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Analysis by Harry Enten, CNN
4 minute read
Published 6:01 AM EST, Mon December 12, 2022
The beautiful game is getting more and more popular in America.
CNN —
America is known for being at the top of the list at a lot of things. My home country has, however, historically struggled at the most popular sport worldwide: men’s soccer.
At this year’s World Cup the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) advanced to the round of 16, although the Netherlands defeated it 3-1.
It the USMNT isn’t quite ready to join soccer’s elite nations, the sport is finding record success at home. “The beautiful game” is far more popular than it has ever been, especially among young Americans.
Take a look at how many people say their favorite sport to watch is soccer. Historically, that percentage has been miniscule. From 1937 to 1972, the figure in Gallup polling was always less than 0.5% of Americans giving the answer soccer when asked which their favorite to watch was. Even through December 2004, the percentage never rose above 2%.
Earlier this year, 8% of Americans answered soccer as their favorite sport to watch in a Washington Post poll. This may seem like a small percentage, but it is huge growth given the baseline. There is no other sport that saw anywhere near this type of improvement in its popularity as soccer during this period.
Soccer is growing in popularity in the US -- and the trend is not slowing down.
Indeed, nearly as many Americans now call soccer their favorite sport to watch as they do basketball (12%) or baseball (11%). Soccer actually has beaten motor racing, hockey and golf the last few times the Washington Post polled the subject.
My guess is that the number of soccer fans is going to continue to grow over the next few years. Why? Look at the young.
Soccer is most popular among adults under the age of 30. There are actually more adults aged 18 to 29 who say soccer is their favorite sport to watch than those who say baseball is their preferred. Remember that baseball is supposedly America’s pastime.
Of course, American football – the NFL – is still the top sport to watch overall and among all age groups. Over one-third of Americans have for years indicated that it is their top sport to view.
Football may be getting a run for its money from soccer, though, when you examine the long-term trends among the number of high schoolers playing the game.
Forty years ago, soccer was not a terribly popular sport for high schoolers to play. When you combined boys and girls playing the sport, only a little bit more than 200,000 students played the game. For comparison, nearly a million boys played football.
Lionel Messi holds up the World Cup trophy after Argentina defeated France in the tournament final on Sunday, December 18.
Argentina fans celebrate in Buenos Aires.
Messi holds the Golden Ball trophy, awarded to the tournament's top player, while kissing the World Cup trophy.
Argentina players react after Gonzalo Montiel scored his penalty to clinch the shootout victory.
French star Kylian Mbappé sits on the team's bench after the loss.
French players react during the penalty shootout.
Montiel becomes emotional after slotting home the winning penalty.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez celebrates after blocking Kingsley Coman's penalty in the shootout.
Mbappé scored a penalty late in extra time to force the shootout. He scored all of France's three goals.
Messi scored for Argentina in extra time, giving his team a brief 3-2 lead.
Mbappé slams home his team's second goal to tie the match at 2-2 in the second half. It came just moments after he scored on a penalty.
Argentina's Julián Álvarez, left, competes with France's Dayot Upamecano.
Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring Argentina's second goal in the first half. Argentina led 2-0 at halftime.
Di Maria slots the ball past France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, finishing an Argentina counterattack for the 2-0 lead.
Messi opens the scoring with a penalty in the 23rd minute.
Messi celebrates after converting his penalty.
Players line up for the national anthems before the final at the Lusail Stadium.
Croatia players celebrate after defeating Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup's third-place match on Saturday, December 17.
Croatia captain Luka Modrić celebrates with his daughter after the medal ceremony on Saturday.
Morocco's Achraf Dari scores a header to tie the match against Croatia. Croatia ultimately regained the lead with a goal from Mislav Oršić.
Croatia's Joško Gvardiol, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal against Morocco.
French players celebrate after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday, December 14.
Morocco's Jawad El Yamiq attempts a bicycle kick during the first half against France. His shot clanged off the post.
Morocco fans show their support at Wednesday's semifinal.
Theo Hernandez scores France's opening goal early in the match against Morocco.
Argentina star Lionel Messi, left, celebrates with teammate Julián Álvarez after Álvarez scored his first of two goals against Croatia in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday, December 13. Messi scored the other goal on a first-half penalty.
Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol reacts in the net after Álvarez scored to put Argentina up 3-0.
Argentina players celebrate their 2-0 lead in the first half.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez reaches out for a save against Croatia.
