The Myth of the Increasing Popularity of Soccer in the United States

While growing up playing team sports, I remember being told that soccer is on the threshold of become a very popular sport in the United States and that it is a particularly popular sport among young people.   Forty years later, I'm still waiting for that to happen.

Following the 2014 Soccer World Cup, Harris polled Americans on their favorite sport.  Soccer had risen to 6%, placing it behind professional football at 32%, baseball at 16%, college football at 10%, auto racing at 7% and tied for men's pro basketball and ice hockey.  The increase in soccer was significant from the year before when only 2% of the people cited soccer as their favorite sport.  That, however, was not unprecedented.  Following the World Cup, soccer always enjoys a surge in popularity only to fall off precipitously in the years that follow.  In 2010 (a World Cup year) soccer was chosen as the favorite sport by 4% of the people, only to fall to 2% in 2013.

Of course, people will point to the popularity of soccer as a participatory sport among children Actually, while soccer has probably increased its percentage of participation rates among young people, the participation of children in all team sports has declined, including soccer.

The Harris poll results are included below:

FAVORITE SPORTS AMONG U.S. FANS (CHOOSE ONE)
SPORT	'14	'13	'12	'11	'10	'09	'98	'85
Pro football	32%	35%	34%	36%	31%	35%	26%	24%
Baseball	16%	14%	16%	13%	17%	16%	18%	23%
College football	10%	11%	11%	13%	12%	12%	9%	10%
Auto racing	7%	7%	8%	8%	7%	9%	7%	5%
Men's pro basketball	6%	6%	7%	5%	6%	5%	13%	6%
Ice hockey	6%	5%	5%	5%	5%	4%	3%	2%
Men's soccer	6%	2%	2%	1%	4%	2%	4%	3%
Men's college basketball	3%	3%	3%	5%	4%	3%	4%	6%
Boxing	2%	2%	1%	2%	1%	2%	n/a	n/a
Men's golf	2%	2%	2%	2%	2%	4%	4%	3%
Track & field	2%	1%	1%	1%	2%	1%	3%	2%
Women's tennis	2%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	n/a	n/a
Not sure	2%	3%	2%	1%	3%	2%	1%	*
Men's tennis	1%	2%	2%	2%	2%	1%	4%	5%
Swimming	1%	2%	2%	2%	1%	1%	n/a	n/a
Horse racing	1%	1%	1%	2%	1%	2%	2%	4%
Bowling	1%	1%	1%	1%	2%	1%	2%	3%
Women's soccer	1%	*	*	*	*	*	n/a	n/a
Women's college basketball	*	1%	1%	*	*	*	1%	n/a
Women's pro basketball	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	n/a
Women's golf	*	*	*	*	*	*	n/a	n/a