Soccer has been called "The Beautiful Game" and nowhere is it more beautiful than in the Hispanic community. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and has been growing exponentially in the United States.
Part of the reason why is the increased influence of Hispanics.
The co-founder of Latinos In Sports, Xavier Gutierrez, says, "It's integral to the cultural identity of the Latino community across the United States and really across the world. It is the historic and traditional sport of this community. And and it spans generations. Clearly the growth of that community and population size and economic power has clearly also resonated and resulted in the growth of soccer."
Major League Soccer says about 30% of its fans are Hispanic while many are watching matches outside the U.S.
Gutierrez notes, "Liga MX, which is the Mexican top tier Mexican league, is the most watched soccer league in the United States."
In fact, during the 2021 season, the viewership of Liga MX in the United States was nearly double the average MLS match.
But that was before Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami of the MLS last year. Messi recently told reporters, through an interpreter, "Today I can tell you I'm very happy with the decision I made. Not just for the sport but for my family and how we live our day to day, how we've enjoyed this city and this new experience and the warm welcome we get from people which is extraordinary from the first day, not just in Miami but the United States in general."
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The United States became a global hot spot for soccer with COPA America over the summer and both the men's and women's World Cups are on the way.
When asked about the Messi effect on the growth of the sport in the U.S. and the influence of the Hispanic community as we move toward the next World Cup, Gutierrez did not hesitate.
"This is going to be literally world-changing. I think Latinos are going to be at the center of its influence and its impact on so many communities across North America. And I'm very excited about it. I think, again, it will be world-changing and I'm glad that it's coming to our backyard," said Gutierrez.
Gutierrez was CEO of the NHL's Arizona Coyotes until the team moved to Salt Lake City after last season. He was the only Latino CEO of a major professional sports franchise in the U.S. who was not the team owner, and now, there are none.
He sees the Hispanic influence on sports expanding well beyond soccer.
"Yes, the rise and continued importance of the Latino community. I always say it's not going to happen. It's here. This is a community that's here that's thriving. That's important today," he said.
The Latino influence is already big and getting bigger. Studies show 13% of the U.S. speaks Spanish at home, giving it the second-largest population of Spanish speakers in the world, trailing only Mexico.
As consumers, Latinos in the U.S. are already a $1 trillion market, which is growing, and sports leagues are taking notice.
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