England's Mason Mount appears dejected as French players celebrate their 2-1 quarterfinal win at the World Cup on December 10.
French players try to block a Marcus Rashford free kick late in the match.
Olivier Giroud celebrates after scoring a goal for France that turned out to be the match-winner.
England's Harry Kane scores a penalty to even up the score against France. But he missed a penalty in the second half with France leading 2-1.
Aurélien Tchouaméni celebrates after scoring France's opening goal against England.
French star Kylian Mbappé is tackled by England's Declan Rice.
A memorial for American journalist Grant Wahl sits in the press area of Al Bayt Stadium on December 10. Wahl died after collapsing during the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands. His wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, said he died of an aortic aneurysm that ruptured.
Morocco players celebrate after defeating Portugal 1-0 on December 10. The "Atlas Lions" made history by becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal.
Morocco fans celebrate in the stands following their team's victory on December 10.
Sofiane Boufal of Morocco celebrates with a family member.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo sinks to the ground beside Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Youssef En-Nesyri heads the ball to score Morocco's goal against Portugal.
Players from Argentina, top, and the Netherlands react at the end of the penalty shootout that decided their quarterfinal match at the World Cup on December 9. Argentina prevailed on spot kicks after the match ended 2-2.
Argentina's Lionel Messi, left, and Leandro Paredes celebrate their berth in the semifinals.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez tries to shake Teun Koopmeiners' hand during the shootout.
Martinez saves the penalty of Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk early in the shootout. Martinez made two saves in the shootout, which finished 4-3 for Argentina.
Dutch players celebrate after Wout Weghorst scored late into second-half stoppage time to extend the match.
Weghorst overpowers Enzo Fernández on a carefully orchestrated set play to tie the match at 2-2.
Van Dijk knocks over Paredes as Dutch players run onto the field in the second half. The skirmish started after a hard Paredes foul on Nathan Aké. Paredes then smashed the ball into the Dutch bench.
Brazilian star Neymar is comforted by Dani Alves after Brazil were knocked out of the World Cup by Croatia on December 9. Croatia won a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1.
Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković celebrates after Marquinhos hit the post on the last kick of the penalty shootout. It was Croatia's second straight shootout win in this World Cup.
Croatian players run around the field and celebrate their victory as Marquinhos, bottom right, falls to his knees.
Croatia's Borna Sosa hits Antony in the face while tussling for position.
Neymar opens the scoring in extra time after the match went scoreless in regulation. With the goal, he tied Pelé as Brazil's all-time goalscorer. But Croatia would tie the match a few minutes later with a goal from Bruno Petković.
Gonçalo Ramos celebrates his first of three goals in Portugal's 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland on December 6. The win booked Portugal's spot in the quarterfinals.
Pepe scores Portugal's second goal on December 6.
Portugal manager Fernando Santos speaks with Cristiano Ronaldo before bringing him off the bench against Switzerland. Ronaldo started the first three group-stage games but was replaced by Ramos for the round-of-16 clash.
Morocco players celebrate after Achraf Hakimi scored to win a penalty shootout against Spain on December 6. The match ended 0-0 before going to the shootout.
Morocco's Abdelhamid Sabiri scores during the penalty shootout against Spain.
Spain's Aymeric Laporte reacts after the loss to Morocco.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou makes a save near the end of the Spain match.
Hakimi tries to win the ball from Spain's Dani Olmo, seen in the foreground.
Richarlison, left, scores Brazil's third goal during the World Cup match against South Korea on December 5. Brazil won 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
From left, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta and Neymar celebrate after one of Brazil's four first-half goals.
Mario Pasalic, right, celebrates with goalkeeper Dominik Livaković after Croatia won a penalty shootout over Japan. Livaković made three saves in the shootout after the match ended 1-1.
Livaković saves the first penalty in the shootout against Japan.
Croatian midfielder Lovro Majer falls near Japanese midfielder Ao Tanaka.
England players celebrate after Harry Kane scored against Senegal on December 4. England won 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
A Senegal supporter cheers before the match against England.
France's Olivier Giroud celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Poland on December 4. With the goal, Giroud became Les Bleus' all-time top goalscorer. France defeated Poland 3-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
France's Dayot Upamecano collides with Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Argentina's Lionel Messi, left, celebrates with teammates after opening the scoring against Australia on December 3. Argentina's 2-1 victory set up a quarterfinal match against the Netherlands.
Australian fans in Sydney celebrate their team's goal against Argentina on December 3.
