With the 2026 World Cup in the rearview mirror, the work now begins to push American soccer forward. And part of the process includes keeping fans engaged with soccer now that the tournament is done. For United States Men’s National Team midfielder Tyler Adams, the hope is that fans can continue to show their support for the national team as they begin a new a World Cup cycle.
“I hope the support we received during the World Cup stays true for moments outside of them,” Adams said in an interview with
Stars & Stripes FC. “Hopefully we created a product on the field that now has fans feeling like they’re relatable to us as players, we represent the country the right way, every time we put the red, white and blue on we show that passion.”
Tyler Adams spoke with Stars & Stripes FC as part of his work with Allstate opening up a mini-pitch in the Sandtown area of Atlanta in the south of Fulton County. “This was a process that started three years ago with Allstate and U.S. Soccer Foundation,” Adams said of the mini-pitch initiative. “It’s an amazing concept in terms of the infrastructure, it’s not overly complicated. It gives these kids the opportunity to go out and play as much as they want. Giving them the exposure in places where they might not have something like that is super important to me. It’s something I would’ve wanted as a kid.”
Part of keeping fans engaged with the sport of soccer as well as the national team means giving them more opportunities to play and grow with the game. And, it’s about the USMNT building on their showing at the World Cup through other competitions. They will have four matches during the newly-created September-October international window as they await the results of the Concacaf Nation League group stage. They enter that competition in November when they participate in the Nations League quarterfinals. But, Adams knows that the team has to continue to play well to bring even more support in and get fans excited for the qualifying road that begins next year.
“Starting off the [World Cup] the way we did, that’s something fans locked into. It’s not going to happen overnight, and I think it’s just the start of it.”
