I have noticed that soccer is being pushed harder, and might even be more popular in the US in the past few years. I’ve also noticed that soccer seems to be extremely popular in socialist/communist countries.
Doesn’t mean there is a link, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t a link.
At the same time soccer is being pushed harder, the physical risks of playing football are also being brought to the surface.
I’ll believe soccer is more popular than American football when I see non-Asian immigrants playing it in pick-up games. Because Asian immigrants are the only people I’ve seen playing it where I live. Every high school in the area has a soccer team, and their scores are all reported in the papers and on tv. But I wonder if anyone plays it outside of school.