NEW YORK — FIFA president Gianni Infantino says soccer has the potential to soon be the “No. 1 sport here in America,” and that reaching this goal is one of the global governing body’s top priorities.
There are just a few things the sport should consider first, Infantino said, such as exploring the introduction of promotion and relegation in American soccer.
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Infantino made these bold statements in a wide-ranging fireside chat with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz at Fanatics Fest on Sunday afternoon in New York City, before heading across the Hudson River to catch a Club World Cup match at nearby MetLife Stadium.
In “three to four, maximum five years,” Infantino said, “it will be top, top, top. One of the top leagues in the world, for sure. And I can tell you why — because now I’m here.”
That’s a fast timeline based on recent data. A 2025 poll conducted by S&P Global that garnered 2,501 responses found 14 percent of surveyed “internet adults” watch soccer, the seventh-highest figure behind the traditional “big four” sports — baseball, basketball, football and hockey — as well as both the Winter and Summer Olympics. Of those who do watch, 76 percent said they watched men’s international soccer (World Cup, Olympics), 50 percent watch women’s international soccer, and 55 percent already watch MLS.
As for in-person gross, Two Circles’ annual review of attendance ranks soccer as the fourth most-attended sport at 8 percent of 292 million attendees in 2024. Though that gives it a narrow edge over hockey, itself at 7 percent, soccer significantly trails the share held by baseball (35 percent), basketball (22 percent) and football (20 percent). The other 8 percent includes other sports.
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Infantino, who lives in Miami, spoke at length about his vision for soccer in America. Aside from suggesting the nixing of the long-criticized “pay to play” model for youth soccer, which Infantino called “a problem here in America,” he also hinted that introducing promotion and relegation could help bring more excitement to the sport.
His remarks came after Schultz asked Infantino about Wrexham’s wild success in recent years, going from the subject of an FX series to three straight league promotions.
“This is one of the beauties of promotion and relegation,” Infantino said. “So, in soccer, unlike any other sport, surprises are happening, and the little one can beat the big one, right? And this rarely, rarely…