The Forty-One Life
- Posts
- Forty-One Officially Launches as the first Soccer Lifestyle Platform for the CONCACAF Region
Forty-One Officially Launches as the first Soccer Lifestyle Platform for the CONCACAF Region
A culture-led media brand connecting the game to art, fashion, music, and business across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean
ATLANTA, GA — [January 19th, 2026] — Today, Forty-One, a soccer-focused lifestyle platform rooted in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean has officially launched. Founded in 2023, the brand has been building quietly behind the scenes. Now, Forty-One steps forward in an official capacity with a clear purpose: to be the premier destination for cultural storytelling, on and offline, beyond the 90 minutes of a match.
Forty-One takes its name from the region itself, referred to as CONCACAF by FIFA; 41 countries each with its own football identity, style, and diaspora story. The name is a signal of focus. This platform exists to celebrate what makes soccer here distinct and to create a home for fans who see the game as culture, not just sport.
“This will be the most important region in global football for the next 10 years or more, which naturally will generate a lot of outside interest. It’s important that the voices telling its stories reflect the diverse cultures that call this region home.”
- EL Johnson, Forty-One CEO
As a platform, Forty-One’s editorial lens spans art, music, sneakers, fashion, and business, with stories driven by the people building scenes in communities across the region. Forty-One also builds and sustains community through curated events. The collective speaks to lifelong supporters and newcomers alike, creating an entry point for people who connect with soccer through style, sound, design, and identity.
Forty-One is also built to serve the diaspora. For many fans, soccer holds more than matchday meaning. It’s a living connection to family, language, and origin. Forty-One aims to be a bridge that helps people stay close to their roots, while also welcoming those still learning the region’s story.
“Being first-generation Jamaican-American, I understand the importance of my family’s heritage and the role it played in my love for the game. I also recognize how impactful sharing that connection to the game with people new to it can be.”
-Rich Gordon, Forty-One Co-founder
Forty-One was founded by a team spanning soccer storytelling, branding, and entertainment. EL Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO, is a multidisciplinary creative professional and sports media entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience across design and content production. Rich Gordon, Co-Founder and former head of content, is a multidisciplinary creative as well, with 10+ years of experience storytelling around soccer, including photographing the game at the highest levels. Rich has since moved out of a day-to-day role after joining Nike Football’s Global Brand Creative Team.
In 2024, Gillian Williams joined the team as a Co-founder and Head of Entertainment Partnerships. Williams is a first-generation Jamaican-American and longtime music industry creative with 12+ years across A&R/A&R Admin, management, publishing, licensing, and touring for Grammy-nominated artists. Williams also serves as a Creative Producer for Forty-One Studio, producing branded and original content.
“Through my experience working in the music industry, traveling, and being a lifelong soccer fan, I have found that sports, and particularly this one, connects people and breaks down language barriers the same way music does. This region has such a rich fabric of stories that haven’t been told before. We look forward to continuing to show this is The World’s Game, Our Way."
-Gillian Williams, Co-founder & Head of Entertainment Partnerships
The timing is intentional. As the 2026 World Cup across North America approaches, and other CONCACAF nations bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, the region’s influence keeps rising, and the demand for culture-first soccer storytelling keeps growing. Forty-One exists to document and serve what’s real across CONCACAF and its diasporas, online and on the ground, and to give the region a voice that echoes how fans actually live with the game.
—-------------
For press, Forty-One can support founder interviews, platform background conversations, and access to upcoming programming announcements, Launch Video and launch assets.
Press Contact
[email protected]
Website
fortyonemag.com
Help us grow by forwarding to a friend, or if someone forwarded this to you, please subscribe!