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Deep in the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s archives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, tucked in between old jerseys, balls, and mascot costumes, sits an old, weathered banker’s box labeled, simply, anti-soccer. Flip through its contents of old newspaper clippings and you’ll get a crash course in just how othered the sport of soccer has always been in America.

In the early 20th century, the game was viewed as too foreign, a product best consumed by the same immigrants many in the United States sought to shun. By the ’50s, that view had become more nuanced—the game was now for communists, not just foreigners. In the ’70s, after the Red Scare had cooled, soccer became, very simply, too gay, a sport for pansies. In the ’80s and ’90s, stakeholders tried everything to sell Americans on the sport: wider goals to encourage scoring, shoot-outs to decide tie games, and team names and uniforms that looked like a Mountain Dew–induced fever dream. No dice.

Now, with the World Cup coming back to the United States for the first time since 1994, the question on everyone’s lips is the same: Is this the moment that soccer finally makes it in America?

The thing is, people here are interested in the sport—just not games played on American soil. Once football matches from across the globe became readily available via satellite and cable television in the 2010s, the U.S. market ate that product up. Some 36 million Americans tuned in to watch the English Premier League in 2024, dwarfing the viewership of Major League Soccer (MLS), this country’s top domestic league. Many of those viewers perceive the American version of the game as a watered-down, inferior product lacking the authenticity and cultural elements present abroad.

“Our American soccer insecurity and inferiority complex is well documented and historic,” says Fox Sports commentator Alexi Lalas, who featured for the U.S. national team in two World Cups. “Soccer is still seen as an import, so the perception of our homegrown version often pales in comparison. This phenomenon is nothing new; we’ve seen it historically and to different degrees with music, wine, fashion, art, film, etc. The Euro snobbery is real and problematic for American soccer.”

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the decision-makers at every level of the game in the United States are painting the tournament as a panacea for the irrelevance of their product. MLS commissioner Don Garber loves to refer to the World Cup as the “jet fuel” needed to supercharge his league. That enthusiasm is shared by sportsbooks: Legal sports betting on your phone is now live in roughly twice as many states as it was during Qatar 2022, turning what was about $2 billion in worldwide wagers into a figure likely far larger this summer.

By many accounts, MLS is already successful. It’s the longest-running true first-division soccer league the U.S. has ever seen, and most of its teams play in gleaming, nine-figure stadiums. Valuations of MLS franchises have skyrocketed over the years, with some approaching $1 billion, far more than many established European clubs, including Crystal Palace and AS Roma.

The bigger issue is that MLS is dwarfed in popularity by the NFL, NBA, and MLB. It remains a niche product, and fewer people watch it on television than ever, in no small part because MLS threw its product on Apple TV, behind a paywall. Abroad, it’s viewed as a “retirement league” for international superstars. Lionel Messi’s arrival in 2023 gave the league a short-term bump, but that’s faded.

It’s also expensive to be a fan. FIFA and leagues abroad have long viewed America as the world’s ATM, charging exorbitant prices for tickets to friendlies and tournaments held in the U.S. FIFA’s approach to this World Cup has taken that attitude to new heights, and tickets to matches are fetching eye-watering sums, pricing most fans out entirely.

But maybe the issue with American soccer’s muted presence in the country’s sporting landscape is simpler: Our men’s national team simply isn’t good enough. Every four years, the U.S. gets its chance to sell the general public on the beauty of soccer, and every four years, we’re reminded of the fact that we’re decades behind other smaller countries in terms of development.

“I think we can create an American version of the game that is successful and credible in honoring the global nature of the sport, while also taking pride in the Americanness of what we create,” says Lalas. “American soccer is our little thing, warts and all. Maybe this summer can help push that along.”

The U.S. has a chance to rewrite history this summer, to turn nonbelievers and haters into loyal fans. Doing so doesn’t require any input from decision-makers or marketing experts; it requires the most radical act of all: making a compelling run in the tournament.

Just how impossible that feels is a pretty decent indicator of how far soccer still has to go in this country.

The Bare-Minimum Guide to the 2026 World Cup

If you haven’t watched any soccer since Lionel Messi and Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar four years ago, count yourself in the majority. It’s officially time to bone up.

1. It’s a North American trifecta
   
   For the first time ever, the World Cup is being hosted in three separate countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the U.S. hosting the majority of games. The action kicks off in Mexico City on June 11 and wraps up in New Jersey on July 19.
   
2. More nations than ever are in the mix
   
   The tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams. FIFA, the governing body that runs the World Cup, says it’s about giving smaller, developing nations access to the tournament and a potential financial windfall. In reality, the expansion centers on FIFA’s desire to generate more advertising revenue. Shocker.
   
3. The U.S. team actually has a chance
   
   The U.S. national team that will participate in this tournament is arguably the most talented squad in this country’s history, featuring players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, both of whom play at the top levels in Europe. They’re coached by Mauricio Pochettino, a highly regarded coach with a European pedigree.
   
4. Japan could be the dark horse
   
   No Asian team has ever advanced past the semifinals of the World Cup, but Japan may just break through. They are well-balanced, have been led by the same manager for eight years, and play attractive, forward-thinking soccer. They have some defensive weak spots, but the Samurai Blue seem poised to turn heads this year. What’s more: They’ve consistently sported some of the most fashionable, wearable kits in World Cup history.
   
5. You get more bathroom breaks
   
   Soccer is free-flowing, but this World Cup will be the first with mandatory “hydration breaks” in the middle of each half, effectively dividing matches into quarters. Ostensibly, FIFA is doing this out of concern for player safety. But it’s probably doing this so that—for the very first time—it can take commercial breaks during the game. How American of them!
   
6. The GOATs might match up one last time
   
   Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo—two of the greatest players in the history of the sport—will be making their sixth and final appearances at a World Cup and could potentially meet in the quarterfinals. Many favor Argentina to repeat as champions.