Now That Americans Love Soccer, We Can Referee It

4 minute read
Ideas

Zócalo Public Square is a magazine of ideas from Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise.

Not too long ago, Americans couldn’t care less about the world’s most popular sport. Now we care so much we’re trying to clean up the sport’s international governing body. Hence the breathtaking corruption charges brought on Wednesday by U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch against a number of FIFA’s top executives, several of whom were extradited to the United States by Swiss law enforcement.

The news comes at a time when soccer is rapidly integrating into American culture, and America is integrating into the global sport. I spent Memorial Day weekend with my 10-year-old son at a soccer tournament in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and was struck by the extent to which this hallowed crossroads of American history was populated by foreign insignia. Young players from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland swarmed about town with their families wearing jerseys and hats of Manchester United and Barcelona, or the German and Brazilian national teams.

This sports fandom without boundaries drove home for me the degree to which the world’s top sport has infiltrated our culture. For a long time, soccer reigned supreme as a youth sport, but that didn’t translate into a widespread fan base for professional soccer, foreign or domestic. It seemed as if soccer here was condemned to remain child’s play.

But NO more. Just look at the numbers. Last year’s World Cup final in Brazil between Argentina and Germany was watched by an estimated 26.5 million people in the United States. That number dwarfs the 15.5 million viewers on average who watched the 2014 NBA Finals, or the 14.9 million viewers on average who watched the World Series the previous year. The average viewership for all 64 World Cup matches on ESPN was up 39%, compared to 2010. Just imagine what will happen the day the U.S. team makes the World Cup final.

There is a poignant TV commercial airing these days that depicts kids on every continent, some in very humble circumstances, playing ball while wearing Manchester United jerseys and introducing themselves as “My name is … and I play for Manchester United.” Then it cuts to the tunnel in the club’s Old Trafford stadium as the stars line up to come onto the field, wearing the kids’ names on their jerseys. The ad captures the global reach of the game but it’s also a testament to the American takeover of the game.

The ad is for Chevy, after all.

In the recently concluded second season of its three-year deal to air the English Premier League, NBC and NBCSN viewership of the games increased 9% from its first year. This means NBC will face formidable competition from FOX and ESPN later this year when the next three-year rights deal is awarded. The Premier League sells rights to its games in some 80 countries (and saw its domestic haul within Britain for the 2016 to 2019 rights spike 70 percent, to $8 billion), and it may only be a matter of time before more people on this side of the Atlantic watch matchups like Arsenal-Manchester United than do those back in the mother country.

European teams naturally view the United States, alongside Asian markets, as great growth opportunities, sending their squads to play preseason friendlies over here to stoke interest and develop their followings. In another intriguing hint of things to come, Manchester City established its own Major League Soccer club this season, the New York FC franchise.

Soccer’s recent success in America is a little unsettling both to folks here wedded to an extreme vision of American exceptionalism, and to folks elsewhere who’d prefer to leave one facet of global popular culture untainted by U.S. influence. But the rest of us should celebrate the convergence; it’s good, in so many ways, to play with the rest of the world. And this includes taking a more assertive role in the stewardship of the world’s game, as the federal assault on FIFA corruption makes clear.

If you remain skeptical about soccer’s ascendancy in America and America’s ascendancy within soccer, call me in 2022. That’s the year the U.S. will win its first World Cup, which will be played in this country after a reformed FIFA reverses its absurd (and, apparently, corrupt) decision to award it to Qatar. It will also be a time when we can celebrate a “world champion” team, without that title having an ironic ring to it.

Andrés Martinez is the editorial director of Zócalo Public Square and a professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

