As Soccer Grows In America The World Cup Is Becoming A Luxury Event

BusinessSportsMoneyAs Soccer Grows In America The World Cup Is Becoming A Luxury EventByBeau Dure,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Beau Dure is a sports journalist and author of several soccer books.Follow AuthorApr 27, 2026, 09:17am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.FIFA President Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump during the World Cup 2026 official draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington.FIFA via Getty ImagesThe 20th century approach to building soccer in the United States was best captured by, of course, The Simpsons. In a classic 1997 episode, the Simpson family and many of their fellow Springfieldians flock to a game after seeing an ad with a man in a cowboy hat and fringe yelling, “Open wide for some soccer!” as he takes a soccer ball off his grill and holds it to the camera. A few explosions and a shot of a player surrounded by women in a hot tub follow. Then they attend the game, quickly finding that it’s not as explosive as the ad implied. Such was soccer in the United States for many decades after the American Soccer League collapsed in the 1930s. Academic tomes on cultural identity and American exceptionalism put in stark terms what the country inherently knew — soccer was a tough sell anywhere north of Mexico. Attempts to sell the sport in the United States were often Americanized.The 21st century looks a bit different. Fans can choose from a cornucopia of quality broadcasts, not just the longstanding Mexican soccer games on Spanish-language TV but a nonstop succession of games from England’s popular Premier League, Europe’s Champions League and several other soccer-mad countries. Anyone who wants to see games in person can choose from 30 teams in Major League Soccer, a league that now includes global GOAT Lionel Messi, or dozens of well-supported lower-division pro clubs.So the sales task h...