The Most World Cup-Mad U.S. States Ahead Of Summer Showdown

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now just around the corner, we decided to find out which U.S. states are already gripped by soccer fever ahead of the biggest tournament in sporting history.

The 2026 World Cup will be unlike anything the sport has ever seen before. For the first time, three nations - the United States, Mexico, and Canada - will co-host the tournament, with 48 national teams competing across 104 matches in 16 host cities between June 11 and July 19, 2026.

The United States will stage the majority of the action, hosting 78 matches across 11 cities, while Mexico and Canada will each host 13 games. The final itself will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, officially named “New York New Jersey Stadium” for the tournament.

Ahead of the summer showdown, we analyzed average monthly Google searches for the term “World Cup” across every U.S. state over a three-month period, adjusting figures per 100,000 residents to reveal where excitement is burning hottest.

Contents

1. New Jersey Tops America’s World Cup Rankings
2. America’s Top 10 Most World Cup-Mad States
3. America’s Soccer Boom Is Real
4. Which States Care Least About the World Cup?
5. Full Rankings
6. The Biggest World Cup Ever
7. Methodology

1. New Jersey Tops America’s World Cup Rankings

According to the data, New Jersey ranks as America’s most World Cup-obsessed state, recording 282.6 searches per 100,000 residents - narrowly edging out California.

That figure is especially significant, given that New Jersey will host the 2026 World Cup Final, making the state the epicenter of world soccer this summer.

California ranked second overall with 279.6 searches per 100,000 residents, while Massachusetts (252.5), New York (247.5), and Texas (230.5) completed the top five.

2. America’s Top 10 Most World Cup-Mad States

Ranked by Google searches per 100,000 residents

1. New Jersey: 282.6
2. California: 279.6
3. Massachusetts: 252.5
4. New York: 247.5
5. Texas: 230.5
6. Washington: 224.2
7. Connecticut: 218.8
8. Illinois: 212.8
9. Virginia: 202.4
10. Nevada: 199.3

3. America’s Soccer Boom Is Real

The data also highlights just how rapidly soccer’s popularity has grown in the United States over the past decade.

Historically viewed as a niche sport compared to the NFL, NBA, or MLB, soccer is now becoming increasingly mainstream in America, particularly among younger audiences and multicultural communities.

States traditionally associated with other sports are now among the country’s biggest World Cup hotspots. Texas, for example, which has long been considered the heartland of American football, ranked fifth nationally for World Cup search interest.

Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, and Kansas also posted surprisingly strong numbers, suggesting anticipation for the tournament is spreading well beyond host cities.

4. Which States Care Least About the World Cup?

At the opposite end of the rankings, West Virginia recorded the lowest level of World Cup interest in the country, with just 49.9 searches per 100,000 residents.

Mississippi (54.1), Alaska (61.3), Montana (62.5), and Arkansas (76.6) rounded out the bottom five.

While interest remains lower in some rural states, the overall national picture points toward unprecedented anticipation ahead of the largest World Cup ever staged.

5. Full Rankings

6. The Biggest World Cup Ever

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest edition of the tournament in history.

Key tournament facts include:

• 48 teams competing (expanded from 32).

• 104 matches played across 39 days.

• 16 host cities across North America.

• Opening match hosted at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

• Final hosted at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

• Bronze Final staged in Miami.

The tournament is expected to draw millions of international visitors while generating enormous demand across travel, hospitality, sports betting, streaming, and merchandise industries throughout North America.

7. Methodology

Search volume data for the term “World Cup” was collected using average monthly Google search estimates in the United States over the most recent three-month period leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

To allow fair comparison between states of different sizes, search volumes were adjusted on a per-capita basis using the following calculation:

Searches per 100,000 residents = (State search volume ÷ State population) × 100,000

Population figures were sourced from the latest available U.S. Census figures.

States were then ranked according to the number of average monthly “World Cup” searches per 100,000 residents to identify where interest in World Cup 2026 is strongest, and weakest, across America.