The 2026 World Cup is already leaving its mark far beyond stadiums and TV screens, reaching an audience that can barely walk — and in some cases, not even that. Across the United States, toddler-focused soccer programs are turning the tournament into an early introduction to the sport, with the hope of building lifelong fans.
In Lenexa, Kansas, a World Cup-themed event at a local library brought together children as young as 10 months old. Toddlers crawled after soccer balls, tossed training cones, and experimented with mini goals that quickly became part of the chaos. For many, it was less structured sport and more sensory exploration.
Parents, however, are already thinking ahead. Twenty-seven-year-old Kyra Cornell joked about mapping out her son’s soccer future even though he has only just begun walking.
Experts say this early exposure is part of a broader strategy to grow soccer’s footprint in the U.S., where the sport is already among the most played youth activities but still trails baseball, basketball, and American football in overall popularity.
According to Aspen Institute data, 7.5% of children aged 6 to 12 played organized youth soccer in 2024. That figure is slightly lower than a decade ago, but still places soccer among the top three youth sports in the country.
Researchers describe soccer as a “generational sport,” one that builds fandom slowly over decades rather than through immediate dominance. Michael Lewis, a sports analytics professor at Emory University, notes that cultural adoption takes time, even as participation steadily grows.
The U.S. soccer landscape has evolved significantly since the 1970s, when international stars like Pelé helped spark early interest through the North American Soccer League. Momentum continued with the 1994 World Cup and the launch of Major League Soccer in 1996, both of which helped normalize the sport for younger generations.
Today, that pipeline is more structured than ever. Youth leagues, travel teams, and MLS development programs have created a system where children often grow up within organized soccer environments, increasing the likelihood they remain engaged as fans into adulthood.
The women’s game has also played a crucial role in expanding the sport’s reach. Higher participation among girls has strengthened youth leagues and broadened soccer’s cultural base, making the sport more financially and socially sustainable.
Still, experts are cautious about overstating soccer’s rise. While growth is steady, it has not yet displaced the dominant “big three” of American sports. NFL football remains the clear leader in popularity and cultural influence.
Even so, analysts point to a narrowing gap. Younger demographics — particularly Millennials and Gen Z — show significantly higher interest in both domestic and international soccer compared to older generations.
Back in Kansas, the impact of the World Cup is measured in small, simple moments: a toddler repeating “Messi,” a child chasing a ball across a gym floor, or a parent imagining what their child might become years down the line.
Whether these early experiences translate into lifelong fandom remains to be seen. But if experts are right, the seeds of the next generation of soccer fans are already being planted — one tiny kick at a time.