Whether you’re rocking LAFC black and gold, bleeding Galaxy blue, or – in our case – forever loving San Diego FC, one thing is clear: California is a soccer state.
With the FIFA World Cup officially on, and the excitement reaching a boiling point following a couple of US victories, the beautiful game is hitting unprecedented heights in our country. MLS viewership has surged by a staggering 62% this season, over 4.8 million fans have already attended matches in 2026, and general interest in the World Cup has nearly doubled compared to the build-up to Qatar 2022.
But just how seriously do we take our soccer compared to the rest of the country? According to the data, we take it very seriously.
California is second most soccer-obsessed
A recent nationwide study by ACE analyzed survey data from over 1,400 Americans to find out where the most competitive, die-hard soccer fans live. The study looked at how seriously residents take competition, their attitudes toward winning, and their emotional investment.
The results? California is officially home to America’s second most soccer-obsessed fans.
Here are the numbers:
- Sport Competitiveness Score: 8.05 (Out of 10)
- Highly Competitive Watchers: 57% of Californians say they get very competitive when watching sports.
- Serious About Friendlies: 58% are highly serious even when it comes to friendly competition.
- Winning is Everything: 45% of California fans firmly believe that winning is the only thing that matters.
We narrowly missed the top spot, which went to South Carolina (scoring 8.79). However, Californians can take pride in edging out heavyweight sports rivals like Texas (#3) and New York (#4).
Soccer fans top the charts nationwide
The study didn’t just look at geography; it looked at the sports themselves. It turns out that Major League Soccer (MLS) fans are the most competitive sports supporters in the entire country. A massive 96% of MLS fans reported becoming highly competitive when their favorite team takes the pitch, officially dethroning fans of traditional heavyweights like the NFL, NBA, and NCAA.
