India, Oct 15: New exclusive research from Nielsen shows a significant surge in soccer fandom in the U.S. on the heels of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2026.™ Nielsen’s proprietary Fan Insights data show that the number of people identifying as soccer fans in the U.S. jumped from 66.8 million in July 2025 to 75.2 million in July 2026. Overall, over the past 5 years, soccer fandom has grown 27% from '22 to '26, representing 16 million fans.
The FIFA WORLD CUP 2026’s record television audiences have carried over to U.S. soccer viewership of the world’s top leagues, particularly among younger fans.
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Since MLS resumed play following the FIFA World Cup 26 break, regular-season audiences on FOX and FS1 were up 55% among Men 18–34 and 29% among Adults 18–34 compared to pre-World Cup regular-season matches.
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Premier League on NBC/USA Network is up +30% in Adults 18–34
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LaLiga viewership across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and ESPN Deportes is up +42% year-over-year across English-and-Spanish-language broadcasts, including a +60% increase among Persons 18-34.
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Nielsen’s Fan Insights data also indicates a surge in MLS fandom over the past 5 years, with +28% growth from '22 to '26, representing +11.7 million fans.
"The FIFA World Cup 2026 has served as a powerful catalyst for soccer's explosive growth across North America," said Seth Ladetsky, Global Head of Sports, Nielsen. "Our data shows that fandom is not only reaching record highs, but it is also expanding rapidly among younger, diverse audiences and carrying over into major domestic and international leagues."
