Soccer fandom in the United States grows by almost 10 million after 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup achieved one of its major goals in the United States, a country where sports such as the NFL, NBA and MLB have traditionally dominated. Despite recent MLS growth in the recent past, the soccer fanbase remains smaller than that of the other sporting giants.

However, the tournament that saw Spain’s second World Cup title created legions of new fans in the United States.

Mikel Oyarzabal #21 of Spain celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Saudi Arabia JUSTIN SETTERFIELD

According to a study by the analytics group Nielsen, released this week and cited by it found an increase in U.S.-born people who identified as soccer fans.

The figure is striking: from July 2025 to July 2026, soccer fandom in the United States rose from 66.8 million to 75.2 million after the World Cup.

Exclusive: U.S. soccer fandom jumped from 66.8M to 75.2M in one year, a 13% lift, per new Nielsen data revealed at the FOS Tuned In summit.

Since 2022, U.S. soccer fans grew 27%, adding 16M fans, while MLS fandom rose 28%.

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 13, 2026

Soccer audiences rise in the US

The Nielsen report also revealed that MLS has raised its audience levels after the World Cup, as part of this broader growth in fans across the United States.

Nielsen found that matches broadcast on Fox and Fox Sports 1 increased 55% among men 18 to 34 and 29% among adults 18 to 34 compared with measurements from the first half of the season before the FIFA World Cup.

Similarly, the Premier League, which airs on NBC and USA Network, rose 30% among adults 18 to 34, including Spanish-language broadcasts. While LaLiga EA Sports grew 42% year over year in English and Spanish broadcasts, increasing by roughly 60% among people 18 to 34.