USA: The Emerging Soccer Power in the World?

President of the global soccer organization FIFA, Gianni Infantino, told U.S. President Donald Trump that the “U.S. is on the verge of becoming the soccer power in the world,” according to Forbes.

The comment was made at the World Economic Forum in Davos during the Global Chief Executive Officers dinner.

The U.S. has historically failed to progress in the World Cup in any meaningful way since the tournament’s founding in 1930. As one of the most populous countries possessing some of the best athletes in the world, many have pointed to the U.S.'s lack of interest in the sport compared to powerhouse soccer countries like Germany and Brazil as the reason why the country notoriously trots out an unremarkable international team.

Still, the world rankings conducted by FIFA and Coca-Cola have the U.S. in the top 25 internationally as of December 2019. Could 2022 be the year the U.S. makes a deep run in the World Cup?