THERE ARE OVER 136 million soccer fans in North America, up 10.9% from 5 years ago, according to research from Nielsen in a new Soccer Fandom consumer research report released today, “The Fans Behind The Game: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Edition.”
Leading into the FIFA World Cup 2026™, the new report examines audience, engagement, content and format and utilised trended data to explore the current fan landscape in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
“Nielsen’s new report illustrates the profound and measurable surge in popularity of soccer in North America, reinforcing the decision to host the FIFA World Cup 2026™ across the continent,” said a FIFA spokesperson. “The research findings also underscore the success of the efforts that have taken place to grow the game and expand the sport’s global reach.”
Key findings include:
Popularity: Over the past 5 years soccer fandom in North America has experienced significant growth – with a 10.9% leap from May 2020 to May 2025, marked by surging viewership of TV broadcasts. The US has the fourth largest soccer fanbase in the world with 62.5 million fans. 64% of fans expect their interest in soccer to keep climbing.
Soccer is the world’s most popular sport and the most popular sport in Mexico (63%), with the average Mexican fan following the sport for around 14 years. In the US and Canada, soccer faces more competition; it ranks 3rd (37%) in Canada and 4th (31%) in the USA, trailing to domestic sports like ice hockey, and American football.
About a quarter of soccer fans in North America became a fan in the last 5 years, with the majority (68%) of fans claiming their interest has increased in the last 3 years as the buildup to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ intensified.
Soccer fans’ distinctive qualities:
- Soccer fans in the US are younger (33) and more affluent than the US general population.
76% of U.S. soccer fans are Millennials or Gen Z. - Higher female engagement is a key differentiator in North America vs Europe (43% vs 36%).
- Across North America, soccer plays a significant / extremely significant role in the livelihood of individuals including personal enjoyment (29%), social connection and community (14%), family bonding and tradition (12%), and physical fitness and health benefits (11%).
How Viewers Consume Content:
North America follows similar media engagement patterns to Europe, with 72% watching the game via TV or streaming platforms (47%) with social media (47%) being the next most popular.
More Mexicans (51%) are likely to watch broadcasts of live matches – usually with family and friends (the ones that brought them into the sport) at home.
Canadians lean into short-form content (33%), preferring to watch highlights and social media content.
Economic Impact: The report also delved into the economic impact FIFA can create. As an example, the FIFA Club World Cup™ last summer (June 14 to July 13, 2025) in major U.S. cities was a huge commercial success with the economic outcome generating a Gross Output of $17.1 billion and contributing $9.6 billion to the Gross Domestic Product in the US. The research shows the event created 105,000 Full-Time Equivalent jobs and generated $5.8 billion in Labor Income. The event is projected to generate $1.9 billion in direct and indirect taxes for the government.
