Soccer fandom in the United States continues to rise after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with new Nielsen research providing yet another encouraging sign.
Nielsen’s proprietary Fan Insights data show that the number of people identifying as soccer fans in the U.S. jumped from 66.8 million in July 2025 to 75.2 million in July 2026. Overall, over the past five years, soccer fandom has grown 27% from 2022 to 2026, representing 16 million fans.
The 2026 World Cup’s record television audiences have also boosted U.S. soccer viewership, particularly among younger fans.
- Since MLS resumed following the World Cup break, regular-season audiences on FOX and FS1 were up 55% among men 18–34 and 29% among adults 18–34 compared to pre-World Cup regular-season matches.
- Nielsen’s Fan Insights data also indicate a surge in MLS fandom over the past five years, with +28% growth from 2022 to 2026, representing +11.7 million fans.
The 2026 World Cup featured a record 45 MLS players representing 22 clubs and 17 countries.
MLS games resumed in mid-July, and the 2026 season will conclude on Dec. 18 with MLS Cup presented by Audi.
