Among all the things the FIFA World Cup has brought to New York City \u2014 hundreds of watch parties, millions of dollars added to the economy, and visitors from all over the globe, including Norway fans taking over Times Square with their Viking row \u2014 there\u2019s one thing that may stay for a long time: interest in playing soccer.<\/p>\n
Soccer leagues and academies throughout the city have seen an increase in registrations and interest over the past few weeks, and coaches and executives note the World Cup fever has something to do with it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is 100% connected to World Cup fever and people wanting to feel the sport,\u201d said Tarek Pertew, CEO and co-founder of NYC Footy, the country\u2019s largest adult soccer league. \u201cIt was like when the Knicks won; people wanted to just paint themselves orange. Anything to make them feel like they were part of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n
NYC Footy has already signed up more than 9,500 New Yorkers across different categories, and organizers expect to accommodate up to 10,000 players by the end of the summer.<\/p>\n
Data shows that players who are brand new to soccer and those at the beginner-intermediate level make up 45.4% of total registrations.<\/p>\n
Around the same time last year, the league had roughly 8,600 players; in 2024, it had 6,970 across all skill levels, including beginner levels.<\/p>\n
Although those numbers reflect the interest that New Yorkers over 18 are showing this summer, kids also share the same enthusiasm for the sport and are being inspired by their favorite World Cup players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI anticipate [a high number of registrations] happening at an equal or greater level with youth because we know that, in general, they are the most impressionable when it comes to the excitement of influential sporting events,\u201d said Pertew.<\/p>\n
While names like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are often heard when children are training, coaches at soccer academies hear more parents are reaching out to sign up their kids.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe noticed an increase in registrations about three weeks ago, which, funny enough, coincided with the games and all the buzz around the World Cup,\u201d said Sarah Hill, co-founder of 5 Star Soccer Academy in Queens. \u201cThe parents are reaching out and saying, \u2018My kid has never played before, but they\u2019re really interested in soccer. Can they do your academy?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah and Nahun Romero, who founded the academy in late 2016, expected a 20% increase in registrations for their summer soccer camp. They\u2019re seeing a 70% increase. <\/p>\n
On the pitch, Nahun and the rest of the coaches can tell their soccer students are fully living the World Cup experience as they talk about predictions and try to imitate their favorite footballers\u2019 skills.<\/p>\n
Kids ages 5 to 7 are the ones showing the most enthusiasm for getting into the sport, the founders note, but parents are also playing an important role by encouraging them and sharing their passion for the international event.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband is an Australian national, and he\u2019s got a lot of pride in his soccer roots, and we\u2019ve been watching [the World Cup], and we thought it\u2019d be exciting for her,\u201d said Madisson Strutton, a mom who dropped off her almost 4-year-old daughter at the soccer academy for her first training session.<\/p>\n
Representatives at South Bronx United, a youth development nonprofit offering free and low-cost soccer programs to students ages 4 to 19, say they\u2019ve always seen interest in soccer among young people since the organization\u2019s founding in 2009.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always been a high interest and demand that we\u2019re able to address. We always have a waitlist for our programs,\u201d said Andrew So, executive director at SBU. \u201cUnfortunately, we\u2019re unable to provide [more programs] because we don\u2019t have the space, the funding or the staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the organization already has 2,000 students enrolled, and more than 75% of them have a Latin American background, Andrew said they already have a connection to the sport, leaving little room for beginners.<\/p>\n
The lack of access to programs at South Bronx United adds to the limited recreational programs offered in the South Bronx neighborhood, Andrew said.<\/p>\n