Browse By

Soccer IQ: How Much do Fans Know About the Game?

The World Cup is just a few months away and millions of people will be tuning in. We saw a record audience for the 2018 World Cup – and this year, viewership could be even greater! Nearly one-third (30%) of people around the world say they like soccer because it is a big part of their culture, but how much do fans actually know about the sport’s history and rules?

A new international survey found people may want to brush up on their soccer IQ ahead of the big game. Less than half of the respondents (42%) were able to correctly answer questions such as, “which two countries participated in the first international soccer match?” and only 44% could answer “how long can a goalkeeper hold the ball?”

The number of people who were able to correctly answer questions like those was even lower in the United States, however, the sport is gaining traction there. The report shows that 72% of people worldwide think soccer is growing in popularity in the U.S. and 47% of Americans say they plan to watch the World Cup this year. That’s compared to 64% of people internationally.

The top World Cup team the U.S. is rooting for is unsurprisingly… the U.S.! After that, Americans say they’ll be cheering for England, Mexico, Brazil, and Germany. Around the world, the teams people want most to win are Portugal, Mexico, Poland, England, and Spain.