Soccer was once considered niche in the U.S. Then came the 1994 World Cup

Source: NPR Topics: News · Bias: Center

Summary

Soccer — or football as it's known around the globe — was far from mainstream in the U.S. leading up to the 1994 World Cup. But in the end, the tournament was considered a resounding success. How exactly did that happen?

Related Coverage

Daily Analysis

Read the full Parallax Pulse for May 9, 2026 — an AI-powered analysis of how Left and Right media covered the biggest stories this day.

More Headlines From May 9, 2026

Soccer was once considered niche in the U.S. Then came the 1994 World Cup
NPR Topics: News

Soccer was once considered niche in the U.S. Then came the 1994 World Cup

Center

Soccer — or football as it's known around the globe — was far from mainstream in the U.S. leading up to the 1994 World Cup. But in the end, the tournament was considered a resounding success. How exactly did that happen?