The 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to showcase the world’s best players on soccer’s biggest stage. The quadrennial event brings the entire globe together to celebrate the biggest fandom ever.
And the numbers prove that.
A new study published by Nielsen shows that soccer has gained a significant foothold among North America’s major sports. According to the data, soccer has gained 136 million fans over the last five years in North America.
That’s nothing to sneeze at.
While the numbers may pale in comparison to the NFL and the NBA, soccer has become a new attraction in the US. That’s why the 2026 FIFA World Cup could become the linchpin to take soccer to another level.
The data behind Nielsen’s report shows that 76% of US soccer fans are Millennials or Gen Z. That translates to 3 out of 4 soccer fans are under the age of 50.
What that signals is that soccer in North America is a market that’s primed for growth. With younger fans joining the action, the potential market for soccer should continue to expand.
Overall, the study concluded that the US is the fourth-largest soccer market in the world. That base should only continue to grow as 64% of fans believe their interest in the sport will only continue to expand.
In fact, soccer ranks fourth among all major sports in the United States. The NFL leads the way with a 59% market share, followed by the NBA at 48%, and MLB with 45%. Soccer has a 31% share, potentially making the 2026 FIFA World Cup the launchpad for another wave of new fans.
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2026 FIFA World Cup Continues to Resonate with Hispanics
Another interesting, though not surprising, data point shows that soccer remains highly popular with first- and second-generation Hispanics in North America.
A separate Nielsen study looked into the numbers behind the interest Hispanics in North America have in soccer. The data showed that 50% of first and second-generation Hispanics identify as 2026 FIFA World Cup fans.
That’s not surprising when considering that Latin America is the most soccer-hungry region in the world. While Europe is just about as crazy for soccer as any other part of the world, other sports have gained a foothold in European markets.
The same can’t be said about Latin America. For instance, Nielsen reported that soccer has a 63% share in Mexico, with the average fan having followed the sport for more than 14 years.
Meanwhile, in other countries like Canada, hockey leads the way with a 53% share compared to soccer’s 37% market cap.
The numbers, nonetheless, prove that soccer, even as the world’s most popular sport, still has room to grow around the globe.
Check out Heavy’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Ticker:
Soccer Fandom Popular Around the World
As for other regions of the world, soccer fandom is enormous in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. In other areas like the Middle East and Africa, Nielsen reports that roughly 40% of the audience shows interest in soccer. That bodes extremely well for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
That shouldn’t be surprising, either. The appeal of international soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has made soccer ubiquitous. Plus, African and Asian stars have also made a name for themselves in European football.
For instance, Korean star Son Heung-min plays for England’s Tottenham Hotspur. Also, Egypt’s Mohamed Salah has been a fixture in the Premier League for some time now.
That’s why the 2026 FIFA World Cup should only help boost soccer’s visibility worldwide. And it could help present the sport to an entire generation of new fans.
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