The growing popularity of soccer in the United States

 

Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Christiano Ronaldo. Ask every American kid between the ages of 10 and 20 and they'll likely tell you that these are the modern heroes who have replaced the stars of American baseball in the popularity index for the past two to three decades. The United States is a sports-loving nation, and until not long ดาวรุ่งลาลีกา was believed to be a sport that the country swore by. But recent trends paint a different picture. Let's take a closer look at why soccer will soon replace baseball as the nation's favorite sport.

The reach of Major League Soccer

Over the past decade, Major League Soccer (MLS) has literally exploded into American homes. This despite the fact that it is considered as the younger cousin of the famous European leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga. The numbers bear witness to this explosive growth. Ten years ago, this league had just three owners and ten teams. Cut to 2014, and there are 19 clubs and two more on the way. David Beckham, who has literally been a game changer when it comes to popularizing the sport in the United States, also announced that he had purchased an MLS expansion team in Miami.

Another major factor that has played a role in the rise of soccer's popularity in America is the nation's demographics. It is a fact that soccer fans are young and their community is growing rapidly. Research in the field of sports shows that the majority of soccer fans in the United States are in the 12-29 age group or are members of the Hispanic race. These are the indomitable fans who keep a close eye on football statistics and literally have them at their fingertips.

Mastering demographic trends

Hispanics are also rapidly increasing in reach across the United States and may make up a third of its population by 2050. A recent survey of the Hispanic population showed that 56% of this population is likely to watch the next World Cup. FIFA between the months of June and July. This is in stark contrast to the non-Hispanic white population, of which less than 20 percent are likely to watch the game on television.

There is also a third compelling aspect that explains the growing popularity of soccer in America. Today's American parents are encouraging their neighborhoods to embrace soccer as a sport rather than soccer. Head injuries that result from playing soccer are one of the main reasons for this change. Today, 30 percent of American households have at least one family member playing soccer. Once again, football statistics attest to this fact. In 1974 there were only 100,000 players in the United States Youth Soccer Association. Today that number has exceeded three million!