World Cup: How USA is embracing football - and impacting the global game

Football is having an increasing influence in the USA - but the USA is having an increasing influence on football, too.

As the States makes its final preparations to host the World Cup this summer, along with Mexico and Canada, it feels like the moment is coming when the global game may finally break America.

While women's football has long been established there, men's football is becoming mainstream.

This World Cup will be the third major tournament in a row hosted in the country (after the 2024 Copa America and 2025 Club World Cup), Premier League viewing is on the rise and LaLiga is openly aiming to capitalise on the US market with a game across the Atlantic.

But the States is also having an increasing and significant impact on how the sport looks and how it is run across the world.

"When you look at what's happened to football in the United States… soccer in the United States… When you think about it, shouldn't it really be called [football]? I mean, this is football. We have to come up with another name for the NFL stuff." - Donald Trump

'It's called soccer' was the USA chant at the last World Cup but, ahead of the next edition, US President Donald Trump has had his say on the matter. The sport could not get a more high-profile endorsement from the American public.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has pursued closer ties with Trump - including through that much-mocked FIFA Peace Prize award - but the President has been keen to speak out about his support for the game and this summer's showpiece.