Abstract

Soccer in the United States is undergoing major changes. The game’s growth on the fields of the country’s suburbs and among its middle class has been nothing short of sensational. Major events such as the World Cup – both Men’s and Women’s – have gained the sport millions of followers. In addition, a growing number of Americans has come to incorporate Europe’s most prestigious tournaments and prominent leagues into its daily sports consumption. Our study analyses how a particular venue – EA Sports’ FIFA video game series – has contributed to this fascinating ongoing development. While at this temporal stage, soccer’s popularity in following (in notable contrast to playing) continues to lag behind that of America’s ‘Big Four’ of football, baseball, hockey and basketball, recent events, aided by the burgeoning proliferation of FIFA the video game, may catapult soccer’s cultural presence into the Big Four’s in coming years.