US captain Tyler Adams sinks to the ground after the Americans lost 3-1 to the Netherlands on December 3.
The United States' Brenden Aaronson, left, and the Netherlands' Frenkie de Jong battle for the ball on November 3.
Switzerland's Remo Freuler, right, celebrates with Ricardo Rodriguez after scoring the third and decisive goal in the 3-2 victory over Serbia on December 2. With the win, Switzerland advanced to the next stage of the World Cup.
Players argue during the Serbia-Switzerland match. Serbia was eliminated with the loss.
Switzerland's Manuel Akanji heads the ball during the Serbia match.
Dušan Vlahović scores Serbia's second goal on December 2.
Bremer heads the ball for Brazil during the match against Cameroon on December 2. Cameroon came out on top 1-0, but Brazil still won Group G thanks to two earlier victories.
Bremer controls the ball against Cameroon.
Cameroon's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting tries to bring the ball down between Fabinho and Éder Militão.
South Korea's Hwang Hee-chan celebrates December 2 after his team's 2-1 victory over Portugal clinched a spot in the next round. Hwang scored the game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time.
South Korea's Son Heung-min slides for a tackle against Portugal's João Mário. Portugal lost the match but still won Group H.
Portugal's Ruben Neves, left, heads the ball against South Korea.
Uruguay's Giorgian de Arrascaeta scores his second goal in the 2-0 victory over Ghana on December 2. Uruguay finished Group H with the same amount of points as South Korea, but the South Koreans advanced because they scored more goals in the group.
Uruguay's Luis Suarez, foreground, looks to head the ball against Ghana.
Ghana's Inaki Williams leaps for a kick against Uruguay.
Japan's Kaoru Mitoma passes the ball near the goal line, leading to a goal that was upheld by a video assistant referee (VAR) review during the match against Spain on December 1. Japan took a 2-1 lead and held on to win by that score. It finished first in Group E while Spain finished second.
Wataru Endo celebrates with teammates after Japan's victory.
Spain's Alejandro Balde tries to hold up Japan's Ritsu Doan.
Germany's Thomas Müller hugs Antonio Rüdiger after their 4-2 win over Costa Rica on December 1. Despite the win, Germany was eliminated from the tournament because Japan defeated Spain.
German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer punches a ball clear against Costa Rica.
Referee Stephanie Frappart, center, warms up with assistant referees Karen Diaz, left, and Neuza Back before the Germany-Costa Rica match. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Frappert became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match.
Belgium players react after their 0-0 draw against Croatia meant that they would be eliminated on December 1. Belgium finished third at the last World Cup in 2018.
Belgium's Leandro Trossard, left, and Croatia's Josko Gvardiol compete for a ball. Croatia finished second in Group F to advance to the tournament's knockout stage.
Croatia's Borna Sosa heads the ball near Belgium's Thomas Meunier.
A Belgium supporter looks dejected after the match against Croatia.
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui is lifted into the air by his team after a 2-1 victory over Canada on December 1. Morocco finished first in Group F.
Canada's Alistair Johnston tries to head the ball into Morocco's net on December 1.
Youssef En-Nesyri celebrates after scoring Morocco's second goal against Canada.
Argentina's Julian Alvarez is put in a headlock by teammate Enzo Fernandez after scoring against Poland on November 30. Argentina won 2-0 to finish first in Group C and advance to the knockout stage. Poland qualified as well despite the loss.
Argentina star Lionel Messi is hit in the face by Poland's Wojciech Szczesny in the first half November 30. A penalty was given after video review, but Szczesny saved Messi's shot.
Messi and Poland's Bartosz Bereszynski compete for the ball.
Mexico's Orbelín Pineda, left, and Saudi Arabia's Mohamed Kanno go for a header during their match on November 30. Mexico won 2-1.
Mexico's Henry Martín scores the first goal against Saudi Arabia.
A fan wears La Catrina-style makeup at the start of the Mexico-Saudi Arabia match.
Australia's Mathew Leckie, left, celebrates after scoring the only goal in the 1-0 win over Denmark on November 30. The win advanced the "Socceroos" to the knockout stage.
A Denmark supporter reacts to Australia's goal on November 30.
Australia's Riley McGree shields the ball from Denmark's Mikkel Damsgaard.
Tunisian players mob teammate Wahbi Khazri after his goal against France on November 30. Tunisia won 1-0, but it was not enough to advance to the knockout stage. France still won Group D.
Tunisia's Issam Jebali heads the ball next to France's Aurélien Tchouaméni.