Stunning similarities of the 2014 World Cup

A silhouette of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is seen reacting during their 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match agaisnt Germany at the Fonte Nova arena in Salvador
Left: Argentina's Lionel Messi prepares to shoot a corner kick during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Switzerland at the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo. Right: A silhouette of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is seen reacting during their match against Germany at the Fonte Nova arena in Salvador.Victor R. Caivano—AP; Dylan Martinez—Reuters
Left: Argentina soccer fans celebrate as they travel on a train towards the Corinthians arena at the Luz Station before the match between Argentina and Switzerland. Right: Fans of England gather in a bar ahead of the England's match against Uruguay in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Left: Argentina soccer fans celebrate as they travel on a train towards the Corinthians arena at the Luz Station before the match between Argentina and Switzerland. Right: Fans of England gather in a bar ahead of the England's match against Uruguay in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Nacho Doce—Reuters; Oli Scarff—Getty Images
Brazil Soccer WCup Croatia Mexico
Left: US fans cheer before the start of the match between the US and Belgium in Chicago. Right: Mexico's fans celebrate holding a mask of Mexico's head coach Miguel Herrera after the group A World Cup soccer match between Croatia and Mexico at the Arena Pernambuco.Tannen Maury—EPA; Ricardo Mazalan—AP
A reflection of cheering fans is seen before the 2014 World Cup opening match between Brazil and Croatia at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo
Left: A reflection of cheering fans is seen before the 2014 World Cup opening match between Brazil and Croatia at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo. Right: Brazilian fans await the kick off of a Group A football match between Brazil and Croatia at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.Ivan Alvarado—Reuters; Odd Andersen—Getty Images
Brazil's Neymar controls the ball against Cameroon during their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match at the Brasilia national stadium in Brasilia
Left: Argentina's Lionel Messi fights for the ball during their match against Iran at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte. Right: Brazil's Neymarcontrols the ball against Cameroon during their match at the Brasilia national stadium in Brasilia.Kai Pfaffenbach—Reuters; Dominic Ebenbichler—Reuters
Fan of the U.S. is pictured before their 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match against Portugal at the Amazonia arena in Manaus
Left: Fans of Brazil during the game between Brazil vs Germany in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Right: A US fan before their 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match against Portugal at the Amazonia arena in Manaus.Victor Moriyama—Getty Images; Dylan Martinez—Reuters
491924457
Left: Colombia's midfielder James Rodriguez reacts as he leaves the pitch after the quarter-final football match between Brazil and Colombia at the Castelao Stadium. Right: Brazil's Neymar reacts to a missed shot during the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals between Brazil and Colombia at the Castelao arena. Eitan Abramovich—AFP/Getty Images; Jorge Silve—Reuters
World Cup Fans Gather To Watch Matches In Rio
Left: A group of Chilean soccer fans walk through the streets as they wait for their team to play Spain during the World Cup. Right: Fans of England wearing full-body suits pose for a photograph in a bar before the England match against Uruguay on in Sao Paulo.Joe Raedle—Getty Images; Oli Scarff—Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-FBL-WC-2014-MATCH27-ARG-IRI
Left: Argentine striker Lionel Messi celebrates his goal against Iran during their match in Belo Horizonte. Right: Costa Rica's Joel Campbell celebrates with the match ball after scoring against Uruguay during their match at the Castelao stadium.Gustavo Andrade—AFP/Getty Images; Dominic Ebenbichler—Reuters
Nuns from the enclosed monastery of Imaculada Conceicao, celebrate their victory at the end of the 2014 World Cup quarter-final soccer match between Brazil and Colombia in Piratininga
Left: Patients at the Asuncion Psychiatric Hospital watch the first match of the World Cup between Brazil and Croatia, in Asuncion, Paraguay. Right: Nuns from the enclosed monastery of Imaculada Conceicao celebrate Brazil's victory as they watch on television.Jorge Saenz—AP; Nacho Doce—Reuters
Ivory Coast's Serey Die is seen from the back during their 2014 World Cup Group C soccer match against Japan at the Pernambuco arena in Recife
Left: Brazil's Neymar stands during the 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Right: Ivory Coast's Geoffroy Serey Die is seen from the back during their 2014 World Cup Group C soccer match against Japan.Marcelo del Pozo—Reuters; Brian Snyder—Reuters;
Left: Portugal fans pose prior to the Group G match between Germany and Portugal at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador, Brazil. Right: Brazil fans pose prior to the game between Brazil vs Germanyin Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Left: Portugal fans pose prior to the Group G match between Germany and Portugal at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador, Brazil. Right: Brazil fans pose prior to the game between Brazil vs Germanyin Belo Horizonte, Brazil.Odd Andersen—AFP/Getty Images; Nilton Fukuda—DPA/ZUMA Wire
