游戏背后的游戏：粉丝与2026年国际足联世界杯™版

THE FANS BEHIND THE GAME:FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™EDITION INTRODUCTION 3 SECTION 1:THE FAN PROFILE 4 SECTION 2:THE PASSION POINTS11 SECTION 3:THE BRAND OPPORTUNITY 19 NORTH AMERICA IS READYFOR THE HOME ADVANTAGE KNOW THE FAN,WIN THE TOURNAMENT +11%growth in North American soccerfandom, 2020–2025 Our last FIFA World Cup 2026™report mapped the viewership opportunity. This reportuses Nielsen Sports expertise to go deeper into the audience itself: who the NorthAmerican soccer fan is, what fuels their passion, and how that passion translates intothe attention and engagement that every brand at this tournament is aiming for. Mexico:67%the general populationinterested in soccer, the highest of anyNorth American market Mexico, Canada, and the United States each bring a distinct fanbase to 2026,different in history, habits, and what draws them in. This report spotlights all three,with a closer look at the U.S., as the newest chapter in this story, where a newgeneration of soccer fandom is being built in real time. Canada: FIFA World Cup 2026™ interestat43%,with soccer as the #3 sport The momentum is hard to overstate. 64% of U.S. soccer fans expect their interestin the sport to keep climbing, and 56% point directly to the FIFA World Cup™ as thereason.Even outside the existing soccer fanbase, 33% of the general U.S. populationexpects their interest in soccer to grow through the tournament and beyond.1Withthe FIFA Women's World Cup™ headed to Brazil’s favorable time zones in 2027, the LAOlympics in 2028 and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2031™ also coming to U.S. soil, theaudience that emerges in 2026 is the foundation of a generation of soccer fandomin America. 62.5MU.S. soccer fans - the 5th largestfan population in the world Soccer is already a top 5 sport in the U.S. but its fanbase looks different from anyother major U.S. league. They're younger, more diverse, gender-balanced, anduniquely receptive to the brands that show up alongside the teams. 76%of U.S. soccer fans are Millennialsor Gen Z SECTION 1:THE FAN PROFILE THE MOMENTS THAT MADETHE AMERICAN SOCCER FAN THE U.S. CHAPTERS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN STORYFigure 1.1 American soccer fandom didn't arrive with the FIFA World Cup 2026™.It was built over decades, one cultural turning point at a time, andthe data behind each one tells the story. Moments like Brandi Chastain's iconic celebration in 1999, when 18 millionU.S. viewers tuned in to watch the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT)win their first Cup, put women's soccer at the center of American sportsculture.2David Beckham's arrival in Los Angeles in 2007 proved MajorLeague Soccer (MLS) could attract global stars, and more than 15 yearslater, his Netflix documentary totaled over 500 million minutes viewed inits opening week.3The USWNT's back-to-back FIFA World Cup™ titles in2015 and 2019 drew 24 million and 15 million U.S. viewers respectively,cementing the team as a competitive juggernaut. Lionel Messi's debutfor Inter Miami CF in the 2023 Leagues Cup drove a 173% surge in linearviewership compared to the tournament average.And in 2025, the MLSCup saw a 97% increase over 2024 with Inter Miami’s victory, proving thatdomestic soccer is reaping the benefits of increased interest as well.4 Each of these moments raised the bar for American soccer fandom.The FIFA World Cup 2026™ is the next one, and it's primed for recordengagement as today’s fanbase leverages every platform at their disposalto follow the action. A FANBASE UNLIKE ANY OTHERIN AMERICAN SPORTS THE U.S. SOCCER FAN EDGE:Figure 1.2 Building a media plan usually means you can't have it all. Butthe U.S. soccer fan collapses every tradeoff into a singleaudience. You can reach a young, broad, and diverse audienceat scale. The average U.S. soccer fan is 33 years old, about four yearsyounger compared to the fan bases of top U.S. sports. 76%are Millennials or Gen Z. Among those younger fans, 32% earnmore than $100K annually. 63% of the U.S. soccer fanbase ismale, outpacing the male engagement of American football(59%), basketball (61%) and baseball (61%). Throughout NorthAmerica, female engagement is a defining feature withwomenmaking up 43% of North American soccer fans, seven pointshigher than in Europe.5 FANDOM ISPEAKING AT EXACTLYTHE RIGHT MOMENT THE U.S. FANDOM CURVE:Figure 1.3 26 of fans came on board inthe last 5 years Across North America, soccer fandom grew 11% from 2020to 2025. Roughly a quarter of today's fans came on boardin just the last five years. Among existing U.S. fans, 68% saytheir interest has increased over the past three years, and64% expect it to keep climbing.6 of existing fans reportrising interest over 3 years But the most striking signal sits outside the existing fanbaseentirely. 11% of Americans who don't currently considerthemselves sports fans of any kind expect their interest insoccer to grow leading into 2026.7 64 of fans expect theirinterest to keep climbing 11 of non-sports fans expecttheir interest t