American star Christian Pulisic scores the only goal in the match against Iran on November 29. With the victory, the United States advanced to the tournament's knockout stage.
Iran's Ramin Rezaeian heads the ball during the match against the United States.
Shaq Moore slides in for a tackle against Iran's Abolfazl Jalali.
England's Phil Foden celebrates after scoring his team's second goal in the 3-0 win over Wales on November 29. England won Group B.
Marcus Rashford scores England's third goal against Wales. He had two goals in the match.
Rashford's free kick whizzes by Wales' Danny Ward for England's first goal.
Wales' Connor Roberts stretches for a ball during the match against England.
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr celebrates after a 2-1 win over Ecuador secured his team's spot in the knockout round of the World Cup.
Senegal's Ismail Jakobs, left, tries to fend off Ecuador's Enner Valencia on November 29.
The Netherlands' Frenkie de Jong scores his team's second goal in the 2-0 victory over Qatar on November 29. The Dutch won Group A. Qatar, the host nation, lost all three of its games.
Qatar's Homam Ahmed leaps near the Netherlands' Denzel Dumfries on November 29.
Portugal's Bruno Fernandes celebrates after scoring his second goal in the 2-0 victory over Uruguay on November 28. The win clinched Portugal's spot in the knockout stage.
A man runs onto the field with a rainbow flag during the match between Portugal and Uruguay. The man, an Italian named Mario Ferri, was also wearing a shirt that said "save Ukraine" on the front and "respect for Iranian women" on the back. In a series of posts of his Instagram story, Ferri called himself the "new Robin Hood" and said, "Breaking the rules if you do it for a good cause is NEVER A CRIME." He was banned from attending future matches.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo tries to head the ball toward goal in the second half of the Uruguay match. He appeared at first to nod in the first goal, but after review it was determined that he didn't touch it and Bruno was credited with the goal.
Portugal's Bernardo Silva, left, tries to keep the ball from Uruguay's Mathias Olivera.
Brazil's Vinícius Júnior performs a rabona during his team's 1-0 victory over Switzerland on November 28. The Brazilians' win ensured that they would be advancing from their group.
Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, front left, is mobbed by teammates after scoring against Switzerland.
Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus celebrates a goal during the match against South Korea on November 28. It was his second goal of the day, and it was the difference in Ghana's 3-2 victory.
South Korea's Kim Min-jae, left, and Ghana's Andre Ayew, center, jump for a header during their match on November 28.
Ghana supporters celebrate victory on November 28.
Serbia's Sergej Milinković-Savić celebrates a goal during a 3-3 draw with Cameroon on November 28.
Cameroon forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scores his team's third goal against Serbia, tying the match in the second half.
Fans of Spain attend the team's match against Germany on November 27. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Belgium's Thorgan Hazard, left, and Morocco's Selim Amallah compete for the ball on November 27. Morocco defeated Belgium 2-0. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament.
Alphonso Davies celebrates after scoring Canada's first-ever World Cup goal on November 27. The goal against Croatia came 68 seconds after kickoff and was the fastest at the 2022 tournament so far. But despite the early lead, Canada lost 4-1.
Costa Rica's Yeltsin Tejeda and Keysher Fuller celebrate their 1-0 win over Japan on November 27. Fuller scored the winning goal.
Kylian Mbappé scores his second goal on November 26, leading France to a 2-1 victory over Denmark. The win ensured that France, the tournament's defending champions, would be the first team to qualify for the knockout stage.
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the opening goal against Mexico on November 26. Argentina went on to win the match 2-0.
Fans in Doha, Qatar, watch the match between Poland and Saudi Arabia on November 26.
Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring Poland's second goal in the 2-0 win against Saudi Arabia on November 26. This was Lewandowski's first-ever World Cup goal.
Australia's Jackson Irvine falls on Tunisia's Aissa Laidouni as they battle for the ball on November 26. Australia won 1-0.
US star Christian Pulisic takes a shot against England in the first half of their World Cup match on November 25. The shot smacked off the crossbar, and the game would eventually end 0-0.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford dives to make a save in the match against the United States.
Senegal players celebrate at the corner flag after Bamba Dieng scored the third goal in their 3-1 victory over host nation Qatar.
Mohammed Muntari, center, celebrates after scoring Qatar's first-ever World Cup goal. Muntari headed home a cross in the 78th minute to cut Senegal's lead to 2-1.
Senegal fans attend the match against Qatar. Senegal's football team is nicknamed the Lions of Teranga.
