NEW TO SOCCER?

COST

Soccer is inexpensive to get started. Cleats, shin guards and soccer socks are the only necessary equipment purchases prior to joining a team. For player joining a recreational team, costs can range from under $100 to thousands for competitive play and specialized training.

GLOBAL REACH

Soccer is known to be the most popular sport in the world, and one of the few that is played in nearly every country. To get a gauge of fan base popularity, 2022 final in Qatar set the all-time record at 1.42 billion global viewers. By comparison, the 2026 Super Bowl had an estimated 180 million viewers worldwide.

Globally FIFA reports over 250 million participants, which makes soccer easily the world's most popular sport based on participation. Even in the US, soccer trails only basketball in total participation.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

Soccer is one of the easier sports to learn. Due to infrequent stoppages in play, there is a lot of time and space for free play and creativity. There are only a couple of major tactical regulations, such as offsides, that need to be learned before jumping into the sport.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Soccer requires a high fitness ability, specifically endurance and agility.  On average, a pro soccer player will run a total of 7 miles per game, depending on level of participation and position played.

INJURIES

The most common injuries in soccer are sprains and strains of ankles and knees. Although there are other major injuries, such as concussions and ACL tears that can be prevalent mostly at the higher levels, severity and recovery time for soccer injuries tends to be low compared to other team sports.