
Do soccer fans like American football and the NFL? How does their interest compare to other sports? Just how much of the NFL do they watch? Which NFL teams do soccer fans root for?
With the Super Bowl LIX participants decided and kickoff fast approaching, we investigated NFL fandom among soccer fans to see just how much they care about the league and the big game—an appropriate name for a sporting event which attracted 123.4 million viewers last year.
For context, the most-watched soccer game in American history was the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup Final between Argentina and France, which had nearly 27 million viewers (Front Office Sports).
Before we dive in, let’s set the stage. Insights below are from YouGov via a mid-January dataset and we framed the “soccer fans” segment around those actively watch or follow the sport.
The Multi-Sport Landscape
Let’s start at the top of the funnel, so to speak, with the sports soccer fans have watched most on TV in the past 12 months. Among this segment, the NBA leads the way with nearly half saying they’ve watched the league. Just behind are MLS, European soccer, the NFL (41%), and WWE to round out the top five most-watched sports on TV by soccer fans.

While the NFL ranks fourth among soccer fans, it’s particularly noteworthy that it holds the top position among the general population. This contrast, combined with soccer fans’ higher overall NFL viewership rate (41% vs. 38%), reveals an audience that consumes a broader spectrum of sports content than the average American.
NFL Sentiment and Engagement
Soccer fans’ relationship with the NFL extends beyond viewership. They demonstrate remarkably positive sentiment toward the league, with 56% holding favorable impressions—significantly higher than the national average of 42%. Even more telling is their notably lower negative impression rate of 10% compared to the national average of 16%.

This positive sentiment translates into meaningful engagement. In a separate insight, nearly 80% of soccer fans express some level of interest in the NFL, with 56% being either “somewhat” or “highly” interested in the league. Perhaps most revealing is that only 21% report no interest in the NFL, compared to 33% of the general population.
Viewing Patterns
Soccer fans’ NFL consumption habits illustrate a deeply engaged audience. Over one-thirds (35%) are dedicated viewers, with 17% watching almost every game of their favorite team and 18% watching most games—the latter notably higher than the national average of 12%. Another 19% tune in for some regular season games and playoffs, while 10% focus on only playoff action.

Team Loyalty and Urban Connection
When it comes to team preferences, soccer fans’ strong urban presence shapes their allegiances. With 52% living in cities (compared to 37% nationally), it’s no surprise that teams from major metropolitan areas dominate their favorites. The New York Giants (12%), Dallas Cowboys (11%), New York Jets (11%), and Los Angeles Rams (9%) lead in popularity. Notably, the Kansas City Chiefs (9%) round out the five favorite teams. More on them in a second.
To further the insight about the influence of residence location on NFL fandom, the New York, Dallas, and Los Angeles DMAs account for an estimated 29% of all soccer fans. With nearly a third of fandom accounted for, it’s no wonder the teams in the respective cities account for the largest percentages of fandom (especially when all but the Rams are… bad).

The Chiefs’ string of success coupled with Taylor Swift’s added attention have helped the team become the favorite among the general audience (9%) and helped them move into the top five among soccer fans. Behind them among the national audience’s preferences are several national brands, including the Dallas Cowboys (9%), New York Giants (7%), San Francisco 49ers (7%), and the Green Bay Packers (6%).
For additional context, the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC representative in the Super Bowl, are 8th in fandom among the national audience (6%), but drop to 10th among soccer fans (2%).
Super Bowl LIX: Building Excitement
After starting broadly with the sport soccer fans watched most on TV in the past 12 months and then narrowing our scope to general NFL interest and team fandom, we come to the bottom of the funnel and the Super Bowl.
In terms of general interest, 60% of soccer fans express moderate to high interest in the big game, while 21% are not at all interested. There’s a similar pattern of interest among the general audience, however nearly a third have no interest in the Super Bowl.
Now for the fun part. Before we share who soccer fans think will win, let’s talk about the game itself. What parts of the Super Bowl do fans care about most?

Over a third (39%) say the game itself is their favorite aspect, versus 31% of the national audience. The biggest difference between the perspectives of soccer fans and the national audience comes with the halftime show, where soccer fans are roughly 50% more likely to consider the spectacle their favorite aspect of the broadcast.
Why the disparity in interest in the halftime show? A big part of that likely comes down to age, as the halftime spectacle, at least of late, has been geared toward younger audiences—and soccer fans fit the bill. Nearly 60% of soccer fans (59%) are between the ages of 18-34 versus only 30% of the national audience.
And one other note to tie things back to this year’s Super Bowl. Although this February 6, 2024 YouGov insight is slightly outdated, when soccer fans were asked to choose from a provided list which Super Bowl halftime performance in recent history was the best, the highest percentage (22%) went to the 2022 ensemble of Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and this year’s performer, Kendrick Lamar.
Who will win Super Bowl LIX?
It all comes down to this. The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for the NFL’s first-ever three-peat and the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to avenge their three-point loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, played in 2023.
Who do soccer fans think will win? According to YouGov data from January 24, 2025 (before the conference championships were played), 28% of soccer fans expect the Chiefs to be victorious, while 12% expect the Eagles to win. Fewer than a quarter (22%) don’t care about the result, while a combined 33% still had belief in the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders.
So, there you have it! We’ll see how Super Bowl plays out as we watch alongside over 120 million other fans in America.