Soccer participation statistics: 2026
A current, citable view of participation in the United States, plus a global snapshot of women’s football. Each figure includes its source and reporting date.
Participation is climbing.
These figures describe soccer participation as measured by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Outdoor and indoor participation are reported separately, so they should not be added together as a total player count.
16.8M
Americans played outdoor soccer in 2025.
SFIA reports this as an all-time high in its 2026 Soccer Spotlight report.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗6.6M
Americans played indoor soccer in 2025.
Indoor participation also reached an all-time high, according to SFIA.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗+15.8%
Year-over-year growth in outdoor soccer participation.
The comparison is 2025 against 2024, using SFIA’s outdoor-soccer measure.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗+10.5%
Year-over-year growth in indoor soccer participation.
The comparison is 2025 against 2024, using SFIA’s indoor-soccer measure.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗7 years
Consecutive years of outdoor soccer growth since 2018.
SFIA says outdoor participation has grown every year from the 2018 low through 2025.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗+66%
Growth in female outdoor soccer participation from 2018 to 2025.
This figure tracks participation growth across the full seven-year period.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗+60%
Growth in Hispanic outdoor soccer participation from 2022 to 2025.
SFIA identifies Hispanic participation as a major part of the recent growth.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗+247%
Growth among outdoor soccer participants aged 45 to 54 from 2018 to 2025.
SFIA identifies adults 35 and older as the fastest-growing segment of U.S. soccer players.
Source: SFIA, May 2026 ↗A broader benchmark.
FIFA’s most recent women’s-football benchmarking release widened the view from elite leagues alone to three levels of the club game. These figures are a league and club benchmark, not participation counts.
86
Women’s football leagues covered by FIFA’s 2024 benchmarking report.
The fourth edition expanded from 34 leagues in the prior edition to include three levels of the women’s game.
Source: FIFA, March 2025 ↗669
Clubs covered across those women’s football leagues.
FIFA’s report collected information across sporting, governance, finance, fan engagement, data and player topics.
Source: FIFA, March 2025 ↗22%
Of head coaches across the surveyed leagues were women.
FIFA reported the figure alongside its expanded global benchmarking release.
Source: FIFA, March 2025 ↗Use the source that fits the claim.
This page uses published figures from the organizations named below. Statistics are kept in the measure and time period used by the original source. This page does not calculate a combined participation total or project future participation.
- Sports & Fitness Industry Association, “Soccer Participation in U.S. Reaches Record High Ahead of 2026 World Cup,” published May 12, 2026. ↗
- FIFA, “Women’s Football Benchmarking Report,” released March 17, 2025, covering its 2024 edition. ↗
Pro Trainer Soccer. “Soccer Participation Statistics: 2026.” Updated October 2, 2026. https://1sttouch.protrainersoccer.com/soccer-statistics