In what amounts to sobering news for a number of U.S. brands and Fox Sports that were counting on a flurry of enthusiasm once the FIFA World Cup begins, a new Emerson College poll found that 45 percent of U.S adults had “no interest” in the FIFA World Cup and only 22 percent were “very interested” in the event. The survey still showed that the event holds strong appeal with younger generations in the U.S., while other surveys indicate it promises to attract large international audiences.
In fact, FIFA estimates that three-quarters of the global population will engage with the 2026 tournament, to be held across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The 23rd Edition started on Thursday, June 11, as co-host Mexico faced off against South Africa in Mexico City. The U.S. will begin play on Friday, June 12, against Paraguay in Inglewood, Los Angeles, CA.
Of the 1,200 respondents to the Emerson College survey, conducted on June 7 and 8, 22 percent are “very interested” in the World Cup, a third “somewhat interested,” and 45 percent are “not interested at all.”
Overall, 42 percent of respondents said they plan to follow the World Cup “somewhat closely” or “very closely,” while 58 percent said they “will not follow it too closely” or “not follow it at all.”
The survey report found a clear generational divide regarding interest in the World Cup.
Among age groups, 72 percent of respondents under 30 plan to follow the World Cup closely, while 19 percent of those in that age group are not at all interested. As for those from ages 60 to 69, 58 percent are “not at all interested” in the event, 30 percent are “somewhat interested,” and 11 percent are “very interested.”
Market analysis from The Current highlights that 83 percent of global Gen Z fans plan to watch the 2026 World Cup, expecting to support engagement across social platforms, digital media and video games.
Among races, 60 percent of Hispanic and 63 percent of Black respondents in the Emerson College poll plan to follow the World Cup “somewhat closely’ or “very closely,” compared to 35 percent of white respondents.
Among regions, those in the Northeast are most likely to be “very interested” at 25 percent, followed by those in the South and West at 23 percent, compared to 19 percent in the Midwest.
A recent survey from S&P Global Market Intelligence similarly found significantly lower interest in the World Cup and soccer overall in the U.S. versus other nations. Only 13 percent of U.S. online adults surveyed said they “typically” watch World Cup matches, compared to nearly half of U.K. respondents and 28 percent to 43 percent of respondents in other surveyed markets.
Demographic patterns found a male-heavy audience, with splits approaching 70 percent men and 30 percent women in the U.S. and China, and 57 percent to 43 percent in India. Younger cohorts show a more balanced gender mix, but the gap widens substantially among older viewers.
S&P Global’s research comes from a survey conducted in 2025 and 2026, with 1,000 online adults in Europe and Asia-Pacific markets and 2,500 in the U.S.
Image courtesy FIFA World Cup
