World Cup opens US eyes to soccer’s global roar

The World Cup is proving to be a watershed moment for soccer in the United States, revealing its immense global scale and passionate following to a populace long accustomed to other sports.

“

The big moment for me was the Vozinha thing. It was seeing this dude gain 15 million followers basically overnight playing for a team where if you were to look on a map, you could not tell me where Cape Verde is right now.

For many American fans, the tournament has been a "jolt," exposing them to a level of global fervor they hadn't fully grasped. This sentiment is echoed by sports content creator Evan Hand, who noted the overnight social media sensation of Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha. Vozinha gained millions of followers, surpassing even NFL star Tom Brady, a testament to soccer's unparalleled reach.

"It's not that we didn’t know soccer was big," Hand said. "I don’t think we knew the true scale of exactly how big soccer is. Every single person in the rest of the world, even if they’re from some random town in Brazil or Siberia, they know soccer. And they love soccer and they will die for it."

“

Tom Brady has less followers than this guy has, and he had arguably the most dominant run in the history of sports. So that was a moment for me.

Beyond individual stars, the tournament is showcasing the "global passion" for the sport. Sports marketing analyst Bob Dorfman observes that American fans are witnessing the intense emotions of traveling supporters and immigrant communities who treat the World Cup as a national holiday. This exposure to "foreigners coming in or immigrants who are here that are just going nuts over it" is creating a sense of awe and perhaps even "jealousy" among some U.S. citizens.

“

I think for a lot of people who always thought the sport was boring, they’re finding out that it’s exciting. And that is helping the game.

The tournament is already on track for record attendance, with over 2.85 million spectators through the first 44 matches and stadiums averaging 99.6 percent capacity. Fox's broadcast of the U.S. win over Australia drew 16.2 million viewers, a figure expected to rise as the American team advances. This surge in viewership and attendance signifies a growing engagement with the sport, challenging the notion of soccer as a niche American pastime.

“

In the United States, there’s all these foreigners coming in or immigrants who are here that are just going nuts over it. And I think to some extent the US citizens are a little jealous of the Scottish fans and the Brazilians.