News: Recent polls and stats on soccer popularity in the USA

I haven't seen anything. Honestly been wondering about this since the 1998 World Cup. Most Americans who come to soccer, independent of a family connection to another country, come to it via a World Cup. So I've never understood why MLS doesn't have a massive advertising blitz on US TV. Specifically highlighting MLS players at the cup. Can see the add now, players morphing from their National Team Jerseys to their MLS jerseys obviously ending with Messi. Alas been waiting 30 years still haven't seen it.

At least SDFC is showing adds in our local market during the pre and post game. Are other teams doing that?

 

I mean outside of the Miami players and Son, the other MLS players playing at this World Cup likely won't be playing in MLS after the World Cup ends.

 

there's a lot of players now in mls

rob holding
almiron
timo werner
hugo lloris
benteke
zaha
saint maximium

so i highly doubt what you say is true

the trend is people are coming to MLS

if anything probably ronaldo will come. and then after that Neymar

 

Also: several World Cup players will probably end up in MLS.

 

Ummmm..... Zaha, Werner, LLoris, and Benteke are not at the World Cup..........

Ronaldo just rupped with the Saudi PFI, he's not coming to MLS in the immediate future, if ever.. Harry Kane has said he'd rather go to Saudi than MLS.

 

Current MLS players at the World Cup

Argentina
Rodrigo De Paul (M, Inter Miami CF)
Lionel Messi (F, Inter Miami CF)

Australia
Lucas Herrington (D, Colorado Rapids)
Aiden O'Neill (M, New York City FC)
Kai Trewin (M, New York City FC)

Canada
Mathieu Choinière (M, LAFC)
Maxime Crépeau (GK, Orlando City)
Stephen Eustáquio (M, LAFC)
Richie Laryea (D, Toronto FC)
Jayden Nelson (M, Austin FC)
Jonathan Osorio (M, Toronto FC)
Jacob Shaffelburg (M, LAFC)
Dayne St. Clair (GK, Inter Miami CF)
Joel Waterman (D, Chicago Fire FC)

Cape Verde
CJ Dos Santos (GK, San Diego FC)
Steven Moreira (D, Columbus Crew)

Colombia
James Rodríguez (M, Minnesota United FC)

Croatia
Petar Musa (F, FC Dallas)
Marco Pašalić (F, Orlando City)

Haiti
Louicius Deedson (F, FC Dallas)
Derrick Etienne Jr. (F, Toronto FC)
Danley Jean Jacques (M, Philadelphia Union)

Iraq
Ahmed Qasem (F, Nashville SC)

New Zealand
Michael Boxall (D, Minnesota United FC)
Finn Surman (D, Portland Timbers)

Panama
Aníbal Godoy (M, San Diego FC)
Carlos Harvey (M, Minnesota United FC)

Paraguay
Miguel Almirón (M, Atlanta United)
Andrés Cubas (M, Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Matías Galarza (M, Atlanta United)
Braian Ojeda (M, Orlando City)

South Africa
Olwethu Makhanya (D, Philadelphia Union)
Mbekezeli Mbokazi (D, Chicago Fire FC)

South Korea
Son Heung-Min (F, LAFC)

Sweden
Herman Johansson (D, FC Dallas)

Tunisia
Rayan Elloumi (F, Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

United States
Max Arfsten (D, Columbus Crew)
Sebastian Berhalter (M, Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Chris Brady (GK, Chicago Fire FC)
Matt Freese (GK, New York City FC)
Tim Ream (D, Charlotte FC)
Miles Robinson (D, FC Cincinnati)
Cristian Roldan (M, Seattle Sounders FC)
Matt Turner (GK, New England Revolution)

Uruguay
Juan Manuel Sanabria (D, Real Salt Lake)

 

ohhh my bad, i see what you're saying now

harry kane isn't old enough yet. he is still peaking. and based on his style of play he could be at peak for a good number of years

 

I just saw a NE Revs ad in the Fox post-game show. I don't think they can afford the in-game slots.

 

US Soccer Federation Revenue

2025: $263.74 million
2024: $192.19 million
2023: $147.15 million
2022: $119.48 million
2021: $73.70 million
2020: $165.10 million
2019: $131.80 million
2018: $109.20 million
2017: $290.12 million (Copa)

In 2025 the governing body raised $50.3M in philanthropic contributions, about seven times as much as in 2024.

 

I wonder how much of that was Arthur Blank's funding for the training center?

 

There are 45 MLS players in this World Cup - from 22 different MLS teams, across 17 different national teams.
But there are also another 60 players who have previously played in MLS - so in total 105 MLS connected players .

— Simon Evans (@sgevans) June 20, 2026

 

TV numbers for the US-Turkiye match:

#USMNT vs. Türkiye final audience numbers are in.

Fox: 17,015,000
Telemundo: 7,400,000

Total: 24,415,000. No. 8 all-time in the history book.

All three U.S. group games from this World Cup are in the top 10.

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) June 29, 2026

 

Tomorrow’s game has gotta set a new record, right?

 

Unless everyone is out celebrating Canada Day.

 

we need someone charismatic that's also a star. weston sorta is but pulisic is just the mike trout of us soccer at this point. if he scores and we make the quarters maybe balo can be that guy. Haven't had anyone since Clint really and before that we seemed to always have a handful of guys with big personas.

 

We just need a world class player. We've literally never had a single one in the entire history of this massive and rich country. Let that sink in

 

Wes is the loveable guy, Christian is the hardworking boring guy, Tyler is the speak softly but carry a big stick leader guy.

US Soccer just needs to promote beyond Pulisic.

 

Yes we have. Brad Friedel was the best keeper in England for a time. Now, back then, England wasn’t head and shoulders above every other league, it was in the same tier as Italy, Spain, Germany. But still, being the best keeper in a league as good as any in the world definitely counts as world class.

But realistically keepers aren’t sexy. Maybe what we need is a world class* attacking player. Puli is close but not quite there.

I know you’re new to soccer so I just wanted to educate you a little bit.

*This phrase is the one everybody uses but I hate it because nobody knows what it means. Or maybe, everyone knows what it means to them but everyone defines it differently.

 

2002-03. That season between Kasper Schmeichel and Peter Cech.

Peter Cech is the only one who is an active professional hockey goaltender.

 

Not bad since if I'm not mistaken Blackburn were only promoted the year before.

 

Yeah I guess we first have to define World Class. Personally I define at as would you make a World XI? Not necessarily a nailed on pick but at least in the conversation, IE you're not being laughed at for suggesting their name. By that definition I don't think we've ever had a World Class player. I agree that Friedel was the best in England for a season or two but isn't beating out Casillas, Buffon, or Khan at the world level.

But by my definition most countries haven't had a World Class player.

 

Final numbers to come later, but looks like the 1st soccer match in the US to garner over 30 million viewers.

https://bsky.app/profile/jtannenwald.bsky.social/post/3mpoxkbwj3c2g

 

The official numbers for US-BIH ended up over 36 million, a new record that's just begging to be broken:

Over 36 million people watched #USMNT vs. Bosnia between Fox and Telemundo.

I waited until the official numbers were out to write a full piece.

The record audience for soccer in the U.S. isn't just broken, it's shattered.

With more to come, no doubt...https://t.co/Wozw1VuiBg

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) July 6, 2026

 

Something tells me after tonight’s stinker, the numbers will be much lower.