<p>According to Google, the English FA Cup is more popular in the United States than the FIFA Club World Cup. Data from Google Trends, an online tool provided by Google to measure interest based on web searches, reveals some fascinating data ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup hosted across 11 cities in the United States this summer.</p>



<p>First, <a href="https://trends.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Trends</a> data from the last 12 months (see below) shows that the English FA Cup has been more popular than the Club World Cup during eight of the past twelve months. The four months where web searches for the FIFA Club World Cup were more popular were July, October, November, and December, all in 2024.</p>



<p>Web searches for the Club World Cup increased in October after the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/fifa-reveals-12-us-stadiums-for-club-world-cup/">11 host cities were announced</a> on September 29. In November, Inter Miami was controversially awarded a place in the competition. Certainly, December’s FIFA Club World Cup <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/lionel-messi-and-inter-miami-draw-accessible-group-in-fifa-club-world-cup-while-seattle-sounders-land-in-the-group-of-death/">draw</a> and the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/club-world-cup-tv-schedule-streaming-links/">schedule</a> being revealed drew a lot of interest. Last, but not least, it’s likely that the Club World Cup drove more web searches in July 2024 stemming from the publicity that <a href="https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/fifa-starts-over-with-club-world-cup-rights-tender/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FIFA had to find a new TV partner</a> for the competition after <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/concerns-about-fifa-finding-a-broadcaster-for-club-world-cup/">Apple dropped out</a> of the running.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250212_WST_554333_club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-1200x675_184ec9ee.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-554345" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/11114127/club-world-cup-fa-cup-google-trends.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>Interest in the FIFA Club World Cup has almost flatlined since tickets went on sale</h2>



<p>Second, after the draw and schedule were announced in December, interest in the FIFA Club World Cup has decreased compared to December. This is despite tickets going on sale since December 19. According to a new report last week, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14369409/Club-World-Cup-tickets-FIFA-tournament.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FIFA has slashed ticket prices</a> for the Club World Cup after concerns about a lack of interest in the controversial tournament.</p>



<p>Third, Google Trends reports that the English FA Cup is more popular than the FIFA Club World Cup in all 50 states. Out of the 50 states, the two that have generated the most interest in the FIFA Club World Cup are Florida followed by Washington state. Unsurprisingly, that’s because those are the only two states where U.S.-based teams are competing in the competition after Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami qualified.</p>



<h2>Reasons for lack of interest in FIFA Club World Cup</h2>



<p>In theory, an expanded FIFA Club World Cup featuring 32 of the best teams around the world, competing to be crowned world champion should generate a lot of interest in the United States. However, there is very little pent-up demand for a competition like this. Fans of individual clubs are excited, but as we’ve repeatedly seen from previous Club World Cups, the interest in the competition based on TV viewership is minuscule. </p>



<p>Thus far, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup feels like a glorified International Champions Cup. The vast majority of the clubs participating from Europe have played in the United States during most summers, so this is nothing new.</p>



<p>Certainly, interest in the Club World Cup will pick up in late spring as the tournament nears. Until then, FIFA has a lot of selling to do to convince fans to watch the competition exclusively on <a href="https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4Joc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">DAZN</a> or to attend in person.</p>



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<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="&apos;This is PLASTIC&apos; 😬 - Craig Burley is NOT in favor of FIFA Club World Cup | ESPN FC" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ASa15dEQexU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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FA Cup more popular than FIFA Club World Cup in United States

What do the FA Cup and Club World Cup have in common? According to Google Trends, quite a lot based on interest from the public.

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<p>According to Google, Wrexham AFC is more popular than every MLS team in the United States except Inter Miami. The 2024 data is from <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Trends</a>, Google’s website that analyzes the popularity of top search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages.</p>



<p>Owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham AFC is currently riding a wave of success after — spoiler —&nbsp;the team was <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/what-league-is-wrexham-in/">promoted to League One</a>. The team’s incredible rise and the popularity of the <em>Welcome to Wrexham </em>TV series has jettisoned The Red Dragons into countless conversations in the United States about soccer. Season 3 of the hit TV series debuts May 2nd on FX and <a href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">Hulu</a>.</p>



<h2>Wrexham more popular than MLS teams? Here’s what the research shows: </h2>



<p>Looking closely at the data from Google Trends, the criteria measured each MLS team separately against Wrexham AFC based on searches made in the United States from January 1 through April 14, 2024.</p>



