Julian Edelman is in Los Angeles, 3,000 miles from the parking lot at Gillette where the lady at the gate used to say hi. He’s 40 now. His knees know it. His dog needs walking. And, somewhere between his TV work, his Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jules podcast, and his Belichick impression that went viral, the man who made the catch against the Falcons has a new job: Boston Hospitality Captain for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, in partnership with On Location. He’s showing the world that Boston is the place to be during the World Cup this summer. It didn’t take much convincing. His daughter plays soccer. His high school friends got him hooked on the FIFA video game. He picked Tottenham. Harry Kane became a friend. Slam dunk.
What’s it like going back to Gillette Stadium these days?
It feels comforting. A lot of great memories explode through my head when I’m driving there. You take that left turn into Patriot Place, and you go through the parking area, and you see the lady at the gate, and you say hi. It’s like the old days. It’s like going home.
You’re FIFA’s Boston ambassador for the World Cup. What does that actually involve?
It entails going to a bunch of On Location events, hosting an international crowd, and showcasing why this is such a great place for sports. We’re going to show them the Bostonian way, the New England region way.
How did the ambassador role come about?
The genesis was that they called me and asked if I wanted to do it, and I said, “Slam dunk.” My daughter plays soccer.
Courtesy photo
Any game you’re particularly excited about?
I’m going to a Scotland game with Gronk. But anytime you go to one of these events, there’s always someone very interesting or someone that has a cool story, and that’s what I’m looking forward to. Getting to experience people from different cultures and different parts of the world. The last time I went to an On Location event, I got to meet Megan Rapinoe, and that’s the cool thing about this—the other people that are going to be there.
Are you bringing your daughter to any matches?
We’re in Los Angeles, and we might go check out a match here at SoFi Stadium, but it’s kind of tough getting her back East with her soccer schedule and summer camps. So we’re still discussing whether we may go back East to watch a game. But because I was recently in Boston, I got her all the FIFA Boston T-shirts and stuff. I decked her out. I’ve got her all Bostoned up.
You got into soccer through the FIFA video game?
1,000 percent. It all started because of my high school friends. They all played and adopted an English Premier League team. That’s literally how I learned the game, and I randomly picked Tottenham because it was different from Liverpool, and Arsenal, and Man City, and Man U. I picked Tottenham because it was the Jewish-affiliated club, and they weren’t the best team, but they had Harry Kane, and Harry Kane was a big Patriots fan. We actually became friends over the Internet, and then after the 2018 Super Bowl, he was at the post-game party, and we sat down and talked for probably an hour, which was awesome.
You played football. The other one. Does that ever cause confusion overseas?
No, because I always throw it out there: “Football Americano!”
Strangest fan encounter?
It was in Rio de Janeiro. I had a friend who lived there, and she and I decided to hike the twin peaks. It’s a beautiful hike. Exquisite view. But we had to go through a favela, which are these very sketchy neighborhoods. As an American, you probably shouldn’t go there, but my friend was a local. She said, “Don’t speak a word of English. Don’t wear your watch. Take your necklace off.” We hop on the back of these two motorcycle taxis, and I feel like I’m gonna die, the way the driver is weaving in between the traffic. It’s nuts. We get to this soccer field and go through a cut in the fence, and now we’re in this crazy jungle above the city. Mind you, there are these favela gangsters who you have to pay to go up there. And at the halfway point, there’s a dude selling lemonade, and he goes, “Are you Julian Edelman?” I said, “What?” He had some accent. And he goes, “Yeah, I saw you on the roast. You were the football player.”
Who do you think wins the World Cup?
I mean, I want the United States to win. I’m gung ho, always Team USA in any sport when we’re competing worldwide. But realistically, do I think they’re gonna win? I don’t think so. I would say Brazil, Argentina, or Norway.
What do you miss most about playing football?
I miss the teammates and the camaraderie, the time spent with the guys. I miss being part of a group that has a purpose we all believe in. I miss competing.
Gronk and Edelman at the 2025 Fanatics Fest. / Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images for Fanatics
You still hang out with Gronk and Tom Brady?
