​COLUMBIA — Tables were filling up at a restaurant in South Carolina’s capital as eager American fans, donning USA hats and shirts, streamed in to watch the United States men’s national team pursue a more lasting foothold for soccer. Having won its World Cup group, the U.S. team had advanced to the Round of 16 and faced its most daunting test of the tournament on Monday against European powerhouse Belgium. For many in the room, it was a must-see event.
Carolina Ale House in Columbia started to fill for an official watch party on Monday, July 6, 2026, ahead of the USA vs. Belgium match in the World Cup. The scene was captured by Pete Iacobelli, a photographer contributing to the SC Daily Gazette. “This is really something,” remarked Patrick Burnette, co-owner of Soda City Football Club, which organized the gathering at Carolina Ale House.
This World Cup represented another opportunity for soccer—the world’s most popular sport—to grow a stronger foothold in American culture. Burnette is in his second season with Soda City FC, a club that operates a men’s team competing regionally and supports a robust youth program where boys and girls can learn the fundamentals of the game and prepare for the soccer futures they hope to pursue. He believes that the World Cup’s visibility and the rising profile of the men’s national team will generate more inquiries from families seeking to keep their kids engaged with the sport.
“The more success the U.S. has,” Burnette said, “the more soccer will come to the forefront of our sports scene here, taking its place beside football, baseball, and basketball.”
Soccer has long pursued a stronger foothold in American sports culture, with several notable milestones along the way. The late 1970s brought a buzz when the North American Soccer League featured international stars like Brazil’s Pele and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer, whose appearances drew large crowds in the United States. The U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, giving Americans a chance to see the world’s best play up close on familiar turf. The U.S. women’s national team has forged its own dynasty, securing four World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019) and five Olympic gold medals, including the most recent victory in Paris two years ago. Each success has helped grow the game within South Carolina, a state already notable for its college programs.
At the University of South Carolina, the sport has seen representation from the national team on its rosters, including forwards Clint Mathis (1994–1997) and Josh Wolff (1995–1997) and goalkeeper Brad Guzan (2003–2004). The state’s college scene has contributed to the broader soccer culture, reinforcing the sport’s footprint in South Carolina and fueling local enthusiasm for the national team’s World Cup journey.
In Columbia, the 2022SC Department of Transportation initiative recognizing school pride in Clemson’s soccer achievements—highlighting a highway sign unveiled at the Statehouse to celebrate Clemson’s 2023 national championship—became another marker of the region’s growing engagement with soccer and its achievements across the sport’s spectrum.