<p>The results of the data are eye-opening. For instance, they reveal:</p>



<ol><li><strong>Nationwide, Wrexham is more popular than every MLS team except for Inter Miami. </strong>Led by captain Lionel Messi, The Herons are more popular than Wrexham in <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2024-01-01%202024-04-14&amp;geo=US&amp;q=%2Fm%2F0_ll3j7,%2Fm%2F025czw&amp;hl=en-US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">48 out of the 50 states</a>. In Montana and Alaska, Wrexham is more popular. However, no other MLS team comes anywhere close to dominating Wrexham like Inter Miami does based on searches in Google.<br></li><li><strong>In its state, and only its state, every MLS team is more popular than Wrexham except for one club. </strong>Outside of their state, there’s a big dropoff in interest in MLS teams. For instance, MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew are more popular than Wrexham in Ohio. Outside of Ohio, Wrexham is more popular than The Crew in the other 49 states. <br><br>The sole MLS team that is less popular than Wrexham in its state is San Jose. Wrexham is more popular than the Earthquakes in all fifty states, including California.<br></li><li><strong>There are only five MLS teams that are more popular than Wrexham</strong> <strong>outside of their own state.</strong> Those are Charlotte FC, which is more popular than Wrexham in North Carolina <em>and </em>South Carolina. New England Revolution (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island), FC Cincinnati (Ohio and Kentucky), DC United (Virginia and Maryland), and Sporting KC (Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska).</li></ol>



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<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="WREXHAM is now a GLOBAL phenomenon: BBC Radio Wales Interview 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #wxmafc" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CPUbQtCae_0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<h2>Findings illustrate one of MLS’ major problems</h2>



<p>Major League Soccer has long struggled to create national interest in the league. If you live in a city where MLS has a team, most local fans are plugged into that team. But nationally, there’s very little interest in the individual clubs. Inter Miami has changed that by signing Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. However, the league still has a long way to go.</p>



<p>For years, MLS tried to force a national interest by often showing games on the FOX network involving teams from Los Angeles and New York City. As seen, time after time, the TV ratings for these games failed to generate much of an impact nationally.</p>



<p>Except for Inter Miami, the inability of MLS teams to move the needle nationally is a concern. Part of that may be historical. For example, many MLS teams had regional sports networks that would broadcast games. When MLS moved to Apple in 2023 with the launch of <a href="https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.7000?itsct=wst_mls&amp;itscg=30200&amp;at=1010l35s4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">MLS Season Pass</a>, MLS ended all of its local broadcast deals.</p>



<h2>The magic of Wrexham AFC</h2>



<p>Wrexham has been able to connect with soccer fans in the United States unlike any MLS team has done except for Messi’s Inter Miami.</p>



<p>In 2022, Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/wrexham-aim-to-be-americas-soccer-team-says-mcelhenney-20221214-WST-412373.html">said</a>, “One of my intentions is to make Wrexham ‘America’s team.’ I don’t know why we couldn’t do that.” Fast forward to 2024, and it appears that Wrexham is well on its way to achieving that goal.</p>



<p>The timing of Wrexham’s promotion to League One is ideal for the club ahead of two major milestones: The release of season 3 of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/welcome-to-wrexham/">Welcome to Wrexham</a>, and a summer USA tour where Wrexham will face Chelsea on July 24 in Santa Clara, CA (<a href="https://vivid-seats.pxf.io/c/330866/952533/12730?u=https%3a%2f%2fwww.vividseats.com%2fchelsea-fc-tickets-levis-stadium-7-24-2024--sports-soccer%2fproduction%2f4862229" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tickets</a> are now available). There are rumors of a potential <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/arsenal-may-face-wrexham-in-las-vegas-summer-friendly/">Wrexham against Arsenal game in Las Vegas</a>, and it’s expected that Wrexham will announce more dates on their US tour soon. Wrexham’s women’s team is also <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/wrexham-women-announce-historic-summer-tour-in-united-states/">heading to the USA</a> this summer.</p>



<h2>What about the MLS teams in Canada?</h2>



<p>While not included in the above United States research data, how did the three MLS teams in Canada do in the popularity contest against Wrexham? Toronto FC fans will be glad to know that TFC is marginally more popular in Canada than the Welsh team. Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal are only more popular than Wrexham in their provinces (British Columbia and Quebec, respectively).</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Wrexham and their TV show is doing as much for soccer in America as MLS is doing right now." 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇺🇸<br><br>A (now) third-tier football club from Northern Wales has pulled off back-to-back promotions and the Morning Footy crew couldn&apos;t be happier 👏 <a href="https://t.co/bFIy6G3Prq">pic.twitter.com/bFIy6G3Prq</a></p>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1779860310016282787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2024</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p><em>Photo: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images</em>.</p>

Wrexham more popular than every MLS team except Inter Miami

Is Wrexham more popular than MLS teams in the United States? The data from Google Trends shows fascinating results.

Wrexham more popular than every MLS team except Inter Miami - World Soccer Talk

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FA Cup more popular than FIFA Club World Cup in United States

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