World Cup fever has changed American attitudes toward soccer
A new survey has highlighted the growing appeal of soccer across the United States following the 2026 World Cup. Respondents revealed their desire to own Lionel Messi’s Argentina jersey, their preference for watching soccer over the NFL, and even their hopes to travel to Europe to enjoy the Premier League.
The 2026 World Cup, played out across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was the biggest ever in soccer history. Forty-eight nations battled it out across North America, with 104 games played across a hectic 39-day period. Spain was eventually crowned world champions for the second time in 16 years.
In the aftermath of the historic tournament, a July 2026 survey of 2,000 U.S. respondents by 247Bet suggests that it will leave a strong legacy in the United States. Just over 25% of survey respondents revealed that the World Cup led them to watch soccer for the first time. More than half revealed that they’d now be more likely to follow an MLS team after the tournament. Many also said they would watch a game of soccer over traditional American sports, like the NFL (39%), the MLB (36%), and college football (49%).
While the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) produced some strong performances and unearthed some new national soccer stars, the glamour of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remains an ever-present, with U.S. soccer fans hoping to get their hands on the duo’s jerseys over the U.S. national team’s big names.
Americans of all ages are engaging with soccer for the first time
The World Cup gave soccer a platform in front of a new generation of potential fans in the United States for the first time, and it’s evident that it went down a hit. FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised the tournament’s impact on America by saying, “soccer conquered America and America has become now a soccer country.” Overall, just over 1 in 4 respondents (26%) revealed that they watched soccer for the first time during the tournament, but the real impact runs deeper.
More American men (33%) admitted to watching soccer for the first time at the 2026 World Cup than women (19%).
Male millennials (30-45) were the generation to engage the most with the sport for the first time, with over a third (34%) of respondents beginning their soccer-watching journey this summer.
MLS teams are set to welcome a new wave of supporters
The MLS has surged in popularity since 2026 World Cup finalist Lionel Messi arrived in Miami, and it appears that the World Cup could supercharge attendances across the United States.
More than half (52%) of survey respondents revealed that they would be more likely to follow an MLS team following the success of the World Cup. This was particularly prevalent with males, with 6 in 10 (60%) keen to follow the domestic game in the U.S.
Millennial men were once again the most engrossed generation, with almost two-thirds (64%) revealing that they intend to follow an MLS team, along with more than 4 in 10 (45%) Millennial women.
Despite the USMNT unearthing new heroes, Americans want to get their hands on Messi, Ronaldo and Haaland jerseys
When asked to pick their three most wanted jerseys from the tournament, Americans didn’t opt for America’s 2026 World Cup icons like Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic. Instead, they are choosing to wear the jerseys of global superstars.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina jersey is the most wanted across the United States, with the majority of respondents (52%) selecting him as their top choice. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was already extremely popular in Miami, but the 2026 World Cup has spread his appeal across America.
Cristiano Ronaldo was unsurprisingly the second-most popular pick, with just over 4 in 10 (44%) of respondents revealing they want to purchase his Portugal jersey.
Norway’s Erling Haaland, who gained over 30 million Instagram followers over the tournament, rounded out the top three, after recording over a third of the votes (36%).
Jude Bellingham jerseys are in demand from both Millennial and Gen X women
Despite England missing out on a spot in the final, Jude Bellingham was a winner in the U.S. with female soccer fans.
The England midfielder’s superb performances made him a hit with Millennial women (aged 30-45), with over 4 in 10 (42%) selecting his jersey in their top three most wanted. They also had Ronaldo as their first pick (50%), contrary to the overall findings, with Messi coming in second place (45%).
Gen X women, however, viewed things slightly differently, with over 6 in 10 (62%) choosing Messi’s jersey as their most wanted. Cristiano Ronaldo once again was the second-most popular (40%), followed by Jude Bellingham (38%).
Gen X women were the biggest supporters of the USMNT, with a third of respondents (33%) choosing “any USMNT player” as their top jersey pick, but that still didn’t make the top three.
Many Americans would now choose to watch soccer over college football and the NFL
Soccer previously wasn’t seen by many Americans as one of the country’s top sports, but the impact of the World Cup could be changing perceptions.
When asked to pick up to five sports they’d watch a soccer game over, almost half of the respondents (49%) revealed that they’d now be interested in watching soccer over college football, while just under 4 in 10 (39%) would pick it over the NFL.
Millennial men follow this trend, with just under half of respondents selecting the NFL (48%) and college football (48%) as sports they’d ditch for soccer. Millennial women also overwhelmingly chose college football (53%), while almost 4 in 10 said they would watch a game of soccer instead of the NBA (38%).
Gen X (45-61) men, however, bucked the trend, with almost half of respondents (47%) revealing they would choose soccer over the NBA, while over 5 in 10 (51%) Gen X women would be willing to ditch the NHL in favor of soccer (48%).
Millennial men and women are keen to experience soccer in Europe
Despite the game’s growth across the U.S., Europe is where many of soccer’s top stars are in action week in, week out. More than half of the survey respondents are keen to experience the elite level of the game in person.
Over half of respondents (53%) revealed they’d like to travel to Europe to sample soccer overseas. Millennials were the most enthusiastic generation, with almost two-thirds of men (65%) revealing their intent to see a Premier League or La Liga match live. Female Millennials followed suit, with just under 6 in 10 (58%) wanting to head to Europe.
The World Cup will leave a lasting legacy on the US, but there’s still plenty of progress to be made
These survey statistics show that the 2026 World Cup has had a significant impact on the average American’s perception of soccer. However, there is certainly a way to go before the sport becomes a natural obsession.
While the jerseys of international megastars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in high demand, the USMNT players’ jerseys found their way into fewer shopping baskets.
The impact of the 2026 World Cup influenced just over half of the survey respondents to now follow an MLS team or even fly across the Atlantic to watch Europe’s elite play the game. However, there is still plenty more pitch to cover before soccer truly changes America.
Methodology
To uncover how the United States’ relationship with soccer has changed following the World Cup, 247Bet conducted a nationwide survey of 2,000 U.S. respondents in July 2026. The survey is nationally representative of age (25+), gender and state.
This story was produced by 247Bet and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
