The USA is mad about both sports and football, or in their terms, soccer. In the country of American Football, ice hockey, basketball, tennis, and baseball, soccer is also high on the list of the most popular sports. The United States even hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994. Its national league, the Major Soccer League, is not only a hub for the very best American soccer players but also an appealing gathering point for football celebrities from all over the world.

With the 2026 World Cup as an unprecedented ‘lever’, the United States wants to make the sport of soccer even more popular at home, but above all, accessible to everyone. Anyone who wants to play, regardless of their gender, rank, position or skill level, should be able to take advantage of all the opportunities and the requisite facilities to experience that kind of fun. The 1994 World Cup has already shown that it is possible to achieve good results in this regard as well. At the time, the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA prompted twice as many youth members and, among other things, the establishment of the MLS. The number of hours devoted to football on television also received a considerable – even tenfold – boost.

USA: hosts of world’s major soccer tournaments and matches

The US is used to organizing and holding the biggest sports events, with huge numbers of spectators, which also includes soccer. The stadiums that are suitable to host the World Cup in 2026 are extremely modern, and the organization around them is extremely professional. In addition to the MLS and FIFA’s 1994 global football tournament, the country has hosted many other major tournaments and matches in this sport. This includes the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Copa America, the Copa Centenario in 2016, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup editions in 1999 and 2003.

Major Soccer League

Major League Soccer is a ‘first-class’ league consisting of 24 teams. With the exception of only five other leagues, the MLS draws the largest average number of spectators per match. As a result, this competition is also very interesting for investors.

US National Men’s and Women’s achievements

The national teams have also recently made their way into the spotlight, as well. For example, the USA’s national women’s team has been able to bring home the women’s football World Cup to American fans no less than four times: in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019. Moreover, the U.S. women’s soccer team has won the Olympic gold medal just as many times. The national men’s team has only missed out on one World Cup since 1990 – since then, they have been present at the FIFA World Cups in 1990 (group stage), 1994 (round of 16), 1998 (group stage), 2002 (quarterfinals), 2006 (group stage), 2010 (round of 16), 2014 (round of 16), and at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (eighth finals).

Cobi Jones is the USA’s most capped player with 164 caps.

The all-time top scorer of the national team is Landon Donovan with 57 goals.