The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted across three North American nations, was billed as a celebration of soccer’s global reach. Yet for advocates of adaptive soccer, the tournament presented a stark contrast between ambition and action.
Nico Calabria, a four‑time captain of the U.S. Men’s Amputee Soccer Team, warned that the event missed a chance to spotlight adaptive formats, while Riley Johnson of the Power Soccer program noted that most fans remain unaware of the sport’s existence. Lexi Heer, also a Power Soccer member, described the elegance of passing sequences that often go unnoticed.
Grassroots Demonstrations
In Seattle, the local organizing committee staged a Blind Soccer tournament that drew roughly 175 spectators, and in Venice, California, amputee players staged an exhibition at the U.S. Soccer House, showcasing a viral scissor‑kick goal that Calabria posted in 2012.
The Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, now houses a dedicated Power Soccer court, a space that community leaders helped design, underscoring the technical capacity that exists when stakeholders collaborate.
Calls for Structural Change
Despite these pockets of activity, the broader institutional response has been limited. Joslynn Bigelow, president of the United Adaptive Soccer Association, presented a set of recommendations to FIFA and U.S. Soccer, but implementation has been minimal. Critics argue that without a permanent slot in the World Cup program, adaptive soccer remains a series of inspirational cameos rather than a sustained platform.
Advocates stress that adaptive soccer needs more than occasional showcases; they call for dedicated funding, integrated development pathways, and a permanent place in the tournament’s official agenda.