Soccer, often referred to as the "beautiful game," is gaining traction among Americans as the World Cup approaches.
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2026 World Cup: Revving up Soccer Fever in America
With the World Cup just a year away, anticipation buzzes in US host cities, and soccer-galvanized Americans look forward to the 2026 extravaganza. Three years ago, FIFA President Gianni Infantino anticipated soccer becoming the region's top sport during this grand tournament, hosted across North America.
The sport may still have a way to go to loosen the stranglehold of the men's "Big Four" professional sports leagues on U.S. audiences, but the World Cup is bound to create a stir. With the tournament in a land transformed from its last hosting in 1994, soccer has come a long way.
In 1994, professional soccer was a relative novelty, with Major League Soccer (MLS) merely two years from its inaugural season. The Rose Bowl finale, an underwhelming 0-0 draw, attracted 94,194 spectators, but soccer took time to captivate mainstream American interest.
Fast-forward to the present day, and the landscape appears vastly different. Soccer has gained traction, with kids idolizing players and everyone looking up to their heroes. The locker room days of pioneer Eddie Pope, who played in MLS from its inception, were in a strip mall. Today, things are way better.
Pope, now a chief sporting officer at Carolina Core FC, a club aiming for MLS Next Pro fame, remarks, "The players are better, the coaches are better. The referees are better - everything's better. And it took time, but I would say that we've moved at lightning speed."
With 11 U.S. cities as host venues, the organizers aspire to forge a new legacy for the sport in 2026. Though the men's national team faces challenges under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, the grind goes on.
Atlanta, which missed out on the 1994 World Cup hosting gig due to its preparations for the 1996 Summer Olympics, looks set to become America's unofficial soccer hub. The U.S. Soccer Federation is planning to open its first-ever national training center there in April. With eight matches scheduled, Atlanta anticipates an economic impact of roughly $500 million.
"You've a men's league that's been developed. You have international games coming in droves to the United States," noted Tim Zulawski, president of AMB Sports & Entertainment,aalongside Arthur Blank, the Atlanta Falcons owner.
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, promises to be a significant milestone in the growth of soccer in the U.S. Expect a dazzling spectacle, an expansive stage for fresh talent, and soccer's position in American sports culture to solidify like never before.
- Despite still having ground to cover to surpass the popularity of the men's "Big Four" professional sports leagues, the 2026 World Cup is expected to create a significant stir in the soccer landscape of America.
- As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Atlanta, which missed out on hosting duties in 1994, is poised to establish itself as America's unofficial soccer hub, with plans for the U.S. Soccer Federation to open its first-ever national training center there.
