Soccer has reportedly overtaken baseball as the United States’ third-most popular sport, according to new research that underlines the game’s steady rise across the country.
The report reveals that soccer is now ranked behind only American football and basketball in overall popularity, edging past Major League Baseball in the national order. It is another marker of the sport’s growth in a market long dominated by the traditional “big” American leagues.
The findings point to changing habits among younger fans as a key driver, with soccer continuing to gain ground through the influence of European leagues, the expansion of MLS and the increasing visibility of the women’s game at international level.
While the top two spots remain unchanged, the shift at No. 3 reflects a broader trend: soccer’s audience in the U.S. is becoming deeper and more mainstream, with the sport now claiming a stronger foothold than baseball in the latest reported rankings.
The reported change comes at a time when the U.S. is preparing to host major events in the coming years, adding further momentum to the game’s profile and keeping soccer firmly in the national conversation.