England's goalkeeper Hart rolls inside the goalpost after Italy's Balotelli scored during their 2014 World Cup Group D soccer match at the Amazonia arena in Manaus
Left: Brazil's forward Neymar reacts after missing a goal opportunity during a match between Brazil and Mexico in the Castelao Stadium. Right: England's goalkeeper Joe Hart rolls inside the goalpost during their 2014 World Cup Group D soccer match at the Amazonia arenaFrancois Xavier Marit—AFP/Getty Images; Francois Marit—Reuters
A fan of Argentina waits for the start of their 2014 World Cup Group F soccer match against Bosnia at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro
Left: A Japan fan looks on before the 2014 World Cup Group C soccer match against Colombia at the Pantanal arena Right: A fan of Argentina waits for the start of their 2014 World Cup match against Bosnia at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Jorge Silva—Reuters;Pilar Olivares—Reuters
FBL-WC-2014-INDIA
Left: A life-size image of a woman promoting a shop stands in the street where children play soccer in the Pelourinho neighborhood of Salvador, Brazil. Right: Local Indian footballers carry cutout portraits of Brazilian soccer player Neymar and Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi to a local football club in Kolkata, India Rodrigo Abd—AP; Dibyangshu Sarkar—AFP/Getty Images
Colombia's fans hold toy figurine of Colombia's Falcao as they watch a broadcast of the 2014 World Cup round of 16 game between Colombia and Uruguay, at Bolivar Square in Bogota
Left: Argentina soccer fans hold miniature Lionel Messi dolls while watching a telecast of the World Cup match between Argentina and Nigeria in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Right: A Colombian fan holds a toy figurine of Colombia's national soccer player Falcao as they watch a broadcast of the World Cup in Bogota, Columbia. Nabor Goulart—AP; John Vizcaino—Reuters
Left: Lionel Messi of Argentina controls the ball during the match between Argentina and Switzerland at Arena de Sao Paulo. Right: Colombia's James Rodriguez scores a goal during the match against Uruguay e at the Maracana stadium.
Left: Lionel Messi of Argentina controls the ball during the match between Argentina and Switzerland at Arena de Sao Paulo. Right: Colombia's James Rodriguez scores a goal during the match against Uruguay e at the Maracana stadium.Matthias Hangst—Getty Images; Felipe Dana—Reuters
Brazil Soccer WCup Argentina
Left: Argentina fans pose before a quarter-finals match between Argentina and Belgium in Brasilia, Brazil. Right: A man wearing a horse mask, stands in the middle of Argentine fans celebrating their team's victory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Liu Dawei—Xinhua; Leo Correa—AP
Left: A Mexico soccer fan cries after her team was defeated by the Netherlands inside the FIFA Fan Fest area in Rio de Janeiro. Right: A U.S. soccer fan watches his team's World Cup match against Belgium on a live telecast inside the FIFA Fan Fest area in Rio de Janeiro.
Left: A Mexico soccer fan cries after her team was defeated by the Netherlands inside the FIFA Fan Fest area in Rio de Janeiro. Right: A U.S. soccer fan watches his team's World Cup match against Belgium on a live telecast inside the FIFA Fan Fest area in Rio de Janeiro.Leo Correa—AP (2)
Left: A fan dressed as Captain America looks on after Belgium's 2-1 victory in extra time during World Cup match between Belgium and the US. Right: A Brazil fan wearing a mask depicting Neymar sits in the stands at the end of the World Cup semi-final match between Brazil and Germany at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Left: A fan dressed as Captain America looks on after Belgium's 2-1 victory in extra time during World Cup match between Belgium and the US. Right: A Brazil fan wearing a mask depicting Neymar sits in the stands at the end of the World Cup semi-final match between Brazil and Germany at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.Laurence Griffiths—Getty Images; Leonhard Foeger—Reuters
Left: A donkey wears the colors of Brazil as it stands on a beach of Cumbucu, Brazil. Right: A dog wearing Brazilian soccer team colors walks on the Minhocao, a 2.2-mile stretch of highway, in Sao Paulo.
Left: A donkey wears the colors of Brazil as it stands on a beach of Cumbucu, Brazil. Right: A dog wearing Brazilian soccer team colors walks on the Minhocao, a 2.2-mile stretch of highway, in Sao Paulo.Aris Messini—AFP/Getty Images; Zackary Canepari—The New York Times
Match highlights are screened after the 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match between Spain and Chile at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro
Left: Match highlights are screened after the 2014 World Cup match between Spain and Chile in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Right: The final score is projected on a screen after the 2014 World Cup semi-finals between Germany and Brazil in Belo Horizonte, BrazilRicardo Moraes—Reuters; Damir Sagolj—Reuters
FBL-WC-2014-MATCH62-NED-ARG
Left: Germany's Thomas Muller celebrates a goal during a semifinal match between Brazil and Germany. Right: Argentina's Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi celebrate after winning their FIFA World Cup semi-final match against the Netherlands.Li Ga—Xinhua; Fabrice Coffrini—AFP/Getty Images

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com

TIME Ideas hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.