Is California the Soccer Capital of the U.S.?

A recent study suggests that, yes, it might just be. The research from BetMGM examined every player from the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) who participated in the World Cup from 1930 to 2022, and it turns out no other state has produced as much World Cup talent as California.

In fact, California leads by a significant margin. Players from the state have participated in a striking 72 World Cup matches, scoring nine goals along the way. That’s ten times the appearances of any other state—pretty impressive, right?

A good chunk of those moments can be credited to Landon Donovan, widely regarded as the top American male player of his generation. He holds the record with 12 appearances and has netted five goals in World Cup play.

New Jersey takes a distant second place, contributing 14 players who played in 69 matches, while Missouri follows with 13 players and 40 games played.

Interestingly, a little over half of the U.S. states—27 in total—haven’t had a single player in a World Cup. Additionally, 40 out of the 50 states have not produced a World Cup scorer at all.

Looking ahead, USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino is gearing up to announce his roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it’s anticipated that four more players from California will make the cut.

This study underlines a clear message: soccer in the U.S. has plenty of growth potential, but one thing is certain—California’s influence on the World Cup is significant.