How the US finally fell in love with soccer

About this episode

This episode explores the evolution of soccer's popularity in the US, focusing on historical events and cultural shifts leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

When Roberto Baggio missed a penalty in the 1994 Fifa World Cup final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, more than 94,000 people were there to watch Italian heartbreak and Brazilian ecstasy. To this day, no other World Cup has been as well attended as the 1994 tournament. Tickets were cheap and abundant, and despite the relatively low profile of the game in the US compared to sports like baseball or basketball, people went along to see what it was all about. Now, three decades later, as the 2026 World Cup returns to North America with games across Mexico, Canada and the US, soccer has grown a much larger and more dedicated fan base in America. In this episode, we speak to John Sloop , a professor of communication studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and historian of soccer and its fans in the United States, about what’s changed for the men’s game in the US and whether the popularity has staying power. This episode was written and produced by Gemma Ware, Katie Flood and Mend Mariwany. Mixing by Michelle Macklem and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the f ull credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. If…

People in this episode

Hosts: Gemma Ware, Katie Flood, Mend Mariwany

Guest: John Sloop

Topics covered

• soccer
• US sports culture
• World Cup history
• fan engagement
• diversity in sports

Keywords

• soccer
• US sports
• World Cup
• John Sloop
• fan culture
• Roberto Baggio
• Pelé
• Messi

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Conversation

Places: Pasadena, California, North America, Mexico, Canada

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