World Cup is the pinnacle of soccer’s growth in Missouri

By: Nathalie Jopnes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) -- When Missouri's first-ever World Cup match kicks off at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday night, the state's long-standing soccer culture will be on full display.

Over the past few decades, the game of soccer has absolutely exploded in the state of Missouri. In fact, it's the fastest growing major-spectator sport out there.

"I feel like it's you're going to be hard pressed to find somebody who didn't play soccer at some point in their life [in Missouri, now-a-days]," Mizzou soccer coach Stefanie Golan said.

However, soccer wasn't always the booming business that it is now in the Show-Me-State. Coach Golan, as well as former Mizzou soccer coach Bryan Blitz, can remember a much different time.

"When I was growing up it was so limited in terms of your opportunity to be able to continue to play fewer college programs, fewer like no professional league and stuff at the at the time," Golan said. "I think it used to be something where you felt like you had to go someplace else to be able to be exposed to to that level of opportunity and you don't have to."

But in 2026, Missouri-based soccer players have more opportunities than ever. There are more than 100 clubs teams, three professional franchises and many more semi-pro teams, including local squads like the Missouri Reign and AFC Columbia.

All of those opportunities are so important in growing this game because, of course, with more opportunities, comes more talent.

"The top level has so many more programs within it, right?" Golan said. "Like, it used to be again, it used to be the same teams were meeting each other in the championships all the all the time, and now you know you see it coming from all different directions." 

But, even when the Missouri soccer scene was still in its growing stages, the talent that has come out of the state has never been underrated.

"When I was recruiting it, people were coming from all over, all over the country to steal our players," Blitz said.

"I don't know that it's underrated because I think I think it's pretty, it's pretty well appreciated, you know. I think you're seeing, you know, you're seeing players, you know, who have Midwestern roots playing at the highest levels," Golan said. "Do I think that it could be maybe a little bit more accentuated? Absolutely."

On Wednesday night, when Algeria and Argentina meet in the Show-Me State's first World Cup match, it will mark the pinnacle of all the growth that the beautiful game has seen over the years. But, lovers of this game hope that this is only the beginning.

"I would love for there to be, you know, in the most passionate soccer areas multiple pro teams," Golan said, when asked about how she hopes this sport can grow even more. "I think that that's how you grow, you grow in the areas where, where they're the most passionate and I think that could be a real thing."