WASHINGTON (AP) — This year’s World Cup has given American soccer fans plenty of reasons to celebrate, but a new survey reveals that most people in the United States are still watching from the sidelines.
Fresh polling data from Ipsos Sports, shared exclusively with The Associated Press, shows that while the World Cup has energized dedicated soccer fans and sparked some broader curiosity, the sport continues to face a steep climb toward mainstream popularity in America.
Despite that challenge, many U.S. adults were enthusiastic about the national team reaching the knockout stage. A majority of soccer fans expressed satisfaction with the U.S. men’s national team’s performance, and most are eager to see how the rest of the tournament plays out.
The survey was carried out between June 26 and June 28 — after the United States moved past the group stage but before the team’s victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first knockout round.
Roughly 6 in 10 soccer fans described themselves as “extremely” or “very” excited about the U.S. reaching the knockout stage. That enthusiasm was far less widespread among the general American public, with only 25% saying the same.
Historically, the U.S. team has struggled in knockout rounds. Prior to their Wednesday win, the last time the Americans won a knockout game was back in 2002.
Even though the poll was completed before the U.S. beat Bosnia-Herzegovina, fans were already giving the men’s team high marks for their group stage play. Fifty-five percent of soccer fans said the team’s performance was going “extremely well” or “very well,” while about one-quarter felt it was going “somewhat well.”
Similarly, around half of soccer fans gave the United States’ role as a co-host of the World Cup strong marks, saying it was going at least “very” well.
FIFA, however, received a cooler reception. Only about one-third of soccer fans in the U.S. rated FIFA’s management of the tournament as “extremely” or “very” well. The governing body has drawn criticism during the tournament for enforcing mandatory hydration breaks — which some argue disrupt the flow of games — and for cooperating with travel restrictions and visa denials targeting Iran.
When it comes to overall opinions of FIFA, Americans and soccer fans are nearly evenly divided between favorable and unfavorable views. About 2 in 10 U.S. adults hold a positive opinion of FIFA, while 25% view it negatively. The majority — 55% — say they don’t have an opinion either way.
Winning over American sports fans isn’t easy, even when the World Cup is being played on home soil.
Just about 2 in 10 Americans identify as fans of soccer — either international or domestic — a figure that trails well behind the number of people who follow professional football, basketball, or baseball. About one-third of U.S. adults say they’ve seen or read “a lot” about the World Cup, though most have at least heard “a little” about it.
Approximately 17% of U.S. adults say they are “extremely” or “very” excited about the remainder of the World Cup. That’s a slight increase from Ipsos polling conducted in May, but it underscores just how far soccer still has to go to capture mainstream American attention.
Most Americans believe the World Cup will spark greater interest in soccer among their fellow citizens — but far fewer say they themselves have caught the bug. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults think Americans broadly will become more interested in soccer as a result of this tournament, while only 24% say their own interest has grown.
Soccer fans are considerably more optimistic on this front. Around three-quarters of soccer fans expect the World Cup to boost general American interest in the sport, compared to roughly half of non-soccer fans. About half of soccer fans say the tournament has deepened their own interest, while only 17% of non-fans say the same.
Beyond watching matches, Americans are engaging with the World Cup in other ways. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults — including roughly half of soccer fans — say they’ve used social media to follow teams and players.
Around one-quarter of Americans have gone to a bar or restaurant to catch a game, or plan to do so, and about 2 in 10 have attended a World Cup watch party. Approximately 2 in 10 U.S. adults — and 33% of soccer fans — say they’ve purchased official merchandise such as jerseys, posters, or scarves.
With sportsbooks reporting that World Cup betting has surpassed expectations alongside the U.S. men’s team’s strong run, about 1 in 10 Americans in the poll said they’ve placed an official wager on the games. Around 5% say they’ve traded on game outcomes through a prediction market.
And with watch parties springing up in host cities across the country, 8% say they’ve watched a game in person from one of those cities.
The Ipsos Sports poll surveyed 1,027 adults between June 26 and June 28, using a sample drawn from the Ipsos probability-based KnowledgePanel. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
