As the FIFA World Cup approaches, interest in soccer is rising, but understanding isn’t keeping pace.
A new analysis by Action Network reveals that fans across the U.S. are turning to Google to answer the same fundamental questions, from what “offsides” means to how the World Cup actually works. Rather than a single gap, the data shows widespread confusion across rules, terminology, and tournament structure.
To explore this, we analyzed search behavior across all 50 states, identifying not just where confusion is highest, but what each state is searching for most. The result is a nationwide snapshot of how the game is being learned in real time.
That search behavior feeds directly into our Confusion Index, ranking each state based on the volume and type of soccer-related queries. As global interest builds, many fans aren’t just watching the World Cup, they’re figuring it out as they go.
Key Findings
- A small set of questions drives nationwide confusion.
Searches for “what is offsides,” “how does the World Cup work,” and “why is it called football” dominate across the country. - Vermont ranks #1 for World Cup confusion.
It records the highest per-capita score, with a standout spike in searches around stoppage time. - North Dakota (#2) and Delaware (#3) follow.
Both show strong confusion around tournament structure and how the competition works. - California (#50), Florida (#49), and Texas (#48) rank as least confused.
These states show consistently low search activity across all categories. - Different states are confused about different things.
Some focus on rules like offsides, while others search how the tournament works or how to watch it.
Most Googled Soccer Questions by State
Search behavior across the U.S. reveals clear patterns in how people engage with soccer, from core rules to tournament structure.
In many states, rule-based queries dominate. Searches for “what is offsides” are the most common in places like Arizona, Delaware, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, highlighting how one of the game’s core rules remains widely misunderstood.
Elsewhere, interest shifts to how the tournament works. States including Arkansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma most frequently search “how does the World Cup work,” pointing to confusion around format, qualification, and progression.
In some states, terminology is the main barrier. Queries like “why is it called football” lead in Alabama, Connecticut, and Oregon, reflecting a disconnect between global naming conventions and local understanding.
Meanwhile, a smaller group is driven by practical viewing questions. In Alaska, Montana, and Utah, the top query is “how to watch the World Cup,” suggesting growing interest but less familiarity with access.
Key Pattern
Across all states, three questions consistently dominate:
- What is offsides?
- How does the World Cup work?
- Why is it called football?
Together, these capture the core gaps in understanding, spanning rules, structure, and terminology.
Top 10 Most Confused States About the World Cup
The highest-ranking states show a mix of confusion around rules, terminology, and tournament structure, with offsides and World Cup format emerging as the most common gaps.
#1 Vermont
Score: 100
Biggest gap: Terminology
Stands out for a sharp spike in confusion around stoppage time, the single highest topic score in the dataset.
#2 North Dakota
Score: 86.02
Biggest gap: Rules & tournament
Strong confusion across both offsides and how the World Cup works.
#3 Delaware
Score: 81.09
Biggest gap: Tournament
Consistent confusion around format, qualification, and progression.
#4 Wyoming
Score: 80.30
Biggest gap: Rules
Driven by high search interest in offsides and basic gameplay.
#5 Rhode Island
Score: 77.12
Biggest gap: Tournament & rules
Shows overlapping confusion between match rules and tournament structure.
States ranked 6–10 still show notable confusion, but it’s more concentrated in specific areas.
#6 Alaska
Score: 64.12
Biggest gap: General curiosity
Led by viewing-related searches like how to watch the World Cup.
#7 New Hampshire
Score: 60.73
Biggest gap: Tournament
Centred on format and qualification.
#8 Montana
Score: 56.32
Biggest gap: Rules
Heavily focused on offsides.
#9 South Dakota
Score: 50.56
Biggest gap: General
Reflects entry-level understanding of the game.
#10 West Virginia
Score: 48.67
Biggest gap: Tournament
Driven by confusion around how the competition is structured.
States With the Strongest Understanding of the World Cup
At the other end of the index, several states show consistently low levels of confusion, indicating a stronger baseline understanding of the game.
California ranks #50 (least confused overall), followed by Florida (#49) and Texas (#48), with New York and Hawaii also among the lowest.
Across these states, search activity remains low across rules, terminology, and tournament structure, suggesting familiarity rather than the need to search for basic explanations.
Expert Insight
A spokesperson for Action Network said:
“What we’re seeing isn’t a lack of interest in soccer, it’s a learning curve happening in real time. As the World Cup gets closer, fans aren’t just watching the game, they’re actively trying to understand it. From offsides to tournament format, the same questions are coming up again and again, and that’s exactly what you’d expect as the sport reaches new audiences across the country.”
What This Means Ahead of the World Cup
The data shows that interest in soccer is no longer the barrier; understanding is.
Across the U.S., search behavior points to the same core gaps, from rules like offsides to how the World Cup is structured. These aren’t niche questions; they’re the fundamentals of the game, and they’re being searched at scale.
At the same time, the variation between states highlights how uneven that understanding still is. While some show strong familiarity across all areas, others are still searching for basic explanations, particularly around match rules and tournament format.
As the World Cup approaches, that gap is likely to close quickly. But for now, the data suggests that millions of fans won’t just be watching the tournament; they’ll be learning it in real time.
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Methodology
The World Cup Confusion Index measures how well soccer rules, terminology, and tournament structure are understood across all 50 U.S. states, using search behavior as a proxy for knowledge gaps.
Data timeframe
Search data was collected over a five-year period (April 2021 to April 2026) to capture sustained interest, including spikes around recent major tournaments.
Keyword selection
A total of 16 search queries were analysed and grouped into four categories:
- Rules confusion (40%): e.g. “what is offsides,” “soccer rules explained”
- Tournament confusion (25%): e.g. “how does the World Cup work,” “group stage”
- Terminology confusion (20%): e.g. “why is it called football,” “stoppage time”
- General curiosity (15%): e.g. “soccer basics,” “how to watch the World Cup”
Data Collection
Search interest was sourced using the Google Trends API. Because Google Trends provides relative (not absolute) search data, an anchor keyword (“soccer rules explained”) was included across all datasets to ensure consistency.
Normalization
All keyword data was scaled to a 0–100 index. A zero-smoothing method was applied to prevent division errors in low-volume states.
Scoring System
Each state received category-level scores based on average search interest, then a weighted Raw Confusion Score:
Raw Confusion Score =
(Rules × 0.40) + (Tournament × 0.25) + (Terminology × 0.20) + (General × 0.15)
Population adjustment
To ensure fair comparison, scores were adjusted per capita using U.S. Census population estimates. Final rankings were based on this per-capita score, normalized so the highest state equals 100.
Sources
- Google Trends (via pytrends API)
- U.S. Census Bureau (2025 population estimates)
