The United States falls in love with soccer and its business

The United States is consolidating its position as the new epicentre of world football. After hosting the 2025 Club World Cup and posting record attendance and revenue figures at the current FIFA World Cup, the country is making it clear that it intends to host the next major international football events.

The next could be the 2029 Club World Cup, although Qatar, which is well positioned to bid, is expected to challenge the United States. In addition, the U.S. is the leading favourite to host the 2028 Copa América and is already confirmed, alongside Mexico, as a host of the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

This prominence is not new. It gained further momentum in 2024 when the country hosted the Copa América, which Argentina won. Beyond the World Cup currently underway, the United States is also preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, expected to become one of the most technologically advanced editions in history. The Olympic calendar is, in fact, central to football’s long-term ambitions.

This is where the American concept of blending sport and entertainment comes into play, something already evident throughout this World Cup and set to be showcased in the final, where the halftime interval will be extended to 30 minutes to accommodate a Super Bowl-style performance.

“There is no competition with the Americans. No country has sport so deeply integrated into its culture. It is part of education and prepares citizens for a competitive life without fostering excessive rivalry. They also have infrastructure and professionals who are exceptionally well prepared to organise events of this magnitude. No country better represents what a global event means. They have long been the country that has welcomed the largest number of immigrants from the widest variety of nations, creating unparalleled cultural diversity. They raised the standard for World Cups in 1994, and now they have shown once again that, even while organising an event that is secondary in their sporting landscape, they have delivered something far superior to what came before,” says Thiago Freitas, COO of Roc Nation Sports.

When it comes to infrastructure and stadiums capable of hosting major football competitions, there is little comparison. A commission working on preparations for the 2030 World Cup recently visited the United States to study its facilities and organisational model. Comparisons are always difficult, but particularly so here, given how different American stadiums are from their European counterparts.

“I think it would be an interesting initiative, although it would not have a significant impact on the sport’s development. Even so, it would be another positive legacy of the Club World Cup. Without a doubt, the president has now seen first-hand the strength that football possesses,” says Renê Salviano, CEO of Heatmap and a sports marketing specialist.

“The United States is an expert at turning major sporting events into platforms for revenue generation and business opportunities. It can maximise every competition, creating economic opportunities and expanding returns far beyond what happens on the pitch. It is only natural that the country wants to host more of these events because they create a multiplier effect throughout the economy, strengthen multiple industries and reinforce the United States’ position as the world’s leading reference point for the sports industry,” says Moises Assayag, a specialist in sports management and finance.

“The United States is the global benchmark for the sports business, from marketing to technology. It is the world’s largest advertising market, with a highly sophisticated ecosystem and many multinational companies operating locally. The greater football’s presence becomes, the more this expertise and investment will strengthen the sport’s global value chain. The trend points towards even faster growth due to the increasing Latino population and the growing interest in football among more traditional Americans,” says Alexandre Vasconcellos, regional director of Flashscore in Brazil and an expert in sports marketing, communications, innovation and ESG.

According to a report produced jointly by FIFA and the World Trade Organization (WTO), spending related to the 2026 World Cup is expected to generate a $17.2 billion boost to U.S. GDP and $40.9 billion globally. The report also estimates that the tournament will create the equivalent of 185,000 full-time jobs in the United States and 824,000 worldwide.

The key question is whether the United States will genuinely become the global centre of sport over the coming years and, more importantly, whether it can finally establish football as one of the country’s mainstream sports.

“Until recently, the United States was associated almost exclusively with the NBA and the NFL. Now it is experiencing a rise in football’s prestige, driven in part by hosting major tournaments. This not only attracts international attention but also stimulates investment in infrastructure, media and advertising while creating significant business opportunities in hospitality, premium services and fan experiences,” explains Joaquim Lo Prete, CEO of ABSOLUT Sport.

“One of the main factors that will help popularise football in the country is developing an effective strategy that delivers experiences fans genuinely value. That means building authentic connections with supporters and creating personalised engagement. Achieving that requires a deep understanding of fan behaviour through high-quality data analysis,” says Robson Oliveira, founding partner and president of FutebolCard, a leading ticketing and membership platform.

“The U.S. market has become the epicentre of a global audience. By hosting the world’s biggest football tournaments, the United States is establishing itself as a premier destination for international sports tourism while providing football with a unique platform to connect with supporters from every continent,” says Thales Rangel Mafia, marketing director at Multimarcas Consórcios.

