When the United States was selected to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup 30 years ago, soccer was a minor but growing participant sport in the United States with minimal spectator interest. That fateful announcement on July 4, 1988, set off a chain of events that turned this country into a true Soccer Nation where participation is mainstream and passionate spectating is common.



So the U.S., Mexico, and Canada have now won the right to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the I believe that the event will have a similarly dramatic effect on the game here, far beyond the immediate psychological boost it has given to everyone still experiencing a hangover from the U.S. men’s misadventure in World Cup qualifying.



Let’s take a look at what we can expect from the next eight years as the three nations prepare for the tournament, then consider some possible outcomes for the decades that will follow.



First, it’s worth recalling the staggering legacy of the...