And even if they could find more, those lesbians can't beat teenage boys at the game.
Posted on 06/08/2026 8:33:28 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
It’s time again for the quadrennial question: Can this be the World Cup that finally converts U.S. sports fans to soccer fanatics?
In 2026, the answer might be yes, or at least closer than ever. For the first time since 1994, the FIFA World Cup is being played on (North) American soil, and polling suggests an attitude shift. According to Numerator research, nearly a third of U.S. adults now plan to watch the 2026 tournament, up from 26% in January. YouGov data shows that 43% of U.S. sports fans cite hosting the tournament as a key reason they plan to tune in, which is the single biggest driver of viewership intent. And Nielsen reported in October that 37% of the general population expects their interest in soccer to grow over the next 18 months.
But pretournament enthusiasm and sustained fandom are different things. Before speculating on how this year will be different, it’s important to unpack why the world’s most popular sport has failed to capture and hold American audiences.
Why Soccer Never Became America’s Favorite Sport
NFL football is and has been the dominant U.S. television draw since the late 20th century. Even in our era of media fragmentation and atomized taste, American football consistently dominates the ratings, surviving along with election nights as one of our last durable media events. The Super Bowl remains the apotheosis of American ritualized mass viewing. In February 2025, 127.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the Philadelphia Eagles crush the Kansas City Chiefs, making it the most-watched single telecast in American history. Super Bowl LX, played this past February, hit a 15-minute peak of 137.8 million viewers during the second quarter.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Look at the data. Don’t believe me. I’m an asshole. Look at the data.
The mistakes made in the 70s have been removed, and the industry has significantly changed in the past year to keep up with the growth.
Marco!!
If Pele couldn't do it, nobody can.
The 1994 World Cup showed that Americans just have better television options.
And even if they could find more, those lesbians can't beat teenage boys at the game.
“It’s already now considered the #3 sport in the country, according to Fox Sports. But it will never move up higher than #2 basketball or #1 football. Never.”
That depends upon the rankings are calculated (viewership, participation, revenue).
Can’t comment on the article because its behind a paywall. With that said, I played soccer for many years. I know the game. Fun to play, but no so much to watch. Biggest negatives: Fake flops in an attempt to draw a foul. Fakers should be banned for life after three fakes. Except for “knockout matches,” the strategy seems more not to loose than to win. Boring.
No.
Next question.
Lol, nope. I’d as soon watch paint dry.
Das Macht Nichts
Das gebe ich zurück.
The field is too big. Soccer resists innovation in a way that American sports don’t. Maybe it’s because so many countries are involved that it would be hard to imagine them agreeing about anything.
I agree soccer will continue to grow only because almost every young man and woman under the age of 30 played it in organized sports as a kid.
Where as in my day it was baseball, basketball and football.
Hockey because of the cost of the equipment and ice time required much more money and dedication.
When I was a kid(63 now) we all played baseball, basketball and football. We also played street hockey and occasionally pond hockey. Now, ALL kids play soccer.
The other major factor is that hardly any mom wants their son to play football anymore due to the concussion issues.
Most of the best baseball players now come from the Caribbean or Central/South American countries. Baseball has been very very good to me. Pedro and Big Papi are heros in the Dominican Republic. All young boys there want to grwo up to be baseball players.
In the suburbs of the USA I think more young boys want to be Messi now than Arron Judge.
However, in the hood they ALL still want to be Lebron.
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