Reflecting this expansion, FIFA has been relocating parts of its operations to Miami since 2023. The move coincides with Major League Soccer’s rapid growth, fuelled by the arrival of global stars such as Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. FIFA’s Miami headquarters now houses its legal, audit, compliance and risk management departments.

“The rise of the United States as a global sports hub creates a domino effect. Clubs, leagues and stadiums around the world are beginning to adopt more advanced technologies to remain competitive. Event organisation in the United States already relies heavily on automation, data intelligence and integrated systems, establishing a new standard of excellence that is likely to spread globally,” says Tironi Paz Ortiz, CEO and founder of Imply Tecnologia.

“I believe brands can take full advantage of the exposure and opportunities created by major sporting events in the United States. By adopting integrated and creative strategies through sponsorships, strategic partnerships, engagement campaigns and interactive fan experiences, companies can increase visibility, strengthen customer loyalty and associate themselves with positive values, creating a lasting impact,” says Wagner Leitzke, Head of Business Development at End to End.

“After decades of trying to popularise football in North America, the growing influence of Latino culture, combined with hosting major tournaments and attracting world-class players to MLS, has finally created a winning formula. Competing with the four established major leagues remains an enormous challenge, but football now has every opportunity to establish a lasting presence,” says Ivan Martinho, sports marketing professor at ESPM.

For Heraldo Evans, commercial and marketing director at Recoma, the United States is evolving from a major consumer market into a global hub for the sports industry. He compares the transformation to China’s emergence around the 2008 Olympic Games.

“The country has invested heavily in infrastructure, content and fan experiences, increasing interest in sports that traditionally had little cultural relevance while attracting the world’s biggest sporting events. This creates new commercial opportunities, attracts international audiences and redefines standards in sports production and management. At the same time, the United States is benefiting from the Olympic movement’s embrace of younger sports such as skateboarding, surfing, climbing and breaking, bringing the Games closer to a new generation. By strengthening these disciplines and attracting new sponsors, the country is seeking to reclaim its historical prominence just as Los Angeles prepares to host the Olympics.”

Donald Trump has often attracted attention through controversial remarks and bold proposals. During the draw for the 2026 World Cup group stage, the U.S. president once again criticised the use of the word “soccer”, arguing that it made little sense.

“It makes no sense. We have to think of another name,” he said.

The comments were unsurprising. After the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea at MetLife Stadium, Trump told DAZN that he was considering signing an executive order to rename soccer as football in the United States.

“I think we can do it. I think I could do it.”

Whether called soccer or football, the sport still ranks outside the five most popular sports in the United States. American football, basketball, baseball, boxing, ice hockey and even college football all enjoy greater popularity. Football follows behind them, although Major League Soccer has grown significantly over the past two years thanks to major investment and the arrival of international stars such as Lionel Messi.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his hope that football can one day rival America’s traditional sports. But could changing its name really help?

“It would be a historic change because it would recognise a global reality that the United States has resisted for years: this sport was invented by the English, not Americans. Traditionalists would probably oppose it, while many people of Latin American heritage, who now account for almost 20% of the population, would welcome it. The real transformation will happen in future generations, who will simply grow up calling the sport football,” says Ivan Martinho.

“It could also create a form of antagonism between football and American football, whether intentionally or not. If it were part of a broader strategy of social engineering, it might even contribute to cultural division. Alternatively, it could reflect wider geopolitical interests, given the growing influence of countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in football,” says Alexandre Vasconcellos.

“I also believe it could increase the sport’s visibility through debate and controversy. Although changing the name would be legally complex and difficult to implement in everyday language, it would undoubtedly generate widespread attention.”

Thiago Freitas offers a different perspective: “The Italian federation uses the word ‘calcio’ instead of football, and that has never been an issue. What truly matters is having the president of the world’s most influential country openly supporting the growth of the sport. The name itself is secondary, provided everyone understands which sport is being discussed.”

Fábio Wolff, managing partner of Wolff Sports, is less convinced. “The United States has spent decades trying to establish football. The women’s game has been hugely successful and the national team is one of the world’s strongest. The men’s game, however, continues to grow steadily rather than dramatically. In my opinion, replacing ‘soccer’ with ‘football’ would only create unnecessary confusion. Real growth will come through planning, investment, long-term strategy and patience.”

Renê Salviano concludes: “I think it would be an interesting initiative, although it would not significantly change the sport’s development. Even so, it would be another positive legacy of the Club World Cup. The president has undoubtedly witnessed first-hand the strength and global appeal of football.”

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