Brophy Prep midfielder Parker Dixon dribbles up the pitch against Sunrise Mountain during an Open Division boys soccer state semifinal game in Phoenix on Feb. 25, 2026.
Patrick Breen, Arizona Republic
“But what has really shocked me during this World Cup is that a longtime friend of mine suddenly became super interested in watching soccer,” Snyder said. “This friend grew up playing high school and college football, and he has been a high school football coach for around 10 years.
“But I think he watched every World Cup game that the U.S. played in, as well as numerous other matches. He would constantly text me, asking questions about rules and calls and strategy. It was hilarious. This friend who never played a minute of soccer in his life was suddenly glued to the tournament. I loved it.”
Snyder said he even texted him because his mother wanted to know if the U.S. had a chance against Belgium.
“Another time it was, ‘Halland is a beast!’ A month earlier, my friend probably had no clue who Erling Haaland even was.” Haaland starred for Norway in the World Cup.
Mesa High boys coach T.J. Hagen said he isn’t sure if the World Cup will fuel more interest in youth soccer, but he saw a lot of interest from the general public during the tournament.
“There’s already a high number of youth soccer players around the country, and I’m sure there will be even more interest in the coming months,” Hagen said. “But I think I saw more excitement and interest from people who don’t normally watch or play soccer.
Playground Rooftop in downtown Tucson gets rowdy after Mexico scores in their World Cup match against Ecuador on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Grace Trejo, Arizona Daily Star
“We don’t have a lot of soccer shown on regular television in the United States and with many of the matches being fast paced and exciting, along with some of the more notable players like Erling Haaland from Norway; Vozinha, the goalkeeper from Cabo Verde; and, of course, (Argentina’s) Lionel Messi and (Portugal’s) Christiano Ronaldo, the country got swept up in World Cup fever.”