FIFA President Gianni Infantino Says Soccer Has Potential to Be 'No. 1 Sport' in USA

When most think of America’s No. 1 sport, footbal, baseball and even basketball usually come to mind. For FIFA president Gianni Infantino, he believes that soccer is poised to claim that title—and soon.

With bold ambitions of a rapid rise, Infantino predicted a shift within the next few years.

"Three to four, maximum five years,” Infantino told Fox Sports Jordan Schultz during Fanatics Fest on Sunday (h/t The Athletic). “It will be top, top, top. One of the top leagues in the world, for sure. And I can tell you why — because now I’m here.”

Recent data from S&P Global found that 14 percent of 2,501 surveyed Americans watched soccer, ranking it as the seventh most-watched sport—trailing behind baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and both the Winter and Summer Olympics.

Among those who said they watch soccer, 76 percent reported watching men’s international matches, 50 percent said they watch women’s international soccer, and 55 percent tune in to Major League Soccer.

Speaking about his vision for the future of American soccer, Infantino emphasized the need to eliminate “pay-to-play” youth systems and introduce promotion and relegation—changes he believes would boost accessibility and excitement around the sport in the United States.

“This is one of the beauties of promotion and relegation,” Infantino said on the success of Wrexham in recent years after their successful FX series. “So, in soccer, unlike any other sport, surprises are happening, and the little one can beat the big one, right? And this rarely, rarely happens in other sports, 90 percent of the time, the stronger one wins. In soccer, it’s 70 percent of the time."

The USL—active in the lower tiers of American soccer since 2011—unveiled an ambitious plan to bring promotion and relegation to the U.S. soccer landscape. Earlier this year, the league announced its goal to launch a new top-tier competition by 2027, forming a three-level open system, per The Athletic's Melanie Anzidei and Jeff Rueter. Notably, the proposed structure would operate independently of MLS, the country’s premier league.