Soccer's American DreamFollows America's relationship with soccer, from failed leagues and financial struggles to the rise of women's game, tracking the sport's journey to relevance culminating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
WritersAlex McIntosh, Adam Prendergast
The Beautiful Game Comes Stateside
May 5, 2026
The North American Soccer League was supposed to light the fuse on pro-soccer in 70s America, so what went wrong? Meanwhile the country's women are just trying to get on the field.
What's a World Cup?
May 12, 2026
By the mid-80s pro-soccer had collapsed and the US men's national team hadn't made a World Cup in decades. So what better time to launch a bid to bring the 1994 edition to America.
Get Busy Winning
May 19, 2026
In the late 80s, the newly formed US women's national team faces an uphill fight for recognition. But a winning formula brings home two World Cups and Olympic Gold in just 10 years.
Growing Pains
May 26, 2026
The success of World Cup '94 spawns a new men's pro-league, the MLS. But major startup problems and a fractured men's national team make headlines heading into the new millennium.
A League of Our Own
Jun 2, 2026
The women's 1999 World Cup team becomes national idols after winning on home soil, but capitalizing on this success to form a fully professional league proves harder than imagined.
Soccer, American Style
Jun 9, 2026
As the 2026 World Cup arrives, learn what it takes for the U.S. men's national team to truly level up and how the women's team stay among the world's best in the years to come.
