With the FIFA World Cup 2026 now underway, a new study from Harris Poll finds that finds that half of Americans plan to watch at least one match on TV, streaming, or social media over the next 39 days and that the World Cup is driving increased interest in soccer among Americans.
Slightly more than half (52%) of Americans say hosting major international sporting events in North America is making them more interested in sports they would not normally follow, a figure that is much higher among millennials (70%) and Hispanics (70%).
In the case of soccer, the presence of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America is driving a large new fan base for soccer. More than one quarter (26%) said they only recently started getting more interested in soccer and that their interest was specifically as a result of this year's World Cup.
Of this new U.S. fan base, 72% said it was because they watched matches on TV or streaming and 65% said they wanted to support the U.S. team.
The study also found that even before the start of the World Cup this summer, 39% of U.S. adults are already interested in the 2026 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Overall the study found that 27% of Americans are more interested in soccer than they were a year ago. Among this audience, millennials are the core audience, with 62% interested in the World Cup compared to 57% of Gen Z and only 24% of boomers. Hispanics are the most engaged group, with 63% interested compared to 37% of white Americans.
