As a lifelong soccer supporter, Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh is excited about the prospect of the United States hosting the World Cup in 2026. The last World Cup ended abruptly for the U.S. World Cup Team in Qatar, but the team has many positives to take from their performance. Today, Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh will look at the future of United States soccer in 2023 and beyond.
During the last World Cup, the United States fielded the second-youngest team in the tournament. Despite drawing a group that featured perennial powerhouse England, the United States qualified to the knockout round without a single loss. Unfortunately, the first opponent in the knockout round ended up being the Netherlands, who showed their experience in victory. As with most World Cups, there was a lot of buzz amongst casual fans in America during the tournament that faded in the following weeks and months.
Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh encourages any soccer fan who enjoyed the World Cup to follow at least the English Premier League as the sheer emotion seen in the stands can turn any sports fan into a soccer fanatic. Anyway, when it comes to maintaining the interest of the United States soccer fan, Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh believes it is important for America to continue to grow the men's game and play a style that is attractive to the viewer. This means attacking in the midfield and playing an aggressive style of soccer.
When watching some of the most talented players in the world, there's much emphasis on making pretty passes. There's a real art form. American viewers look for toughness. The grit shown by the American national team garnered the attention of many American viewers. America will embrace an underdog story, and the national team should continue to play a style where forwards and midfielders are constantly looking to attack.
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history. 48 teams from across the globe will qualify and play in games across North America. Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh believes the 2026 World Cup is the best hope America has to grow the popularity of the game. Part of the reason America felt comfortable sending such a young squad to the Qatar World Cup was the team went in knowing that this was a tune-up of sorts before playing host. Many of the players who gained experience playing together in 2022 will play together again in 2026. Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh believes the squad should be reaching their full potential at the perfect time.
There's hope in the soccer community that the game is trending in the right direction. Major League Soccer has very passionate fanbases and commitments by Television Networks to show or stream their games nationally. MLS has also benefited from some mainstream figures choosing to invest in ownership of teams. Names like Patrick Mahomes, Magic Johnson, Reese Witherspoon, and Matthew McConaughey have all become part owners of their respective teams. Celebrities are helping grow awareness that soccer purists are hoping to attract more younger players to the game.
For soccer to truly grow as popular as the four major sports in the United States, it must have opportunities for players that are as attractive to elite athletes as deals from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and more. If soccer can get America's best athletes to continue to pursue soccer instead of alternative sports, it can start to compete with countries that have a nation of children who grow up dreaming of being soccer superstars above all else.
Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh notes that we have been through this before in America. Back in 1968, the North American Soccer League was founded to draw American interest in soccer. The league failed. Fast forward to 2007 and David Beckham's record-breaking contract to play soccer in the MLS. While he graced the cover of every sports page in the country for a few days, he was unable to bring in the type of attention the game needed to undergo a major boom. This upcoming World Cup could be the true difference maker if this team can capture the imaginations of the next generation.
Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh believes parents are pushing their children to play soccer as it is a safer option than some other contact sports at the high school level. The number of high school football players in the country are trending down amidst safety concerns over concussions. The opportunity is there for soccer to reach the heights of the four major sports brands, but Ogechukwu Victor Adekweh believes its success depends on this 2026 World Cup team. He can't wait to root them on to victory.
