Could Football Become America’s Largest Sport?

A higher average attendance than the NBA and a FIFA World Cup on the horizon – football (known as soccer in the US) is growing in the USA.

As a fan of football in America, you may have spent years following what the country considered to be a relatively niche sport, given the popularity of baseball, basketball, and, of course, American football.

Luckily, that era seems to be ending.

Football’s Growth as a Spectator Sport

Since the MLS struck its deal with Apple TV in 2022, the number of unique viewers watching league games has risen by 50%.

Attendance figures are equally on the up, with the 2024 season witnessing a record-breaking average attendance of over 23,000 fans per match.

It would be easy to say that this figure is the direct result of Lionel Messi’s arrival in Miami, however, data shows the record would have been broken even without Inter Miami’s away games.

That said, the overall excitement brought by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner may well have influenced other teams too, with fans taking more interest in the league due to the World Cup winner’s arrival.

But Messi isn’t the only major European player to excite US fans.

Though players like Lothar Matthaus made cameo appearances in US football in the early 2000s, David Beckham’s 2007 move to LA Galaxy was the real trendsetter. In the few years after that, Europe saw players such as Thierry Henry, Andrea Pirlo, and Wayne Rooney head west across the Atlantic.

With six new teams added to the league since 2020, MLS fans can now tune in to watch a number of high-profile players who’ve joined in recent years, including Marco Reus, Luis Suarez and Thomas Muller.

But it isn’t just MLS games drawing specatators.

In 2024, FIFA agreed to consider changing its policy which prevents league matches from being played in other countries. The controversial decision has now seen the Spanish FA approve plans for Villareal’s December fixture against Barcelona to be the first European league fixture to be played abroad.

With potential to be played at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, an agreement would see talents such as Lamine Yamal and Raphinha play in front of a Florida crowd.

In the US, American football remains the most-watched sport, with 80% of adult sports fans watching it. Football sits at 27%, but is on the rise when it comes to attendance. The MLS’ 23,000 average attendance has now surpassed the NBA, at 18,000, and aims to close in on the MLB (29,000) with the FIFA World Cup on the horizon.

The 2026 edition of the tournament, also taking place in Canada and Mexico, will see the US host 78 games, including all fixtures from the quarter-finals onwards.

Participation: What are the Stats?

In the US, 55.1% of children played organised sports, according to a survey conducted in 2019. 

By 2023, this increased slightly to 55.4%, though the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services aims for 63.3% participation by 2030, labelling youth sports participation as “getting worse.”

Amongst those taking part in regular sports, football is currently the fourth most played, with basketball leading the line with 15.5% of children aged 13-17 taking part. For football, the number as of 2023 was 6.6%, a 6.3% decrease from 2022.

So what does this mean?

A deeper dive into the numbers shows that football participation decreases as children enter adolescence, providing an opportunity to improve the numbers with multiple studies discovering a positive relationship between media use and sports participation.

As for those aiming to play professionally, the youth development system in the US has historically looked significantly different from the rest of the world.

More popular sports such as basketball and American football tend to produce athletes through the college system, where talented athletes can secure one of the 180,000 scholarships awarded per year, providing access to elite coaching and facilities.

Conversely, college soccer is much less effective. In part, this is because players going through the college system make their professional debuts until their early 20s – several years later than players in academy systems elsewhere. As a result, US players have typically fallen behind, often lacking professional experience.

In addition, many young players begin their development in travel clubs before joining the college system. These are pay-to-play teams, and though some professionals such as Clint Dempsey emerged, they create financial barriers for promising young talents, with academies far less common.

However, this is now changing. 

The MLS has recently expanded its academy system, with all 30 clubs now operating academies that are usually free to players. This mirrors the global model, offering a direct pathway from youth football to the MLS, and has already produced players such as Tyler Adams and Alphonso Davies.

Football in the United States is no longer a niche sport, with attendance records breaking and international players improving fan interest. It is hoped that this engagement will boost participation, and with improved development pathways as MLS academies gain popularity, young players will have more of an opportunities to play.

If you’re an aspiring sports professional eager to be a part of football’s growth in the US, discover any of our expertly-designed sports courses, where you can study in Miami, online, or at a variety of locations around the world.

Article by Zakaria Anani