Report: Football Slips as Soccer Makes a Run at No. 2 in USA

Fear not, NFL fans: Gallup’s most recent poll has once again solidified football's more than 50-year dominance as the nation's favorite sport, but it turns out the real talking point is just how radically soccer is shaking things up behind it.

After co-hosting a sensational FIFA World Cup finals, soccer's popularity has surged to challenge the other two mainstays of American sport, with everybody now asking: could the world's most popular sport finally be gaining traction in the American market, or will basketball and baseball ride out this post-World Cup bump?

Nobody is Writing Football's Obituary Just Yet

First things first, let’s put all this into perspective. 

At 31%, football's popularity is somewhat down from its peak in 2006 and 2007, having soared to 43% at the time; still, maintaining yet another 20-point lead over its nearest rival is not something to be sniffed at. In fact, ever since football took over as the number one sport in 1972, it has regularly eclipsed the standing of baseball and basketball combined, and 2026 is no different:

• Football - 31%
• Basketball - 11%
• Baseball - 10%
• Soccer - 9%
• No favorite - 20%

Of course, there's another fairly significant detail worth keeping in mind: this survey was conducted between August 3-24, well before the 2026 NFL schedule actually kicked off. Gallup noted that football has historically averaged 38% when its surveys are conducted during football season, compared with 32% outside it.

Turns Out Younger Fans Are Spreading the Love Around

With all that said, a glaringly obvious statistic jumps right off the page: among Americans aged 18 to 34, just 20% opted to list football as their favorite sport, compared with 30% of 35-to-54-year-olds and 38% of people aged 55 and over. 

Not only that, but nearly a quarter of younger adults (23%) said they didn't have a favorite sport at all, more than double that of those who listed basketball, baseball, and soccer (circa 10% each). Nevertheless, for the panicking purists, this doesn't necessarily mean that Gen Z is abandoning America's favorite sports; it just means younger Americans simply have a more fragmented sporting diet than ever before.

The Beautiful Game Has Never Been Bigger in the US

Now let's talk soccer, as while nine percent might sound distinctly average, bear in mind that the sport never surpassed 2% in a Gallup survey prior to 2005. Given that the nation’s two traditional sporting pillars - basketball and baseball – now sit just above soccer in Gallup’s rankings, at 11% and 10%, soccer is certainly mounting a serious charge for second place.

The only caveat to that might be that the August poll may have been influenced by the post-World Cup fever, but with an enticing UEFA Champions League season already underway, there's a fair chance it could gain a further foothold in American sporting culture.

But Haven't We Seen This Soccer Boom Before?

Yep, for sure, that’s the current billion-dollar question. 

Just as in 1994, America's interest in soccer became a national obsession, witnessing a huge spike in popularity for months after hosting the FIFA World Cup. While this was well before Google Trends became a plausible yardstick of Americans' interests, a look back over the last few men’s and women’s World Cups reveals an intriguing story.

Rightly so, the naysayers are pointing to the fact that World Cup surges typically lose momentum four to eight weeks after a tournament, but 2026 might be different. After all, this year's tournament spike hit a 100 score on Google Trends among Americans, which just might infer that soccer could genuinely be gatecrashing the party as the nation's second-choice sport.

Why 2026 Might Actually Be Soccer’s Coming-of-Age Moment

It’s not just the World Cup that has got Americans excited about soccer; the whole ecosystem is a lot more substantial, with Americans exhibiting a genuine enthusiasm for both the domestic game and grassroots soccer, long before the greatest show on earth came to town in the summer. 

For instance, the MLS has commanded over 10 million spectators every year since the 2022 season, with the NWSL on track to average over 10,000 fans per game for the fourth season running. 

Add that to the fact that the participation data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) June 2026 survey estimates that approximately 25.5 million Americans play soccer. Not bad, considering that in 2024 roughly only 7.8 million Americans participated in flag football, and only 6.1 million played actual tackle football.

Is America’s Oldest Pastime Feeling the Squeeze?

While the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell probably won’t be losing sleep over the latest Gallup poll numbers, one who might be is the MLB’s Rob Manfred.

Of the three stalwart national sports, America’s former No. 1 used to average 18% regularly in the mid-1990s, but having slumped to just 10% - one point above soccer - baseball’s fortunes could soon see it fall to fourth. Perhaps it’s the upswell of newer sports trends such as the fastest-growing participation sport in the country, Padel, but you can be sure upper management in the MLB won’t enjoy reading these recent polling results.

It’s a Three-Way Scrap to Be Crowned USA's Second-Favorite Sport 

For now, football’s dominance remains ingrained in the American psyche, firmly established as the nation’s number one sport, but soccer's rise to prominence may be more than a passing phase. As with every Gallup poll result, the preferences for sports will always fluctuate, but with the likes of the MLS and NWSL kicking on, soccer enthusiasts will be hoping this momentum is here to stay.

Moreover, with the likes of Beckham, Messi, and Trinity Rodman continuing to push the sport further into the mainstream, don’t be surprised if soccer does indeed challenge the others for second place come this time next year.