World Cup Soccer Confidence Among American Adults

During the World Cup happening in the U.S., many American men seem to have a pretty high opinion of their soccer skills. In fact, nearly a quarter are “definitely or probably” confident that they could score a penalty in a World Cup match.

A YouGov poll surveyed American men and women across various age groups and political affiliations, and the findings were intriguing.

In total, around 19% of U.S. adults feel they could make a penalty kick, with 15% of women and 24% of men believing they can pull it off.

The confidence levels were highest among younger adults, particularly those aged 18-29. A significant 41% of men in this group think they would succeed if given the chance.

Interestingly, about 23% of women in the same age demographic feel similarly confident.

For those aged 30 to 44, 32% of men and 19% of women expressed that they could get past the goalie for a penalty shot.

However, confidence wanes in older groups, with just 18% of men and 10% of women in the 45-64 bracket claiming they could score. The lowest confidence is noted in participants over 65, with only 11% of men and 6% of women believing they could find the net.

Political affiliation seems to play a role, too. Among Republican men under 45, a striking 58% think they can score on penalties, while only 28% of Democrats and 26% of independents share this belief.

This sense of inflated soccer prowess extends to women as well. About 34% of Republican women under 45 feel they could score, compared to 21% of young Democratic women and just 14% of independents.

YouGov mentioned that there were no significant differences in confidence levels among those aged 45 and up.

The survey was carried out online from July 9 to 10, involving 6,297 U.S. adults, with a margin of error around 1.5 percentage points.