The Netherlands' Cody Gakpo is challenged by Ecuador's Jhegson Mendez, bottom, during their teams' 1-1 draw on November 25. Gakpo scored in the sixth minute for the Dutch.
Iranian players celebrate after Roozbeh Cheshmi scored late into second-half stoppage time to break a 0-0 deadlock against Wales on November 25. Iran added another goal to win 2-0.
Welsh players are dejected as Iran celebrates on Friday.
A fan holds a Mahsa Amini jersey as a protest before the Iran-Wales match. Recent protests in Iran were sparked by the death of Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died after being detained by Iran's morality police allegedly for not abiding by the country's conservative dress code.
Richarlison scores a spectacular goal during Brazil's 2-0 win over Serbia on November 24. Richarlison scored both of Brazil's goals.
Brazilian superstar Neymar celebrates the first goal, which he helped create.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo does his trademark goal celebration after converting a penalty against Ghana to become the first man in history to score in five World Cups. It was the first goal of a match that ended in a 3-2 Portugal win.
Rafael Leão smiles as his shot goes by Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi for Portugal's third goal.
Ghana's Andre Ayew, right, celebrates with Mohammed Kudus after tying the match at 1-1 shortly after Ronaldo's penalty.
Ronaldo slams his penalty into the upper-left corner of the net.
Ronaldo makes a face as he celebrates his goal with teammate João Félix.
Ghana fans cheer prior to the start of the match against Portugal.
South Korea's Jung Woo-young competes for a ball with Uruguay's Federico Valverde on November 24. Their match ended 0-0.
South Korean star Son Heung-min wears a protective eye mask against Uruguay after he suffered a fractured eye socket earlier in the month.
Switzerland's Breel Embolo, second from right, shoots past Cameroon's Andre Onana to score the only goal of their match.
Michy Batshuayi celebrates after giving Belgium a 1-0 lead over Canada in their World Cup opener on November 23. That ended up being the only goal of the match.
Belgian players insist there is no foul as Canada's Richie Laryea tumbles over in the box.
Canada's Alphonso Davies, left, reacts after missing a penalty early in the first half against Belgium.
Spain's Ferran Torres, right, shoots past Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas to give his team a 4-0 lead in their opening match on November 23. Spain went on to win 7-0.
Costa Rica players watch the Spain match from the bench.
Media members work at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha for the Spain-Costa Rica match.
Japan midfielder Ritsu Doan, center, is mobbed by teammates after scoring the team's first goal against Germany on November 23. Japan went on to win 2-1.
Germany's Antonio Rüdiger, top right, is first to a header during the match against Japan.
Before kickoff against Japan, Germany's starting 11 posed for their team photo with their right hands in front of their mouths. The team's social media feed confirmed that the gesture was designed to protest FIFA's decision to ban the "OneLove" anti-discrimination armband that many European captains had been hoping to wear in Qatar.
Morocco's Selim Amallah tries to dribble past Croatia's Marcelo Brozovic, left, and Dejan Lovren during their 0-0 draw on November 23. Croatia was the runner-up in the last World Cup.
French players swarm Kylian Mbappé after he scored the team's third goal on November 22. Mbappé was one of the leading stars of the team's World Cup triumph four years ago.
French striker Olivier Giroud attempts a shot on goal during a match against Australia on November 22. Giroud scored twice as the defending champions won 4-1. His two goals tied him with Thierry Henry for most international goals by a Frenchman (51).
An overhead view of Al Janoub Stadium, in Al Wakrah, Qatar, before the start of the France-Australia match.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski reacts after he missed a second-half penalty in his team's 0-0 draw against Mexico on November 22.
Tunisia's Yassine Meriah stretches to defend a header from Denmark's Andreas Cornelius during their 0-0 draw on November 22.
Saudi Arabia players celebrate their victory over Argentina on November 22. The 2-1 result was one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi reacts during the match against Saudi Arabia. Messi opened the scoring with a 10th-minute penalty, but the Saudis rallied with two goals in the second half.
US forward Timothy Weah celebrates after scoring a first-half goal against Wales on November 21. The match ended 1-1.
US fans stand for the national anthem prior to the Wales match.
Walker Zimmerman fouls Wales' Gareth Bale in the box, conceding a second-half penalty that Bale would convert to tie the match at 1-1.
Welsh and American players walk onto the field.