Yeah, we still hang out, but it’s different. Now we’re civilians. I miss being part of a team. I miss that masculine, man-on-man grind together.
That could be misinterpreted, kind of like the name of your podcast, Dudes on Dudes. Who chose that? Because for me, as a gay man, it sounds a little porno.
[Laughs.] We all chose it. We had a creative room, and it was fun and funny. “Hey, it’s just dudes on dudes.”
How often do you wear your Super Bowl rings? Ever wear all three?
I don’t think I’ve worn my Super Bowl rings in years. And the only time you do is to a banquet or something. You never wear them out. It’s literally like wearing brass knuckles; they’re so big. They’re not even rings. They’re insane. You can’t get anything out of your pocket.
Ever get any reaction from Bill Belichick about your impression of him that went viral?
Yeah. He said, “I’m sick and tired of turning on the TV and hearing you do me. Why don’t you just shut the heck up?”
Anything to say back to him?
I said, “Sure, coach. That’s why I took all of those team-friendly deals. I gotta be able to take advantage of it somewhere.”
If you hadn’t become a football player, what then?
I think I might’ve been a human cannonball. But seriously? I really thought about becoming a fireman, for just kind of that whole camaraderie team thing. I went and looked at some firehouses in Cincinnati, back in 2008, when I was out there for college. I liked that you could work three days and it was a really good form of income, but then you could also have another job. You could double dip it, and I was thinking you could go be a Realtor and a fireman.
If you’d told 10-year-old Julian where you’d end up, what would he have said?
I would have said, “There must have been a lot that went into that. I must have listened to my dad.”
Best swag you’ve ever scored?
You know, I always love the late-night and TV-show mugs. I have an Ellen DeGeneres one. I got a Jimmy Fallon one, and a Seth Meyers one. It’s always pretty cool when you get those. Even when I go to another country, I always buy a mug or a shot glass. I like that stuff.
OXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 20: Julian Edelman speaks during the 2025 Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Gillette Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
What was the Patriots Hall of Fame moment like?
It felt surreal. Because looking back at the road I had to climb, it was the first time I really appreciated it. When you’re in it, you’re always trying to get better. You’re never satisfied. It’s always on to the next year, on to the next play, on to the next game. So it was kind of surreal to have a moment to sit back and reflect with people I love who were on the journey with me. And to celebrate my time in New England. Being a part of that magical community. For a pro athlete, to be in a Hall of Fame in Boston is the ultimate honor.
How’s your body holding up these days?
Well, I don’t have to go out and run routes, but I definitely feel it. You’ve gotta work hard to feel good. I know how to strengthen certain parts of my body, but it’s hard to find the time when it’s not your number-one priority, and still, you have to. My body used to be my number-one priority. I dedicated the majority of my day to doing everything it took to get my body right. You can’t do that when you’re going across L.A., taking your daughter to school, walking your dog, et cetera.
Best and worst part about turning 40?
I don’t know the worst part. I mean, you’re a day closer to the end, I guess. I was never really a birthday guy. But the great thing was that I got to have my brother, my sister, and most of our little nieces together, up at the lake. Spending time with them. My sister has a newborn, like six months old, and my brother and his girls, and me and my little girl, Lily. It was just cool to create those new memories and have an appreciation of where my life is. For a long time, I was a mercenary. Everything was football. Now, it’s like I’m in this new chapter, where I get to explore my other interests and my other loves.
Does doing TV come naturally?
No. I have to work at it. I get really nervous and anxious. I try to treat it somewhat like my football career because I care, and I want to do well.
Do you think you’ll be invited to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding?
I don’t know. We’ll see. That’s a tough ticket.
How do you ultimately want to be remembered?
I think I want to be remembered as someone who always cared about what he was doing or being a part of. Someone who was always in pursuit of improvement. Throughout our lives, we all have to overcome some form of adversity, but those are the periods that give us the most growth. I’d like to be remembered as someone who always strived for improvement, whether on a football field, as a family member, as a dad, or in business.
This interview also appears the print edition of the July 2026 issue, with the headline, “Ambassador Edelman.”
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