World Cup 2026: How US football has evolved since hosting in 1994

"Leading into '94, we were at risk on the ticket side, former US Soccer President Sunil Gulati told Al Jazeera in a recent interview. For the US Organizing Committee, it was a big concern if we could sell all the tickets.'' In the end, the 1994 tournament was successful. A record 3.5 million (68,991 per game) attended matches; the US advanced from the group stage for the first time since 1930, losing 1-0 to eventual champions Brazil in the last 16; and seeds were planted for a professional league, Major League Soccer."

"Football has since moved from the margins to the mainstream in the US. MLS is thriving, the national team is ranked a creditable 16th in the world by FIFA, and as the World Cup returns this summer, ticket demand far outpaces supply. If you said in 1994 MLS would be a 30-team league, with [22] soccer-specific stadiums and averaging 20,000 crowds not in our wildest dreams, Gulati said. The landscape is completely different."

"The most visible thing is the development of professional leagues, MLS and the women's league [NWSL]. We had no first division league. And now there is [also] USL Division 2 and 3. The number of teams has increased dramatically. Today, the US Soccer Federation, commonly referred to as US Soccer, sanctions 127 professional teams 102 men's and 25 women's. Eighteen of the top 50 [valued] teams in the world are in MLS, Gulati said. That's an extraordinary statistic."

The US has shifted from marginal football interest to mainstream popularity over 32 years. In 1994, the country lacked a professional league and the national team was assembled from ex-collegians, journeymen, and semi-professionals, creating uncertainty about ticket sales. The 1994 World Cup still succeeded, drawing a record 3.5 million attendees, enabling the US to advance from the group stage for the first time since 1930, and helping lay groundwork for Major League Soccer. Since then, MLS has expanded into a 30-team league with soccer-specific stadiums and strong crowds. The national team is ranked 16th by FIFA, US Soccer sanctions 127 professional teams, and World Cup ticket demand exceeds supply.

Read at www.aljazeera.com