The World Cup 2026 kicks off today, but a recent poll suggests that many Americans are largely uninterested.
A poll conducted by Emerson College on June 7 and 8 revealed that over 40% of American participants expressed no interest in this year’s tournament. Out of 1,200 respondents, 45% admitted they weren’t keen on the event, while a third indicated they had some interest, and 22% stated they were very interested, as reported by The Hill.
Scottish fans in Boston watching World Cup matches mentioned to BBC News Scotland that some Americans they encountered were unaware that the tournament was taking place.
Interest in the tournament varies across age groups, with younger Americans being more engaged (AFP/Getty)
One fan recounted an encounter in which, while wearing a Scotland jersey, an American at a post office asked why he was in the U.S., indicating she was unaware the World Cup was occurring.
Another Scottish supporter said, “The pubs are fantastic, but I don’t think anyone knows the World Cup is happening.”
The poll revealed varying levels of interest based on age demographics. Over 70% of respondents aged 18 to 29 expressed either somewhat or very high interest in the Cup, while only 19% reported no interest. Conversely, 58% of those aged 60 to 69 said they had no interest at all, with only 11% expressing high interest.
When considering race, the survey found that 63% of Black respondents and 60% of Hispanic respondents planned to watch the tournament closely, compared to only 35% of White respondents.
This poll is not the first to highlight American indifference toward the global sporting event. An analysis from the Financial Times found that nearly 180,000 World Cup tickets were still available on FIFA’s resale platforms as recently as this week.
Americans pass by a display of World Cup jerseys in Santa Monica, California (Getty)
FIFA’s ticket prices are so high that scalpers reportedly have to discount their tickets by about 20% to sell them, according to The Daily Beast. Even less prominent matches can cost fans around $140 per ticket, while the most expensive seats for the U.S. opener were priced at $2,735—more than a ticket for the 2022 World Cup final. The cheapest seats for the opener are about $1,000, and The Athletic reports that ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are higher than for any prior FIFA tournament.
Despite the apparent lack of interest from many Americans and the high ticket costs, the tournament is projected to be one of the most-viewed events globally. FIFA estimates that approximately 5.8 billion viewers will tune in at some point throughout the tournament, according to the Sports Business Journal.
The opening match was between Mexico and South Africa, which Mexico won 2-0. The U.S. will face Paraguay in their first match on Friday at 9 p.m. EST.