Soccer has often lagged behind other traditional US sports. If you asked the average adult to list their favorite sports, most would start with American Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, and maybe even ice hockey. It would take a while before they even thought about soccer.
But, ask the same question to children and teenagers and you may get a different response. More and more kids are choosing to play soccer than ever before - and we’ve identified some core reasons behind this growth in popularity.
The Women’s Soccer Boom
Women’s soccer has always been popular in the US. The women’s national team has won multiple World Cups and has long been considered the best team ever. It is therefore ironic that the women’s soccer scene hasn’t been that big elsewhere in the world - especially in areas where soccer itself is massive.
Britain is synonymous with soccer, yet it barely showed any women’s football until recently. There’s been a significant shift in the last few years, meaning women’s soccer has exploded in Britain - and many other European countries. Traditional soccer fans are now paying more attention to the female side of the sport, which has helped it grow even bigger in the US.
How? Because the US already had a decent women’s soccer audience, so this has egged it on. People from all over the world tune into American soccer matches and there’s generally more attention on the NWSL. Popular US players are more inclined to move overseas as well, so the growth continues.
A popular women’s scene helps cultivate a popular overall scene. More boys are seeing the success of the USWNT and they’re encouraged to start playing soccer. Of course, you can’t understate the importance of encouraging young girls to get into this sport too. When both sexes are into a sport, it’s going to be very popular!
An Easy Sport For Children To Get Into
If you compare soccer to other major sports in the country, it is by far the easiest for a child to start. You can literally begin a soccer journey with something as simple as a ball. Better yet, there are balls of all sizes depending on age groups. Very young kids can kick a mini soccer ball around from the moment they can walk. Pre-schoolers can use a size 3 ball to hone their skills while slightly older children can dribble with a size 4 soccer ball.
Eventually, they’re big enough to use the proper size 5 balls but don’t underestimate how beneficial the smaller balls are. It helps children get involved from a very young age and learn the fundamentals. Even better, kids won’t need anything else to practice. They can kick a ball around in the yard alone, practice passing against a wall, or just spend hours dribbling back and forth.
Hardly any other sports require as little equipment as soccer - and more children/teenagers realize this. It’s so easy for a group of friends to have fun with a soccer ball. They can head to the local park and play so many different games together.
The fundamental concept of soccer is easy to understand as well. You simply kick a ball into the goal more times than your opponent. Sure, there are more complicated rules (like offside) but you learn them as you go. It’s clear why so many children are growing up playing soccer, and why plenty of teenagers or young adults are also keen to get into a new sport by taking it up.
The Rise Of Popular Soccer Video Games
We can’t talk about soccer’s popularity with today’s youth without mentioning video games. The FIFA series - now rebranded as EA Sports FC - has been massive in the US for many years. Kids are growing up watching their favorite streamers play these games. It encourages them to buy the game and play it as well, which then leads to them being intrigued by real soccer.
This influence continues when you see some of these video game streamers invest in soccer as a sport. One popular streamer called Castro has bought a team for the upcoming Americas Kings League Santander. There’s no doubt that many of his followers will now be interested in this league and watch his team play, which may push them to take up soccer as a sport!
It’s undeniable to say that games like FIFA haven’t led to a growth in the popularity of soccer amongst US children and teens. Many people’s first experiences of soccer are through video games, which is quite ironic in a way. Video games are usually dubbed as bad things that stop kids from going and playing outside. In reality, soccer video games have done the opposite!
Parents See The Low Long-Term Injury Risk Of Soccer
Think back to when you were a child and started playing sports for the first time. What influenced you to pick the sport you stuck with? Most of the time, it was your parents. Maybe they had an affinity with a certain sport and encouraged you to try it. Realistically, they would’ve egged you to try one of the traditional US sports - which is why so many of today’s adults grew up loving them and ignoring soccer.
The same cannot be said for today’s youth. Parents are eager to encourage their kids to play soccer from a young age because it’s seen as one of the safest sports for them. They don’t want their kids to play American football and end up with multiple concussions. The fast-paced nature of basketball is known to cause loads of muscular or ligament injuries.
By all means, soccer players pick up severe injuries - but kids are highly unlikely to be at risk. Parents view it as a safe sport with a low long-term risk of injuries. So, why wouldn’t they want their children to play?!
The Lionel Messi Effect
In 2023, one of the best soccer players in the world moved to the MLS. Lionel Messi had just won the World Cup with Argentina and chose to leave PSG for Inter Miami. It was an insane decision, yet his impact on US soccer is mind-boggling. International viewership soared and it’s reported that foreign investment in the MLS grew by 20%.
What’s this got to do with soccer becoming popular with today’s youth? Many teenagers and children idolize Lionel Messi. He’s considered the GOAT - he’s the Lebron James of soccer. Suddenly, loads of young people stood up and paid attention to the MLS. They were eager to go to games to watch Messi play, and this has obviously led to a rise in young people playing the sport.
Take a look at all the best Latino soccer players that came before and after this surge, from pioneers like Carlos Valderrama and Jorge Campos to modern icons like James Rodríguez and Germán Berterame, and you will see how they have collectively built a cultural bridge to the American mainstream. Their success has not only validated the MLS as a premier destination for world-class talent but has also inspired a new generation of Hispanic-American youth to embrace the sport as a core part of their own athletic identity.
When you watch a sport more regularly, you’re bound to feel the need to play it. During March Madness, basketball courts are full of teens and kids messing around. They’re replicating their favorite players and having loads of fun on the court. As Messi brings more eyes to US soccer, more kids are sitting at home getting the itch to go and kick a ball about.
A Surge In Soccer Documentaries
There’s one other reason behind soccer’s growth with a younger audience. Just as they’re influenced by video games, a growing number of young people are influenced by soccer documentaries. We’ve seen a few popular ones over the last few years, but two of the biggest are Welcome To Wrexham and All or Nothing: Arsenal.
The former follows Ryan Reynolds as he purchases a soccer team in Wales that’s lingering out of the national league system. It recently picked up multiple awards after its second season, during which Wrexham successfully gained promotion to the English League System. The series has gained a huge following all over the world, particularly in the US. It’s made more people aware of soccer, and as a result, fans are keen to give it a chance. Adults are taking their kids to games and kids are asking their parents if they can join soccer clubs. There’s something about the underdog story in Welcome To Wrexham that resonates with the US youth; it makes them feel like anything is possible.
All or Nothing: Arsenal is a different documentary following one of the biggest clubs in England. You get behind-the-scenes looks inside the changing room as you’re with the team throughout a Premier League season. It’s very engaging and has led to a boom in support for Arsenal in the US. Again, young people are hooked on this documentary and it’s influencing them to participate in soccer or go watch their local team.
All of these factors combine to create a new lease of life for soccer as a sport in the US. Adults are still on the fence about it, but we might be in the midst of a generational shift. Who knows, by the time today’s kids enter adulthood, soccer could be up there as one of the biggest sports in the country. It’s great to see as an increased interest in soccer will lead to more investment in the MLS, boosting US sports on the whole.