The United States, epicenter of soccer

When talking about the relationship between the United States and sports, the normal thing until now has been to think of American Football (NFL), basketball (NBA) or baseball (MLB). However, there is one discipline that is changing a landscape that seemed unchanging; one that is diverting attention and attracting an ever-widening number of followers: soccer.

Soccer is becoming a more than important sport in the country. And not only for purely sporting aspects. That transcendence it is gaining is proving more than profitable for the United States, which is boosting it to turn it, perhaps, into its king sport —as soccer is colloquially known in practically the entire globe—.

Soccer is fast becoming a major player in the American sports scene—and not just on the field. Its growing profile is paying off for the United States, which is pushing to elevate the game and, maybe one day, make it the country’s top sport, as it is in much of the rest of the world.

And it's not just the country that is interested in improving its soccer youth, because soccer is also approaching—rapidly, one might say—the United States. It is reciprocal. And how? With the landing of many of the best tournaments in U.S. territory. Something that has been going on since 2023 and will last, at least, until 2028.

The FIFA Club World Cup has opened the door for official team-level competitions to be held in the United States. More usual has been to see the best national teams facing each other in tournaments such as the ConCACAF Gold Cup or the Copa America. And, soon, they will do so in the World Cup and in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028.

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023

The first competition to appear on the calendar for the five-year period under analysis is the ConCACAF Gold Cup 2023. This edition—which was also played in Canada—featured the participation of 15 North American, Central American and Caribbean federations and Qatar, which attended the tournament as a guest, just as in 2021.

Up to 15 stadiums were made available for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, of which 14 of them are built on U.S. soil, specifically in ten different states: State Farm Stadium (Arizona); AT&T Stadium, NRG Stadium and Shell Energy Stadium (Texas); Allegiant Stadium (Nevada); Soldier Field (Illinois); Chase Stadium (Florida); SoFi Stadium, Levi's Stadium and Snapdragon Stadium (California); Bank of America Stadium (North Carolina); TQL Stadium (Ohio); Sports Illustrated Stadium (New Jersey); and Energizer Park (Missouri). The last venue to host games was BMO Field (Toronto, Canada).

Mexico -which won five of the six matches it played—the other it lost—was crowned champion of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, defeating Panama in the final 1-0, adding the twelfth title to its trophy cabinet. The U.S. national team (USMNT) lost in the semifinals to the Panamanians.

America's Cup 2024

For the second time in its history—after the 2016 edition—, the United States hosted the most important national team competition in the Americas: the Copa América 2024. Six representatives from CONCACAF and ten from CONMEBOL gathered in the country in search of the highest international title to which they aspire, not counting the World Cup.

For the Copa America 2024, the host country awarded 14 stadiums located in 14 different cities, spread throughout the United States: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia), Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina), State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona), SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California), NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas), AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, Florida), Children's Mercy Park (Kansas City, Kansas), Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri), Allegiant Stadium (Paradise, Nevada), MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey), Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) and Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, Florida).

Argentina, which had just won the Qatar 2022 World Cup and had an almost perfect tournament—five wins and a draw—, achieved its sixteenth Copa América, defeating Colombia 1-0 in the final. A title that helped them break the tie with Uruguay and consolidate their position as the most successful national team in the competition. The USMNT left much to be desired: they failed to advance beyond the group stage. This poor performance led to the dismissal of their then-head coach: Gregg Berhalter.

2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup

This season, the ConCACAF Gold Cup 2025 once again came to the United States. Although, as was the case in the previous edition, Canada did its bit and collaborated by providing the organization with a stadium located in Vancouver. If in 2023 the tournament had Qatar as a representative not linked to CONCACAF as a guest, this time it was Saudi Arabia.

For this occasion, 14 stadiums—including the Canadian one, the rest being spread across six different states—were the fiefdom on which the ball rolled, from the group stage to the final: Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas), AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas), NRG Stadium and Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, Texas), US Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nevada), Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, California), SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California), Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California), Sanpdragon Stadium (San Diego, California), PayPal Park (San Jose, California), State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona), Energizer Park (St. Louis, Missouri) and BCF Stadium (St. Louis, Missouri). Louis, Missouri) and BC Place (Vancouver, Canada).

The Mexican national team landed in the competition as the main candidate and with the objective of maintaining the throne. It did not disappoint. After taking seven out of a possible nine points in the group stage, they got rid of Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals and Honduras in the semifinals. In the final awaited the USMNT, whom they defeated 2-1. A triumph that represented their thirteenth title.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025

While the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 was being played, another soccer tournament was also being held in the United States. Specifically, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 which, instead of having national teams, had as participants 32 of the best teams in the world from the six confederations that make up FIFA. The country was able to enjoy a competition that already existed, but which presented a totally new design, a restructured scheme for the delight of the fans.

For the occasion, 12 stadiums—located in 11 different cities—were provided for the FIFA Club World Cup: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio), Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, California), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida), GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tennessee), MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey), Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, Florida), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington) and Audi Field (Washington, D. C.).

After a month of competition, Chelsea eventually lifted the title after soundly defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the final 3-0, when everything seemed to indicate that the French, who had just won their first UEFA Champions League, would emerge as FIFA Club World Cup champions. Real Madrid fell just short of the final, while the U.S. teams—Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC and Seattle Sounders—and the Hispanic teams—Los Angeles FC and Seattle Sounder—and Hispanic teams—Boca Juniors, River Plate, Monterrey and Pachuca—failed to advance beyond the round of 16.

World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

The near-term future for the United States with respect to the next soccer tournaments it will host is, to put it more literally, galactic. Between June and July 2026, along with Mexico and Canada, it will host the FIFA World Cup 2026, the planet's top soccer tournament on a national team scale. It will be the first time in history that the competition will have three countries as hosts.

Since FIFA made public on June 13, 2018 that the 2026 World Cup venues will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada—all three of which have already qualified—details are gradually becoming known about what it will be like, in addition to the national teams that are gradually getting their tickets. One example is the logo -which received some criticism for its simplicity-, the stadium where the final will be played—the MetLife Stadium (New Jersey)—or the person to whom President Donald Trump has entrusted the task of organizing the logistics of the event—Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Trump is aware of the relevance and magnitude of the event, hence he has already issued a series of statements on the matter and has shown his enthusiasm for hosting the next World Cup. His interest is evident, hence why he has even met with Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, to fine-tune and finalize details about the 2026 World Cup.

In this section, we must also talk about the Olympic Games. In 2028, Los Angeles will host the next rendezvous of the world's biggest sporting event, which has its own soccer competition. National teams will seek to win the gold medal. But there is still time for that moment to arrive. Spain, in the men's category, and the United States, in the women's category, are the reigning champions after having climbed to the top of the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Who will be the champions in Los Angeles? We shall see.