Money is the Reason You Don't Like Soccer

Soccer is slowly but surely becoming more popular in the United States. The sport is the most popular in the world , but why not here ?

Football , basketball  , and baseball have a much longer and richer history when it comes to sports in the United States.  These sports have also dominated in popular culture due to superstars such as Michael Jordan , Tom Brady , and Babe Ruth. 

If there's one thing we can account for the popularity of these sports , it's the amount of money spent, and generated by the major sports leagues in the US. Capital facilitates these leagues to have greater exposure, and pull. TV deals and sponsorships are the main drivers allowing the MLB , NBA and NFL to become the juggernauts they are today. 


Source: The Hustle via Forbes


Kids want to be like their idols , and in the US , those idols very rarely play soccer. Many of the great athletes you see on TV today, did not grow up with a silver spoon. Young men see the NFL , NBA , and the MLB as their ticket out of poverty, which is another factor influencing the popularity of any other sport outside of soccer. 

The numbers don't lie , but let me give you a different perspective from personal experience. I myself did not grow up with a silver spoon, but I still managed to play for some of the best clubs in San Diego. Soccer is a very expensive sport in the United States, especially in California. Most of the kids I grew up playing with came from upper middle to upper class households.

Soccer clubs in San Diego charge a minimum of 500 dollars for registration fees. 500 dollars may not seem too bad, but that's not taking into account the following:
  • Coaching fees
  • Uniforms
  • Hotel Rooms
  • Travel 
  • Food
  • Program Fees 
  • Tournament Fees 
The US has been trying to push for soccer to become a popular sport since the '94 World Cup , and the sport has made leaps and bounds since then , with the MLS expanding and the acquisition of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami. The next World Cup will also be hosted in the US, and there will be a professional soccer team in San Diego playing weekly in 2025. 



via San Diego FC 

No one is to blame for soccer not being as popular as the rest of the major sports in the US , but it is important to note that it is due to the accessibility that money gives both individuals and major corporations/organizations to further grow the reach and level of their sport. 


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