The differences between US and European soccer

The game of soccer – more commonly known as football – is the most popular sport in the world today and unites people all across the globe in a shared love of ‘the beautiful game.’ Thanks to its simplicity and universal appeal, soccer has become deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of many nations of the world and continues to capture the imagination of young players and spectators from the United States to Europe and beyond. Despite the simple nature of the game, the wider sporting landscape does vary somewhat between different places, and there are some notable differences between US and European soccer. To help you understand the bigger picture, we’ve identified some of the key variations between the two.

The popularity of soccer

First up, the most notable difference between American and European soccer is clearly the level of popularity it enjoys between the two regions. In the United States, soccer is slowly becoming increasingly popular, but it still lags behind the enormous national obsession with other major sports like American football, baseball, and basketball. These longstanding national sports are more deeply embedded in the nation’s cultural landscape, with countless media outlets and fan organizations devoted to them, and it will take time before soccer enjoys the same level of widespread engagement in the US. However, a 2024 report by For Soccer showed that soccer fandom is growing in America, with the number of new fans up by 400% year-on-year. Over time, it’s clear that soccer could become another leading national sport in America.

Meanwhile, in many European nations, football is everything. Soccer is the continent’s favorite sport by a long way, and national teams are a major source of national pride for fans in most European countries. There is a noticeable difference in fan culture on display here, too, as soccer fans in Europe are renowned for their tribalistic devotion to their chosen team. For these fans, the power and importance of soccer cannot be overstated, and passionate displays of emotion are commonly seen during all the major wins and losses along the way. Both local and international rivalries can be seriously intense and dramatic, especially during major tournaments like the Euros, and the sound of chanting, booing, and cheering is deafening during every game. The passion of European soccer fans certainly outweighs the more casual and family-friendly atmosphere at most American soccer games, and it signifies the immense cultural and social history of the iconic game across the continent today.

The structure of the sport

Whilst soccer’s popularity clearly differs between these two parts of the world, the actual structure of the sport itself and the organization of soccer leagues also varies considerably between Europe and the United States. In the US, the most prominent professional league is Major League Soccer (MLS), which is a closed league, meaning there is no promotion or relegation for the teams involved. Within the MLS, individual teams are run as franchises and owned by investors, and their success or failure does not necessarily determine their future on the sporting scene. Alongside the closed nature of American soccer leagues, the format of their competitions is also unique when compared to major European competitions such as the iconic Champions League tournament. In the MLS, teams are faced with a playoff system, featuring a knockout tournament which is used to determine the ultimate winner of the MLS cup.

In European soccer, leagues are organized very differently as they are not closed and instead operate using a promotion and relegation system. Each league is made up of different divisions, and depending on each individual team’s performance, they will be promoted or relegated to higher or lower divisions. To help you understand this system, Casino.org explains relegation in soccer which is one of the most crucial elements of European football leagues today. European tournaments are also very different in nature from those seen in the American MLS. At the end of each season, the league title is awarded to the team with the most points overall, meaning there are no playoffs involved. And because of the near-spiritual status of European football, the cups held aloft by the winners carry an immense prestige and historical significance for European teams, contributing to the enormous levels of passion on display across the continent when it comes to soccer tournaments.

The style of play

Lastly, despite the overarching simplicity of the game of soccer itself, the actual style of gameplay does vary somewhat between American and European players. In the United States, players are clearly influenced by the ethos and mentality of American sporting culture as a whole, displaying a strong focus on their individual athleticism and physical prowess. This is most likely explained by the different coaching techniques experienced by American soccer players, who typically make their way to the MLS via challenging college programs where their individual success is of the utmost importance.

Contrastingly, many of the most promising players in Europe demonstrate an impressive understanding of the more subtle tactical and technical elements of soccer. The complex tactics of the European game are understandable, given that players here are part of a longstanding tradition, with many years of knowledge being passed down to each new generation of players. This means that individual teams have unique styles of playing, and the wide variety of European cultures is even visible on the football pitch. Because of this, some sports analysts argue that the tactical gameplay on display in American soccer is not yet comparable to the much more sophisticated tactics we often see in European games.

With soccer becoming much more popular in the United States, we hope this article has helped you to identify some of the key differences between the versions of the sport seen in Europe and the United States. Whilst this iconic game is an international favorite, thanks to its simple nature, cultural and structural nuances mean that it can certainly be a very different sport depending on the location of the pitch!

30.01.2025