For decades, the world’s most popular sport had difficulty finding a foothold in the United States. While soccer is the most watched and played sport globally, Americans have often considered it a kids’ game. However, that’s in the past. Now, soccer is growing to be more than a youth sport in the U.S.
With multiple professional, semi-pro, and amateur leagues, thousands of adult athletes compete across the country—from the West Coast to New York and every place in between. With the 2025 Club World Cup set this summer in Atlanta, the 2026 FIFA World Cup being played in North America, and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the U.S. will be front and center for the sport over the next two years.
Overseeing amateur soccer is the U.S. Adult Soccer Association (USASA), with over 225,000 members within its leagues and teams. USASA comprises 54 state associations, affiliates, and national and regional leagues.
USASA executive director Bruce Bode believes soccer is at the beginning of a Golden Age in the United States. He says the growth that will change the sport will emanate from the amateur adult sector, including both players and fans. He bases his insight on three phenomena:
- The popularity and growth of youth soccer are finally achieving a tipping point, with increasing players and fans continuing their activity and interest in soccer into adulthood.
- A rise in immigration to the U.S., where the added immigrants, especially Latin and European, will continue their traditional enthusiasm for the sport from their countries of origin.
- Heightened media attention to bring new fans to professional and amateur soccer.
Texas SC participates in
the Major League Soccer
Next Pro Cup in November 2024. North Texas is part of the United Soccer League. Photo courtesy FC Dallas
The League for Clubs
One of the newest leagues to form is The League for Clubs, which started in 2024 as a partnership between the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and existing men’s clubs. Forty-seven clubs joined The League for Clubs for season one, and 43 will play in The League this year.
“In total, we will likely have close to, if not more than, 1,000 players that will take the field in 2025,” says Todd Lisenbee, director of communications for The League.
The League was founded by five club owners—Dennis Crowley of Kingston Stockade FC, Sonny Dalesandro of Tulsa Athletic, Arik Housley of Napa Valley 1839 FC, Adam Lewin of FC Davis, and Andrew Weilgus of Atlantic City FC — alongside the leadership of the Women’s Professional Soccer League.
Frustrated with the lack of transparency, collaboration, direction, and leadership, the five owners decided they needed a change, so they set out to build a league for clubs.
“The partnership with the WPSL was a no-brainer,” Lisenbee says. “Their record of success and growth speaks for itself.”
The 2025 season will be the 27th for the WPSL, which projects more than 150 clubs will compete this year.
The League has its own dedicated staff, but the two leagues constantly collaborate and help each other grow. For example, both leagues partnered with the Gulf Coast Premier League to help bridge the gap between regional and national competitions.
“Since we are a new league, we believe that the GCPL’s decision to partner with us was based, in large part, on their belief in WPSL leadership and our collaboration with them,” Lisenbee says. “While The League will not operate exactly like the WPSL, it has been a huge help to use their best practices, standards, operations manual, and past experiences as a guide. Both leagues know that we can only benefit from collaborating with each other, which leads to sustainability in a volatile amateur soccer world.”
The League for Clubs has seen growing interest since launching.
“Our goal in Year One was to have three conferences of roughly six clubs. We will more than double that number,” says Lisenbee. “While most conferences this season are built around the areas of our founding clubs, we have also gained a presence in the Gulf Coast through our GCPL partnership. We expect more regional league partnerships in the future, especially once we show proof of concept with our GCPL partnership.”
Gulf Coast teams include AFC Mobile, Pensacola FC, Tallahassee Soccer Club, Gulf Coast United in Gulfport, Miss., and Pensacola FC Academy.
Lisenbee says so many clubs are interested in Northern California that the league will have a second division in 2026 and promotion and relegation in the 2026 season.
Northern California clubs are also planning on playing a fall season, which can be duplicated in other parts of the country and possibly become a separate national competition.
Lisenbee said there is a lot of pressure on The League to do well this season. And it’s looking good so far. In early April, The League partnered with the Mountain Premier League to form the Mountain Premier Conference, with three Colorado teams added to the roster on April 5.
The MPL is the third regional league to agree to a strategic partnership with The League for Clubs, joining the Gulf Coast Premier League and Metroplex Premier League. The GCPL will also field a conference in TLFC’s 2025 season, the Gulf Coast Conference.
A path to grow
The League begins play in early May, concluding with a national championship in early August. It is affiliated with USASA and offers benefits such as insurance, registration, referees, and a path to the US Open Cup.
“A lot of the players in our league have professional ambitions and are currently playing college soccer,” Lisenbee says. “Playing in The League is a great way to stay sharp by facing good competition. Some of the older players still hope to be seen but love to be around the sport.”
Many of the players will go on to coach, often for youth organizations associated with the clubs in The League.
Bode recommends that amateur clubs be ready to capitalize on the sport’s growth by building the fanbase with viewing parties, recruitment activities, exhibition games, and fan blogs.
“The next few years will have a dramatic impact on the growth in popularity of soccer in the United States,” says Bode. “Those adult amateur leagues and teams who plan today to maximize their opportunities will have the greatest potential to take their organizations and fan bases to a new level of engagement and participation.”
Lisenbee sees that happening already with The League teams.
“Some of our clubs have crowds near or exceeding 1,000 fans,” Lisenbee says. “Many other fans support online through social media and streamed match broadcasts.”
The League for Clubs also has a goal to limit travel.
“It is the biggest reason why many clubs at this level struggle—10-hour road trips are not a sustainable way to operate financially and also aren’t a sustainable way to build a fanbase,” Lisenbee says. “We hope that through ease of travel, fans will go to some away matches, improving the gameday atmosphere.”
