Dear Gossips,

The men’s World Cup final is Sunday, between Spain and Argentina, it promises to be a great game, with Lionel Messi in his third World Cup finals. It’s been a great tournament for Messi, but also for soccer, and yes, here I am calling it soccer because historically, soccer has not been popular, as a televised sport, in the US. But the 2026 World Cup is smashing ratings records left and right, in English and Spanish language broadcasts, which has people wondering if soccer is finally catching on as a major sport in the US.

Maybe. We are at a point where we have a couple generations’ worth of kids who grew up playing soccer who are now adults and still care about the sport. And we also have sports betting now, so there is a swath of people who will tune in just to track their wagers. And it’s been an entertaining tournament, with a good mix of heartwarming stories, heroic performances, and exciting plays. And there’s intrigue! Americans are learning about red cards in real time! We all have opinions on VAR now!

But it’s the VAR, the video assistant referee, that is the biggest challenge to soccer’s popularity in the US. Mike Vorel in the Seattle Times writes about it in relation to the “rule of cool” and argues that the VAR calling back Egypt’s stunning goal against Argentina, specifically, is a perfect example of letting technicalities get in the way of exciting athletics.

I’m not here to argue for or against the rules of soccer and given all the technology at our disposal these days, things like the VAR are inevitable and become just another part of the game to be navigated by players and coaches. But I have said for years, and have repeated often during this World Cup, that soccer struggles with US audiences because it’s too fussy.

I’m talking very specifically about the entertainment factor, that if FIFA and other entities like the MLS want to promote soccer and make it a bigger sport in America, the inherent fussiness of the sport is always a challenge. It’s a challenge for baseball, which is also a fussy sport, and it’s a sport that has lost ground with TV audiences over the last thirty years. People are joking(?) about the World Cup being fixed, but if the powers that be really wanted to fix the tournament, they should be tilting it in favor of the “rule of cool” and letting all the fun and cool plays stand, not calling them back.

I do think, to a degree, soccer will continue to gain popularity. It’s hugely popular as a kids’ team sport, so there will always be a steady diet of kids who played soccer growing up who become adults who watch soccer. But the fussiness of the sport is always going to be there, too. And in terms of making soccer a powerhouse televised sport in the US year-round, not just during the World Cup, I don’t know how you reconcile that, short of turning off the VAR and letting a few fouls slide.

The World Cup has been fun, it’s been a ratings bonanza for TV, Sunday’s final match will probably be a ratings beast, too. But I don’t know how soccer sustains this momentum with US audiences, especially with football and basketball, much less fussy sports, just around the corner. Any suggestions? Other than match fixing, that is.

Live long and gossip,

Sarah

Photo credits: MEGA/WENN

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