Some analysts deemed soccer popular in the U.S. after the World Cup’s record-breaking viewer ratings this summer, but it is unlikely the attention for the sport will transcend beyond cultural interest because American soccer lacks appeal.

Soccer is the “beautiful game.” It is the most important game in the world because it accomplishes what few sports can by universally unifying people. Soccer cuts across boundaries and languages, yet the U.S invests little attention in the sport when it’s not advertised and hyped for the World Cup – the single most watched sporting event in the world, drawing even bigger crowds than the Olympics.

By not being more involved in soccer, Americans are missing out on a culture bigger than any other sport can offer.

It is peculiar that a sport with so much universal appeal does not resonate with the American public. Americans prefer native sports instead. In the U.S., the Super Bowl is the most watched sports finale, and the National Football League (NFL) is the league that generates the most amount of money.

Perhaps the main reason soccer is not prevalent in the U.S. is because it is not considered an “American” sport.

To U.S. viewers, soccer stars are foreigners that play in clubs outside the country. The sport is recognizable and familiar, but it’s not identifiable in the way that baseball, basketball and American football are.

To have the same marketability, Major League Soccer (MLS) would need more profitable stars and coverage.

During the World Cup, players received a lot of attention, but the U.S. did not break records by just making it out of the group stage because it’s a feat that has been accomplished before. Even though goal keeper Tim Howard amazed many with his incredible saves against Belgium, the excitement from the World Cup will be hard to build up if U.S. soccer continues to be unexceptional. Advertisement, coverage, and attentive efforts to improve MLS could change this.

Presently, Americans who follow soccer are more likely to be fans of leagues in Europe than MLS because it’s more exciting to follow the big names of the game and be a fan of clubs that have large followings.

It’s less exciting to follow soccer in a country that does not seem to enjoy it as much as the rest of the world.