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Soccer ball imports hit record high ahead of 2026 World Cup
Businesses stocked up months early as U.S. soccer ball imports hit nearly $40 million, the highest four-month total since 2002, USA Today found.
- United States imports of soccer balls reached nearly $40 million in the first four months of 2026, the highest four-month total since 2002, according to a USA Today analysis of Census trade data.
- Businesses began stocking up on soccer-related inventory as early as 2025, anticipating the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- Featuring 48 national teams, the expanded tournament will bring matches to 11 host cities in the United States, including New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Philadelphia, Houston, and Kansas City.
- Economist Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics stated, "This import surge testifies to the power of the World Cup to popularize soccer in America."
- America has caught World Cup fever, visible in retail displays like Adidas soccer balls at Dick's Sporting Goods in Tustin, California, as the tournament runs through July 19.
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29 Articles
29 Articles
The Times of Northwest Indiana+28 Reposted by 28 other sources
Soccer ball imports hit record high ahead of 2026 World Cup
America has caught World Cup fever, and it is showing up in an unlikely place: trade data.
·Cherokee County, United States
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Total News Sources29
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center25Last UpdatedBias Distribution86% Center
Bias Distribution
- 86% of the sources are Center
86% Center
14%
C 86%
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