2 hours ago - Sports

Pennsylvanians' interest in soccer surges after World Cup, poll shows

Isaac Avilucea

Illustration of a cleated-foot kicking a soccer ball stylized as the globe with radiating zig zag action bubbles repeating outwards. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

One more goooooooooaalll! A new Quinnipiac University poll finds 41% of Pennsylvanians are more interested in soccer than they were before the World Cup.

Why it matters: The world's game didn't just captivate Philly. It appears to have scored with Pennsylvanians who usually prefer football played with a pigskin.

Driving the news: The poll of roughly 1,000 Pennsylvanians found the most newfound enthusiasm for the sport among adults between ages 18 and 34. 52% said they're more interested in soccer now than before the tournament.

Not so much with the 65-plus crowd. 62% said they're not any more interested in soccer than before.

What they're saying: Brittany Webb, a media studies professor at Quinnipiac, says responses show "the next generation of soccer fans is already taking shape."

🟥 1 red card: More than half of the fans polled disliked President Trump's involvement in getting striker Folarin Balogun's suspension overturned.

After Trump spoke to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, soccer's governing body reversed the ban, allowing Balogun to play in his team's knockout-round loss to Belgium.

The bottom line: A new champion. Some new soccer converts. FIFA will take that.

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Pennsylvanians' interest in soccer surges after World Cup, poll shows

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