US football fandom surges following FIFA World Cup 2026

Research from Nielsen indicates a significant surge in football fandom in the United States following the FIFA World Cup 2026. Data shows the number of people identifying as football fans in the US rose from 66.8 million in July 2025 to 75.2 million in July 2026. Over the five-year period from 2022 to 2026, fandom grew by 27 percent.

This growth has translated into increased viewership for major leagues. Since the resumption of Major League Soccer (MLS) following the World Cup break, regular-season audiences on FOX and FS1 saw increases of 55 percent among men aged 18–34 and 29 percent among adults aged 18–34. Additionally, LaLiga viewership rose 42 percent year-over-year, while Premier League viewership increased by 30 percent in the 18–34 adult demographic.

Seth Ladetsky, Nielsen’s Global Head of Sports, stated that the FIFA World Cup 2026 acted as a “powerful catalyst for soccer’s explosive growth across North America,” noting that fandom is expanding rapidly among younger, diverse audiences.