GOAL: Americans Agree on the World Cup

July 10, 2026
Melissa Toufanian

This Navigator Research report covers attitudes toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup and U.S. viewership.

Big Takeaways:

As of June 30, nearly half of Americans had watched a 2026 FIFA World Cup game, with more planning to watch as the tournament continues.

Social media has expanded the tournament’s reach, with six-in-10 Americans seeing at least a few game clips.

Interest extends beyond the field and into American culture with two-thirds having seen clips of international fans experiencing American food and culture, highlighting the tournament's cultural impact.

It turns out soccer might be the most bipartisan thing in America right now! As the United States co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, nearly half (44%) of Americans have watched a game: 44% of Democrats, 45% of Republicans, and 39% of independents are watching. Another 12% plan to tune in as the tournament continues. Even non-soccer fans are hearing about the World Cup, with about seven-in-10 (69%) saying they’ve heard at least “some” about the international tournament.  

  • 66% of men under the age of 55 have watched at least a few World Cup games compared to 42% of women under 55. 
  • Six-in-10 Asian Americans (60%), 57% of Hispanic Americans, half (51%) of Black Americans, and four-in-10 white Americans (39%) have watched at least a few games.
Both Democrats and Republicans Are Watching the World Cup

Video clips of the games are breaking through on social media, with 61% having seen at least a few posts. But even more widespread than replays of game-winning goals, the World Cup’s viral moments include things like watching international fans try American fast food and visit famous restaurant chains. Two-thirds (67%) are seeing posts about international fans trying American foods and being immersed in the country’s culture. 

  • 81% of respondents ages 18 to 34 have seen video clips about fans trying food and experiencing American culture. And 32% within this age bracket have seen “a lot” of the clips. 
  • 69% of respondents ages 35 to 54 have seen culture-focused fan videos, with 26% seeing “a lot” of the clips. 
Chart from Navigator Research titled "A Majority of Younger Americans Have Seen Clips of World Cup Fans Experiencing American Food/Culture"

Approval of the U.S. co-hosting the tournament is very high: 65% of Americans think the U.S. hosting World Cup games is good for the country. Only 3% see it as a bad thing, 20% see it as an equal mix of good and bad, and 11% report they don’t know enough to say.

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About The Study

Global Strategy Group conducted a public opinion survey among a sample of 1,000 registered voters from June 25-June 30, 2026. 100 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 75 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error for the full sample at the 95 percent level of confidence is +/- 3.1 percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups varies and is higher.

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