Its chairman FIFAGianni InfantineSpeaking to the “Fanatics Fest” in New York, he said that football is able to soon become “No. 1 sport here in America “and that achieving this goal is one of the top priorities of the World Football Federation.
In “three to four, at most five years,” said Infantino, “will be at the top, top, top. One of the top championships in the world, for sure. “
Gianni Infantino, who lives in Miami, spoke extensively about his vision of football in America. He referred to football in the academies, which the FIFA president described as “a problem here in America”, also implied that the introduction of promotions and downgrades could help attract more excitement in the sport.
“In football, unlike any other sport, there are surprises and the little one can beat the big one, right? And this rarely happens in other sports, in 90% of cases, the strongest wins. In football, it is 70% of cases.
You know these surprises. You have these team fairy tales. This is something you can bring to this American culture, where there is no concept of rise and relegation, and there is something interesting that I think needs to be explored. “
MLS, since its first season in 1996, has never implemented a relegation system that is common in football championships around the world.
A 2025 poll conducted by S&P Global and gathered 2,501 answers found that 14% of ‘internet adults’ respondents are watching football, the seventh highest percentage behind the traditional ‘big’, and the four -big -day ‘players’ and athlete Games.
Of those watching, 76% said they watched international men’s football (World Cup, Olympic Games), 50% watched international women’s football and 55% already watches MLS.
Also, Two Circles’ annual review of football races as the fourth -turn -up fourth sport, with a total of 292 million spectators in 2024. Although it gives him a small lead over Hockey, which is 7%, (35%), basketball (22%) and American football (20%). The other 8% includes other sports.