San Francisco Mayor Lurie, a diehard soccer fan, riding the World Cup wave

SAN FRANCISCO, June 30 : While some U.S. mayors and politicians talk up their love for soccer in the spotlight of the World Cup, San Francisco's Mayor Daniel Lurie insists he is the real deal. 

Lurie gets up early at weekends to watch live English Premier League games and has now attended five World Cups, even lifting the trophy with former Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva during a promotional tour this year.

Since this year's tournament started, Lurie has been on a whistle-stop tour of San Francisco's packed fan zones and bars during live matches, sleeves rolled up and mingling with rowdy, boozy fans in pubs festooned with flags. 

"I've been a huge soccer fan my whole life," Lurie told Reuters in a San Francisco park with the city's iconic Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

"A lot of people are excited about the World Cup. I kind of live and die soccer," he said, stopping briefly to get an update on the Brazil v Japan game. 

"So, for me, this isn't just for this month. I get into soccer all year round."    

WORLD CUP GLOBETROTTER

A supporter of Premier League club Leeds United, Lurie, 49, was at the World Cups of 1994, 2010, 2014 and 2022, where he attended five matches in three days. 

Soccer's showpiece event is now in his backyard, with six games in the San Francisco Bay Area, the main event on Wednesday when the United States play a last-32 match against Bosnia. 

And Lurie's soccer links go beyond fandom. 

He is also an investor in 49ers Enterprises, the commercial arm of the San Francisco 49ers NFL team, which became majority owners of Scottish giants Rangers last year after taking over Leeds United in 2023.  

"We are now staying up again," he said of Leeds. "We've got a long way to go to get to that top six, to get into