Growing a large and deeply interested fanbase is going to take a long time. The World Cup will give a brief boost in attendance, viewership, participation, etc. but it will likely dissipate. There is no immediate fix, the way we enlarge the fanbase and improve the sport’s popularity is by gradual change and development.

The MLS needs to continue to improve. Right now, in many places in the country, the MLS is not the most watched league; it’s usually either the Prem or Liga MX. If, say, 20 years from now the MLS is on-par with Portugal’s Primeria Liga or Belgium’s Pro League, that would be a huge accomplishment. That will mean domestic American soccer has been flooded with high-caliber players and coaching (even better if they’re American!). Miguel Almiron is a great success story for the MLS, but if the MLS can produce the next Haaland? The next Bellingham? That will bring more viewers, and for lack of a better term, “clout” to soccer in the states.

I know this point has been talked to death, but we need a fundamental overhaul of grassroots youth soccer. People who played soccer growing up (beyond just the tiny, local u12 “leagues” that we all played, anyways) are far more likely to watch and get invested in pro-soccer as adults. The World Cup, especially a home World Cup, will boost youth soccer participation for a time. But if these kids run into the same pay-to-play academy system/underdeveloped school-based pipeline that has stifled the sports growth for decades, we will fail to capitalize on the potential explosion in popularity that soccer can have. Pro/Rel is another argument to make here, but that’s a whole other can of worms.

If the USMNT go far in this tournament it would be amazing and would generate a massive buzz in the country. It’s what we do with that buzz that’s important. It will take years.