Max Prebit of NY has played soccer since he was a young boy and continues to make time for the hobby today. In the following article, Max Prebit discusses how professional soccer has been gaining popularity in America as of late, trending on path to surpass football’s popularity in the US by 2050.
Football in America is more than a sport; it’s a way of life. High-stakes games account for over 90% of the country’s most viewed TV shows each year. But there’s another sport that’s rapidly taking over the USA, a sport that just 20 years ago, was hardly acknowledged in America.
Soccer may be the world’s most popular sport, but it never truly caught on in the USA. Football, baseball, and basketball were the nation’s favorites. Until now. And there are a number of reasons for its rise in popularity.
The Rise of Celebrity
For years, Max Prebit of NY says that sports stars were just that: icons because of their sporting prowess. But the increase in social media and online exposure means that certain sporting names have gained traction as top celebrities.
It could be said that it began when David Beckham, the first soccer star to gain iconic celebrity status, moved to LA Galaxy in 2007. His presence drew people to soccer games. It piqued people’s interest, and since then, stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar have become household names.
Improvement in the Game in the USA
Max Prebit of NY says that like all new trends, sports need time to “get going”. Because football dominated American culture for so long, soccer was seen as an inferior game. Those who did enjoy it were in a niche market, and the teams that played had little exposure or funding.
In recent years, soccer has become a huge industry, and with it has come injections of cash, improvements in the game, and the ability to attract big names from overseas, who bring with them their talent and experience.
For a long time, Max Prebit of NY says that the same teams in the league were winning the MLS, or Major Soccer League, title. A boom in the sport meant more teams could compete, and even win, the league, so now there is exciting competition, drawing more crowds, and converting more to love of the sport.
Shifting US Culture
Max Prebit of NY says that the demographics of cultures shift all the time, and the USA is no different. The Hispanic community, for example, are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the country. And in Hispanic culture, soccer is the number one pastime.
Latin and South America have long enjoyed a rich soccer history. Some of their world’s biggest talent heralds from this region, with names like Pele, Neymar, Messi, and Maradona going down in soccer hall of fame.
It makes sense that with Hispanic culture growing so quickly in the country, the favorite sports of its populations would grow, too.
In addition, Max Prebit of NY explains that younger generations who from now are born into a country where soccer is on the rise will take to it the way their parents and grandparents took to football. Now soccer’s here to stay, its popularity will only continue to grow.
The Snowball Effect
Max Prebit of NY says that there may be no knowing how it really started, but once the spark of interest in soccer in the USA was lit, there was no stopping it. Those in the country who had enjoyed watching and following the sport for years were finally seeing other people catching up to the wonders of their favorite game.
It hasn’t happened overnight, but the growth of soccer has no doubt been due to the snowball effect of several factors. Max Prebit of NY reports that more viewers means more chances to advertise, so more TV companies will show games, attracting even more of an audience.
Big teams with unlimited cash offer to pay players more, attracting bigger names, who in turn draw more crowds, injecting even more cash. The value of players from overseas in boosting the game of soccer in the USA cannot be overstated.
And yet, there’s a new generation of soccer talent that’s being born on home soil, and these are the names that are boosting the USA’s own presence as a competitor on a global scale. Max Prebit of NY reports that the men’s team qualified for every FIFA World Cup from 1990 to 2014, despite having not qualified once in the previous 40 years.
As the US and Mexico prepare to host the next World Cup in 2026, there is little doubt that soccer’s place in modern US culture is now well and truly established and could very soon overtake even football as the country’s most beloved sport.
