The global game is about to burst onto the American stage, ushering in a New Era for U.S. soccer
This summer is the start of something transformational. A tidal wave is coming, and not just one. For years, fans of American soccer have been waiting for the sport to truly arrive. Over the next few years, we'll all find out whether it ever truly can, and will.
With the start of Copa America, U.S. soccer enters a New Era, and it's the most significant one yet. This dramatic multi-year stretch centers around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which represents a seismic turning point. For a sport that is fighting to turn the "Big Four" in the American sporting landscape into the "Big Five," World Cups can manifest the memorable moments that energize a generation.
"A World Cup on home soil is the biggest thing that we'll probably do in our career," U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic said. "It's a special time for this sport in America."
But, while the 2026 World Cup may be the pinnacle, it's not the only high-point. Starting this summer, there are multiple global events coming stateside, each building momentum that should propel the game forward for American audiences and the broader U.S. soccer culture.
At the forefront of that growth? The U.S. men's and women's national teams, and starting this week on home soil, the USMNT specifically. Copa America and the World Cup will get fans in the door and get eyes on the product, but those eyes will need to be impressed by what they see. Beyond those two events, the US will also host major global tournaments such as the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, and the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028.
Over the next few years, the U.S. isn't just under pressure to perform, but to lead — certainly in a hosting capacity, but especially on the field. And if it's going to happen for the USMNT, it has to come from this generation of American stars.
“It is a bigger role for all of us,” USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter told reporters. “We all share that responsibility. First off, representing the United States to the best of our ability, but then also letting people see who we are and letting people see who the players are, giving people access and really giving them something they can be proud of.”
Ahead of the Copa America, GOAL breaks down the upcoming challenge for the USMNT and what it all means for American soccer.
GettyThe impact of 1994
It's been 30 years since the World Cup first arrived on American soil and, while there was some history prior to 1994, that summer was the birth of the modern era of American soccer.
The world's game united in America. Superstars such as Roberto Baggio, Romario, Jurgen Klinsmann and Hristo Stoichkov introduced thesmelves to the American audience. The legendary Diego Maradona needed no such introduction. Meanwhile, Americans such as Alexi Lalas, Tony Meola and Eric Wynalda became household names and, eventually, icons.
The next generation cited that tournament as a crucial pivot point. Thousands of kids were introduced to soccer that summer, both in the stands and on television. For the first time, soccer was cool in America, and the game would never be the same because of its impact.
"I think both the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 Women’s World Cup really helped set the stage and change soccer in America," Berhalter told FIFA. "When I think about how the whole world came together in ’94, I was at games in New York and New Jersey, games in Detroit, games in Orlando, and to see the melting pot and the diversity of the fanbase, it was really a special event. And then you have the 1999 World Cup with the women, and to see how the entire nation got behind that team, it’s something we can hope to have in 2026."
AdvertisementGettySoccer's status in America
So much has changed since 1994. That U.S. team was a group of trailblazers, but it wasn't a group of world-beaters. Now, 30 years later, American players are starring for world-class clubs such as AC Milan and Juventus. The players have come so far.
So, too, have the fans. A 2022 Gallup poll found that 31 percent of Americans say they're soccer fans, an all-time high. Like America itself, those fans are diverse, each with their own sphere of interest. Some support their local MLS team. Others follow the UEFA Champions League or Premier League. There's a huge contingent of Mexico national team and Liga MX fans in the U.S., too, while countless others consume everything going on in the women's game for club or country, from USWNT to NWSL.
In a Gallup poll released in February, soccer emerged as the U.S.'s fourth-favorite sport, with five percent of Americans naming it as their favorite. The NFL was a resounding winner with 41 percent of those polled, but baseball and basketball were only slightly ahead of soccer with 10 and nine percent, respectively.
Between 1937 and 2004, no more than two percent of Americans had named soccer as their favorite sport. Times are changing, and there's another revolution coming, both on and off the field.
GettyGrowing on the field
The 2022 World Cup cycle was a reset point for the USMNT. The program was in a dark place after failing to quality for the 2018 tournament, and there was reason for pessimism. Was this as good as it would get? How would the program rebuild from this?
As it turns out, the answer was "quite well." Led by a young core, the U.S. returned to the world stage in 2022 and put in a solid showing, escaping the group stage before falling to the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
In the year and a half since, the team has focused on one big question: how do we go from good to great? The USMNT has established itself as Kings of CONCACAF, a dominant force in the region, but how can this team get to a place where it can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world?
“How do we put in good performances [so] we’re confident that, when we get to 2026, we’re prepared?” Berhalter said. “It’s learning how to navigate through these games, adding that experience on from the 2022 World Cup and now to the 2026 World Cup. Hopefully when you get there, you feel like, ‘OK, this team is ready.’ ”
USA Today ImagesCopa America expectations
Many are viewing the Copa as a dry run for 2026 but, for the USMNT, it isn't that simple. Let's not forget that this is a major trophy … so might as well try to win the damn thing, right?
This isn't a tournament for experimenting. It isn't even a tournament for lessons, although there will almost certainly be some learned. No, for the USMNT, this is a tournament to prove themselves ahead of time, to show the world that, when the World Cup does arrive, they'll be ready.
"How do we beat a team like Uruguay in our group? How do we when we make it out, beat Brazil or Colombia? There are so many challenges ahead," captain Tyler Adams told GOAL. "But this is also a cool opportunity to play opposition from South America.
"For me, it's the toughest category in the world of qualifying. There are so many good teams top to bottom, and it's a different type of team from there. They play with a different type of mentality. It's not like Europe, where they grew up playing on these beautiful grass fields every every week and have the best leagues in the world. In South America, they're battling, so for me, it's a great opportunity for our team to just change the mentality a little bit and learn how to grind."
The U.S. has recent positive history in the Copa. In 2016, they made it all the way to a semifinal before succumbing to Lionel Messi's Argentina. This time around, the goal will be to match, if not exceed, that effort.
“Success, broadly speaking, is inspiring the nation, really putting a type of performance that the entire nation is behind us,” Berhalter said. “It just becomes this catalyst for soccer in the United States. Our vision for this program is to change soccer in America forever. And that’s massive. To do something like that, you’re going to have to perform well.”