The 2026 World Cup is set to descend on the United States, a milestone that feels less like the arrival of soccer in America than the payoff of a cultural journey that has been unfolding for decades.
In a recent piece, the author reflects on the documentary "Once in a Lifetime," which chronicles the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos and uses that story as a lens for a broader transformation.
Growing up, the writer was captivated by legends such as Pelé, Giorgio Chinaglia, Steve Zungul and Shep Messing, figures who seemed to embody the promise of a sport that could finally capture the American imagination.
The 1970s: A Near Miss
The 1970s brought a surge of attention, with global superstars, celebrity owners and sold‑out crowds in the North American Soccer League, yet the missing ingredient was time — generations needed to internalize the game.
Even as the league faltered, millions of American children began to kick a ball in backyards and school fields, including the author, who later played high school soccer and carried the sport into adulthood.
The 1994 World Cup proved that the United States could host a tournament of global magnitude, and Major League Soccer would later provide the structural foundation for sustained growth, a platform later bolstered by icons like David Beckham and Lionel Messi.
Repetition and Tradition
Cultural change, the author argues, is driven by repetition and tradition; each generation inherits the game, adds its own layer, and passes it forward, creating a living soccer culture that predates the 2026 tournament.
Consequently, the upcoming World Cup is less a catalyst than a confirmation of a soccer identity that has been quietly taking root across the country, from Long Island to Nassau County and beyond.