Key Takeaways
- U.S. Soccer’s Soccer Forward Foundation and Common Goal registered 551 Soccer Forward Fests across 46 states as of June 30, 2026, with more than 85,000 participants expected through October 31.
- Roughly 83 percent of Fests are youth-focused, and more than half took place outside the tournament’s 11 U.S. host cities.
- Any group could register a Fest without U.S. Soccer membership, and many organizers were not existing members.
- Nearly 200 community organizations participated, spanning schools, parks, cultural groups, and soccer clubs.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has crowned its champion, the stadiums have emptied, and the question now facing U.S. soccer is the one that always outlasts a tournament: what stays behind. For U.S. Soccer’s Soccer Forward Foundation and Common Goal, the answer is taking shape across 551 Soccer Forward Fests registered in 46 states as of June 30, 2026, community-led events built to turn a summer of global attention into local participation that continues past the final whistle. Based on registration data, the organizations expect more than 85,000 participants at Fests held between March 3 and October 31, 2026, meaning the initiative runs well beyond the tournament itself.
From the start, the Fests were never scored by wins. They counted minutes played, first touches, and the number of kids trying the sport for the first time, a framing that looks more deliberate now that the scoreboard results are history and the community results are what remain.
A Nationwide Celebration Built From Local Moments
A Soccer Forward Fest could be a festival, a field day, a watch party, a clinic, or a neighborhood celebration. The unifying thread was local ownership. “Fests are led by communities, each with their unique approach to celebrating the joy of the game and keeping score of what matters most to the community or organization hosting,” said Lex Chalat, Executive Director of the Soccer Forward Foundation, and Mary Connor, Chief Executive Officer of Common Goal.
Nearly 200 community organizations took part, according to the initiative’s June 30 figures, across cities and rural towns, schoolyards and parks, cultural groups and established soccer clubs. Chalat and Connor pointed less to any single standout event than to the collective picture: “Rather than one defining moment, it’s the collective impact of hundreds of communities coming together that best captures what Soccer Forward Fest is all about.”
Reaching Communities Beyond the Host Cities
The 2026 tournament was spread across 11 U.S. host cities, but the Fests data points to activity well outside those markets. More than half of all registered Fests took place outside host cities, according to Chalat and Connor, and many were led by organizers who were not existing U.S. Soccer members.
That accessibility was intentional. Hosting did not require a registered club or U.S. Soccer membership, and the organizations provided a public Soccer Forward Fests Toolkit with planning guides, promotional templates, and branding assets. “Soccer already lives in communities everywhere, and Soccer Forward Fests provide a way for those communities to celebrate the game in ways that feel authentic and meaningful to them,” Chalat and Connor said.
Who the Fests Set Out to Include
Inclusion ran through the reported activity. Organizers prioritized girls’ participation, welcomed refugee and immigrant families, and built accessible experiences for neurodivergent youth. Most Fests were youth-focused, though many also welcomed parents, siblings, and neighbors, reflecting the organizers’ view that lasting impact comes when entire communities are engaged. “We have a unique opportunity to ensure that legacy is defined by greater access, increased participation, stronger community connections, safe places to play, and a lifelong love of the game,” Chalat and Connor said.
The First Touch That Outlasts the Tournament
With the World Cup now in the record books, Chalat and Connor measure success by what a child carries forward. They hope young people who tried soccer for the first time this year discovered there is no single right way to belong to the game, whether that means playing, watching, refereeing, coaching, or volunteering. The timing gives that hope room to grow: the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup are both headed to the United States, and the organizations are working to ensure a first touch at a neighborhood Fest this summer becomes the start of a much longer relationship with the sport.
Source: Soccer Forward Foundation and Common Goal, executive interview responses provided to YSBR, July 2026, https://www.ussoccer.com/soccer-forward/fests-toolkit
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