Soccer Fever in the US: World Cup 2026 Anticipation

Four or five years ago, I walked into the cafeteria and scanned the room for a seat. I saw my coworker Jim and walked toward his table. As I got closer, I noticed that he looked agitated. Diego was right in his face. I set my lunch down and took a seat next to them, smirking. I knew lunch was going to be interesting.

Jim grew up in New York City and still spoke with a heavy New York accent. Diego was quieter, but his affinity for Boston came through in every conversation. Both were avid baseball fans — the obsessive kind who can recite the batting average and career highs of some obscure player from twenty years ago. To add fuel to an already blazing fire, Jim loved the Yankees and Diego loved the Red Sox. The two teams, and their fanbases, have zero love for each other.

With both baseball teams fighting neck and neck for first place, I figured lunch would be entertaining if nothing else. Boy, was I in for a shock.

Instead of arguing about baseball, they were locked in a heated debate over the English Premier League rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool. Jim roots for Manchester United and I learned that Diego is a die-hard fan of Liverpool.

After lunch, I looked it up. The rivalry runs deep, rooted in the intense economic and industrial competition between the two neighboring cities dating back to the Industrial Revolution. It has produced some of the most dramatic matches in soccer history. In all-time competitive play, the teams have faced off 246 times, with Manchester United leading the head-to-head record with 93 wins to Liverpool’s 82, alongside 71 draws.

For an American comparison, this is the Yankees versus the Red Sox, the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears, or the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the New York Giants. It‘s the Hatfields versus the McCoys, the MacDonalds against the MacLeods, or the Montagues and Capulets in fiction. It’s win-or-go-home fandom.

Getting a free kick

I watched as the two spent the next hour arguing and fighting with each other. At one point, I tried to interject and bring up the Yankees and Red Sox series, but they weren’t hearing it. I figured at the very least I’d get a “Let’s go Yankees” or Go Sox” but it was to no avail. They pulled the conversation right back to soccer. I kept up with the conversation where I could, but I was definitely out of my depth. My knowledge of English Premier League soccer is spotty at best.

I tried a different route of attack by sing-songing the soccer chant Olé, Olé, Olé.

They gave me the dirtiest of looks. They might have been rooting for different teams but there was no mocking of their very serious love of the game. In reality, though, they could’ve been speaking a different language. I was lost. Oh, I know a little about soccer but they were way over my head. I turned my attention back to my lunch and ate in silence.

While kids in Europe and South America are born with a soccer ball in their cribs, I came to the sport later in life. We played soccer in gym class in elementary school, but the teacher’s heart was never really in it; he was a volunteer (American) football coach. Later, my high school cut soccer from its program to save money. In college, I caught a few soccer games on campus, but mostly just went along with my dorm mates to hang out and meet girls.

Taking a corner kick!

Soccer has exploded in the U.S. over the past fifty years, but it still has a long way to go. America though is about to get a firsthand primer.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off this Thursday with an opening ceremonies followed by the first match between Mexico and South Africa at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The tournament will run for 39 days across 16 host cities, concluding with the Final on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

I’m eager to get a close-up view of what we’ve been missing. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the tournament favorites: Spain, France, England, Brazil, and Argentina.

Playing to the final whistle

Like many people, my interest in soccer grew when the U.S. Women’s National Team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999. The iconic tournament final set global viewership and attendance records for women’s sports. Of course that was the game where U.S. defender Brandy Chastain scored the winning penalty, then spontaneously dropped to her knees and ripped off her jersey in celebration.

Outside of that, my closest look at soccer came during the 2010 World Cup when Spain defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in South Africa. Throughout much of that tournament, my daughter and I happened to be traveling along the coast of Spain. The excitement was fascinating to witness. Our Spanish guides and people on the street took us in and let us celebrate with them.

It was incredible to see how the entire country ground to a halt on match days. It was like fan interest in the U.S. when the Summer Olympics rolls around every four years, but on a whole different level.

I’ve been a casual international soccer fan ever since. I certainly don’t know the players, teams, or storylines well, and I am usually at the mercy of the sports announcers to tell me what’s happening. I have to say, it’s a new experience for me, but it’s fun to follow. At least I finally know what offside means.

And yes — just like in Major League Baseball — I’m still not a fan of the Yankees, the Red Sox, Manchester United, or Liverpool!

Here’s to the World Cup.

Will you be watching the World Cup? Who are you rooting for? What are you most looking forward to seeing?