Messi billboards are up, but Americans aren't watching — why the World Cup host nation seems indifferent

NBA Finals overlapping with World Cup … 'All eyes are on the Knicks'

Ticket prices also a factor — cheapest seats going for $1,120

A billboard featuring Argentina captain Lionel Messi is displayed on a building at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 3. [EPA]

The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kicked off June 11 local time, but the host nation appears largely unmoved. Some Americans reportedly do not even know the tournament is underway. So what is behind the indifference?

British broadcaster BBC reported that Americans have their attention fixed on the NBA Finals rather than the World Cup, even as the world's biggest sporting event unfolds on home soil.

"The World Cup has started, but the United States is still a country where basketball and American football command more attention than soccer," the broadcaster said.

In major host cities such as New York and Los Angeles, the NBA Finals have generated far more buzz than the World Cup — largely because the New York Knicks have advanced to the championship series.

The Knicks need just one more win to claim the title against the San Antonio Spurs. A victory would give New York its first championship since 1973, ending a 53-year drought.

The fervor has spilled into the streets: fans climbed atop vehicles along Manhattan's avenues to celebrate, and bars filled with crowds watching the basketball games, BBC reported.

"Honestly, I haven't really thought about the World Cup at all," one Knicks fan told BBC. "Right now, nothing else matters except the Knicks." Another fan said they planned to start watching the World Cup once the NBA Finals were over.

Fans react while watching Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Central Park in New York on June 10 local time. [AP]

Knicks fans cheer during Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Central Park in New York on June 10 local time. [AP]

That is not to say the World Cup has left no mark on the country. New York's subway cars have been decorated in the colors of participating nations, and a giant Lionel Messi billboard looms over Times Square. Even so, BBC said the tournament has yet to make a significant impression on the daily lives of most Americans.

The scene in Los Angeles is much the same. World Cup promotional materials have gone up around the airport and across the city center, but those with no interest in soccer remained unaware that the tournament had even begun. One taxi driver asked BBC, "The World Cup is happening? Who's playing?"

A Scottish fan visiting Boston said a postal worker asked why he had come to the United States, and when he replied it was for the World Cup, the worker assumed he was on vacation. "I was wearing my Scotland kit and they still had no idea the World Cup was going on," he said.

Soaring ticket prices have also dampened interest. Even as the United States' season opener approached, seats remained available — but the cheapest tickets were listed at $1,120 (about 1.5 million won), putting the tournament effectively out of reach for families.

Chris, a Los Angeles resident, told BBC that both his daughters play soccer and the family loves the World Cup, but they plan to watch from home. "The ticket prices are a whole other issue," he said.

The entrance to a stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 4 local time. [EPA]

However, there is cautious optimism that interest will build now that the tournament is underway. Larry Freedman, co-president of LAFC, said enthusiasm has been growing gradually but predicted it would surge once the competition got going. "Los Angeles is a city of people from all over the world — the passion will come alive," he said.

Experts say the tournament's success in the United States will hinge on how far the American team advances. If the US side clears the group stage and makes a deep run in the knockout rounds, interest could rise sharply.

BBC noted that a recent open training session for the US national team drew 30,000 applications for an event with only 5,000 spots — a sign that latent interest exists. The broadcaster also said the tournament could reshape the future of American soccer, much as the 1994 World Cup in the United States helped spark the founding of Major League Soccer and broadened the sport's appeal across the country.

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