Former USMNT striker Herculez Gómez has strongly disagreed with Olivier Giroud’s claim that the United States is not a football country. Gómez believes the problem is not a lack of football fans in America. Instead, he says people shouldn’t judge football’s popularity in the country solely by looking at Major League Soccer (MLS) or the U.S. men’s national team.
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Now, speaking on Duel Nats, Herculez Gomez rejected Giroud’s claim.
“I disagree wholeheartedly,” Herculez Gomez said on Duel Nats via GOLZ. “It’s a football mad country, which is why the World Cup comes here and you have 6.8 million attendees at the World Cup, over 90% attendance rates for the World Cup.”
“It’s why the Club World Cup comes here and it’s a massive success, why they have international friendlies at the Big House in Michigan and it’s Manchester United versus Liverpool and there are 120,000 at the Big House.”
For context, the 2014 World Cup spent a year in America with LAFC before returning to Europe, signing with LOSC Lille in the summer of 2025. Now, a year after his MLS stint, the 40-year-old made a few controversial comments about why he didn’t enjoy his time with Los Angeles FC.
The comments didn’t go down well with Gomez, and the attendance numbers support his argument. According to an Inside FIFA report, the 2026 World Cup drew nearly 7 million spectators across 104 matches, with stadiums near full capacity. However, the United States, Canada and Mexico jointly hosted the tournament. Thus, these numbers cover all three countries, not just the United States.
The figures show strong fan interest in major international football events. However, attracting fans to the World Cup differs from getting them to watch domestic league matches regularly. However, the former USMNT star also pointed out that Mexican football remains popular.
“It’s why on a Wednesday night, Chivas versus Club América in Pasadena will sell out with 90,000 people, why the Premier League is so watched here, why the Mexican League is so watched here,” the former striker explained.
These examples show that many American fans enjoy watching international teams and competitions. However, large crowds at a few major matches do not mean every domestic game will draw the same crowd. According to Gomez, that may be the problem.
“Where he is confused is this is not an MLS country. It’s not a U.S. men’s national team country. That’s why he didn’t feel that,” Gomez continued. “But it is a footballing country, a proper footballing country, a market that many see and want to take advantage of.”
“What it’s not? Well, it’s not Major League Soccer country. They don’t see the U.S. men’s national team and say, ‘Hey, this is a team we want to blow the doors down to cheer for, stampede to come into the stadium’.”
Giroud’s comments reflect the difference between the football atmosphere he experienced in Europe and what he experienced in Los Angeles. However, his time at one club cannot explain how popular football is across an entire country.
Ultimately, America’s football problem isn’t a lack of fans, but a gap between the sport’s popularity and the support MLS and the USMNT receive.
What do the numbers say about football’s popularity in America?
While America has a large audience for football, the real challenge is getting more fans to follow MLS and attend its matches regularly. A 2024 YouGov survey also found that American football fans follow several leagues. At least 60% of MLS fans also followed either La Liga or the English Premier League.
The survey also found that 17% of the general US population showed interest in MLS. The Premier League attracted 16%, while La Liga attracted 14%. These results suggest American football fans don’t always limit themselves to one league. They may follow MLS and international football at the same time.
Signs also suggest MLS faces challenges attracting regular matchday crowds. Sports Business Journal reported that MLS averaged 21,988 spectators per match during the 2025 regular season. This was a 5% drop from 2024. However, the league still attracted more than 11 million fans overall.
These figures show both sides of the situation. MLS still attracts millions of fans, but it must keep building interest and bringing more people to its matches.
The disagreement between Herculez Gomez and Olivier Giroud highlights a major challenge for football in America. The country can attract huge crowds for international tournaments and famous clubs, but MLS and the USMNT still need to build stronger connections with these fans.
The main question is not whether Americans watch football. It is whether the country’s domestic league and national team can turn that interest into regular support.