While not as popular in the United States as in other parts of the world, there are pockets of the country that are home to some serious soccer fans. Currently there are 23 U.S. men’s clubs in Major League Soccer, with 4 more teams slated to join the MLS in the next 3 years. There are also 9 clubs in the National Women’s Soccer League, with one additional league set to join them in 2021. The growth markets are Austin, TX, Charlotte, NC, Sacramento, CA, St. Louis, MO, and Louisville, KY.

We mapped the soccer fans using our MRI Consumer Profiles data. The consumer behavior database consists of approximately 1,800 indexes of product consumption, lifestyle preferences, product ownership, and attitudes. Based on the latest MRI ‘doublebase’ survey, it offers insight into the consumption patterns and preferences of consumers.

The map shows a concentration of fans along the coasts, mostly in cities where there is a MLS club. Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Jose, Portland, Seattle, and Miami have large concentrations of fans, all where there are popular clubs.

Throughout Texas, there are some pockets of fans. Obviously, there are fans in the Dallas and Houston areas, both of which are home to a MLS club. There are also high concentrations of fans in El Paso, in the Presidio area and from Laredo down to Brownsville along the U.S. Mexico border.

Throughout most of the U.S., there are few soccer fans outside of the locations where MLS and NWSL clubs are located. As the MLS and NWSL expand, it will be interesting to see if more Americans become soccer fans.