The US is experiencing a surge in soccer popularity, with the World Cup drawing in a record 18 million viewers for the US team’s first game against Paraguay. This trend is not limited to the World Cup, as professional soccer in general is gaining traction among US fans and media.
Local Interest in Soccer
In Alabama, soccer is becoming more popular, with state colleges attracting out-of-state and international students who are introducing the sport to the local community. The city of Birmingham has supported pro soccer in the past, with the professional Birmingham Legion FC playing in the United Soccer League since 2019.
A recent exhibition match between Messi and Argentina, and Iceland, drew a capacity crowd of 88,000 people in Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, the largest crowd ever for a soccer game in the state. The U.S. team’s first game, against Paraguay, drew 18 million viewers, a record for a U.S. men’s national team game on English-language TV.
According to Dr. Andrew C. Billings, a widely known authority on sport communication, enthusiasm for the current World Cup is part of a rise in interest in professional soccer in general among U.S. fans and media. The U.S. has the fourth-largest soccer fan base globally, with 62.5 million followers, and almost 70% of respondents said their interest had increased in the past three years.
Original reporting: BirminghamWatch — read the source article.
