The FIFA World Cup kicks off tomorrow with Mexico hosting South Africa in Mexico City, and a brand-new Emerson College Poll reveals what most of us already knew: 45% of Americans are "not at all interested" in the tournament. The beautiful game is apparently still waiting for its beautiful American audience.
Shocking, I know. A sport where the final score is routinely 1-0 — or worse, 0-0 — hasn't captured the hearts of a nation raised on touchdowns and home runs. Who could have predicted this?
The Emerson poll, conducted June 7-8 among 1,200 likely U.S. voters with a margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points, found that just 22% of Americans are "very interested" in the World Cup, with another 33% saying they're "somewhat interested." That means roughly half the country will at least glance at a game, but let's be honest — "somewhat interested" is what you tell your coworker when they won't stop talking about their fantasy soccer league.
The generational split is where things get interesting. Over 80% of respondents aged 18-29 said they're either very or somewhat interested, with only 19% tuning out entirely. Meanwhile, Americans aged 60-69 are absolutely unmoved — 58% said they couldn't care less, with only 11% very interested. Turns out the generation that grew up watching the NFL on Sundays isn't about to trade it in for 90 minutes of guys flopping on the grass.
The racial breakdown tells its own story, per Newsmax. Hispanic respondents are following the tournament most closely at 60%, Black respondents at 63%, and White respondents trail at just 35%. Make of that what you will, but it's clear the World Cup's American fanbase doesn't look like a typical NFL Sunday crowd.
None of this is stopping the spectacle from rolling into town. The United States is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, and an estimated 5 million-plus foreign visitors are expected to pour into the country during the tournament, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. President Trump has already said he plans to attend some matches and wants to "make sure the right people come into" the country for the event. Given that Iran's delegation and a Somali referee already ran into visa-related issues, it seems the vetting process is working exactly as intended.
The U.S. men's national team plays its first match Friday night against Paraguay in Los Angeles. They're slotted into Group D alongside Paraguay, Turkey, and Australia — a draw that gives them a fighting chance, which is about all you can ask for from American soccer. The last time the U.S. won a knockout-round match in the World Cup was roughly 25 years ago. Let that sink in.
The last time America hosted the World Cup was back in 1994, when Bill Clinton showed up to the opening match. Times have changed. We've got a president now who actually generates crowd enthusiasm on his own without needing a soccer tournament as an excuse.
Look, I'm not going to pretend I'll be glued to the screen for every group-stage match between countries I can't find on a map. But with the games being played on American soil, Trump in the stands, and 5 million visitors getting the full border-security welcome wagon, this World Cup might actually produce some entertainment worth watching — and I'm not necessarily talking about what happens on the pitch.
Forty-five percent of America is sitting this one out. The other 55% will tune in, realize there's no instant replay challenge flag, and half of them will wander off by halftime. God bless America.