Even though the 1-4 loss to Belgium was a sobering end—as co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. delivered a few sporting highlights and sparked a wave of euphoria, at least in the major cities and host venues. But how long-lasting is this enthusiasm?
On Thursday, the season in the domestic professional league, MLS, continues, with Robert Lewandowski joining as another veteran star. Ahead of the World Cup, the league benefited from the upcoming tournament, with viewership rising 62 percent compared to the previous year. The U.S. national team also delivered record-breaking viewership; the two knockout matches were the most-watched in the federation’s history. “The growth we’re seeing this season reflects the consistency and momentum that MLS has built over the past three years,” said league executive Camilo Durana. With Apple TV, the league has found a well-paying TV partner that reportedly wants to expand its commitment even further.
Looking at the league’s attendance figures, a certain degree of stagnation is evident. With the exception of the COVID-19 years, the league had seen steady growth up through the 2023–24 season. However, average attendance fell last season, and even in the first half of the current season, it has not yet returned to the level of two years ago.
Less Volunteer Work Than in Germany
It seems that the foundation is still far from as stable as it needs to be. Unlike in many other countries, “soccer” in the U.S. is still primarily a sport for children from relatively affluent families. This is a point also made by former Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen player Landon Donovan, who explains: “Only two percent of children in organized soccer come from households that earn less than $50,000 a year.” Many potential talents fall by the wayside early on. The problem, he says, lies in the consistently high membership fees charged by clubs, which rely far more on full-time staff—and thus more expensive structures—than, for example, in Germany, where volunteer work plays a central role.
Donovan sees another issue in the mindset: “We have to teach parents and coaches that an eight-year-old doesn’t have to win a game. Here, people are obsessed with winning because that’s what gets you into college. But that’s all nonsense. Youth soccer in this country is a disaster.” Many coaches are too focused on winning in order to get better jobs. Here, too, clubs serve as a career springboard for full-time coaches far more often than is the case for a typical youth coach at the grassroots level in Germany.
Soccer in the U.S. is impressive nonetheless, not least because of the large and, in some cases, state-of-the-art World Cup stadiums. But everyday life in the MLS is quite different: Only the stadiums in Atlanta, Foxborough, and Seattle are used by U.S. teams in the national league. The other teams have their own, significantly smaller arenas or rent space in a baseball stadium, like New York City FC. This situation does have its advantages, however, as the World Cup stadiums would be oversized for league play and would become a financial drain. Furthermore, all World Cup stadiums in the U.S. were originally designed for American football, which posed major challenges simply because of the larger soccer field.