The Netherlands' Cody Gakpo celebrates his second-half goal that gave the Dutch a 1-0 lead over Senegal in their World Cup opener on November 21. The Netherlands added a second goal just before the final whistle to win 2-0.
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr eyes the ball during a match against the Netherlands on November 21
The Senegal-Netherlands match kicks off at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
Senegal fans wait for the start of their team's match against the Netherlands.
England players celebrate after Raheem Sterling scored a goal during their match against Iran on November 21. England won 6-2.
Iranian fans hold up a sign that reads "Woman Life Freedom" during the match against England. Anti-government protests have entered a third month back in Iran. Outside the stadium before the game, CNN witnessed a number of Iran supporters wearing protest T-shirts, with slogans such as "Free Iran" or "Rise with the women of Iran."
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, center, celebrates England's second goal with colleagues David Lammy, left, and Lucy Powell, right, in his parliamentary office at the Palace of Westminster in London.
Jude Bellingham scores England's first goal against Iran.
England players take a knee before the start of the Iran match. England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed Sunday that the team would be making the symbolic gesture. "We think it's a strong statement that will go around the world for young people in particular to see that inclusivity is very important," Southgate said.
Iranian players line up during the national anthems before the match. They did not sing during their anthem.
A light show is displayed over the skyline in Doha on November 20.
Enner Valencia, third from left, celebrates after scoring a second goal against host nation Qatar in the tournament's opening match. Ecuador went on to win 2-0.
Spectators leave Al Bayt Stadium before the end of the Qatar-Ecuador match. No host country had lost a World Cup opener before.
Valencia slots a penalty kick past Qatari goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb to open the scoring in the 16th minute.
A fan attends the Qatar-Ecuador match on November 20. Qatar is the first Islamic country to host a World Cup.
Qatari fans enjoy the pre-match atmosphere at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20.
Fans drink beer as they watch the match from a fan zone in Doha. No alcohol is being sold inside the stadiums during the World Cup. Qatar tightly regulates alcohol sales and usage.
A family watches the opening match from their home in Doha.
People watch as fireworks go off before the start of the opening match.
People dance in Al Bayt Stadium during the opening ceremony.
A girl waves a Qatari flag at a fan zone in Doha.
Actor Morgan Freeman and Qatari YouTuber Ghanim al Muftah take part in the opening ceremony on November 20.
La'eeb, the official mascot of this World Cup, flies during the opening ceremony. La'eeb is an Arabic word meaning super-skilled player.
A performer plays drums during the opening ceremony.
People watch the opening ceremony from a cafe in Baghdad, Iraq.
South Korean singer Jung Kook performs at the opening ceremony.
Dancers light up the ground during the opening ceremony.
A view inside Al Bayt Stadium during the opening ceremony.
The best photos of the 2022 World Cup
Twenty years ago, over 600,000 boys and girls played soccer. This past year, over 800,000 boys and girls in high school decided to take up the sport with the black and white ball. Put in other mathematical terms, that is nearly 300% growth in the last 40 years.
There is no other sport in America that has taken off as quickly over the last 40 years as soccer among high schoolers.
And while soccer isn’t particularly close to the NFL’s popularity among adults, soccer is closing in amongst high schoolers playing the two sports. What was once an over 700,000-participant gap in the early 1980s between the number of high schoolers taking part in soccer and those playing football has consistently slid downward since. The gap dropped to a little bit more than 400,000 in the early 2000s.
Today, football has just over a 200,000-person advantage over soccer in the number of high schoolers who play the game. Put another way: football has stagnated, while soccer has consistently risen.
What has caused soccer to be nipping at football’s heels in terms of participation?
Soccer isn't just popular on the professional level.
The most obvious is that soccer is played in large numbers by boys and girls. While football does have some girls playing the game on the high school level, it’s almost uniformly a boys game – especially in contact football. Soccer, meanwhile, has nearly 400,000 girl players. In the early 1980s, that number was about 50,000.
The impact of the success of the US Women’s National Team in America can’t be underestimated. The women consistently do well on the international stage. They’ve won four World Cups to the men’s zero. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup.
Safety is a factor as well in soccer’s rise. In an Associated Press poll taken in the 2010s, 86% of parents said they were comfortable letting their kids play soccer given safety concerns. This dropped to 51% for football.
Given that soccer is primarily a fall sport like football, it’s not hard to imagine a lot of parents pushing their children to kick the soccer ball instead of the football.
The question going forward is whether the success of soccer on the high school level will ultimately translate into soccer truly closing the gap with football in the number of adult fans.
We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.
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