Just because some wealthy nations embrace soccer, does not negate the 3rd world status of the sport. North Korea, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Bulgaria and on and on, have a national soccer team. It is embraced by the poorest people because it is the cheapest sport to play. It doesn’t require any gear beyond a ball of some sort.
Wealth has been America’s advantage on athletics, offering options to people. Europe continues with Soccer from tradition and also from the same way they despise everything about the USA, they typically shun American sports, and celebrate Soccer even more because real Americans disregard it.
It’s funny they say that soccer is a global sport, but the five most populous countries in the world: China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the US all suck at it. And of the ten most populous countries, only Brazil has won a World Cup.