'That could be me': How the World Cup could inspire New Jersey’s next soccer generation

NEW JERSEY - With the World Cup now weeks away, New Jersey Youth Soccer is working to make sure the tournament’s impact is felt far beyond the matches at New York New Jersey Stadium.

What we know:

New Jersey Youth Soccer is planning a range of community events, watch parties and soccer activations across the state leading into and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

One planned event is "New Jersey Soccer Day at the Dream," this summer at American Dream. The event is expected to bring together families, players, clubs and fans through interactive experiences tied to the World Cup quarterfinals.

The organization is involved with the Goya Presents Flag Cities initiative, which is aimed at connecting local communities to the global celebration around the tournament.

But according to Evan Dabby, the World Cup push is not only about events. NJ Youth Soccer is also using the tournament as a platform to expand access initiatives tied to underserved communities, girls participation and adaptive soccer programming, including TOPSoccer and Let’s Play.

Not every kid will get to a World Cup match. That’s the point

World Cup tickets, travel and demand will put live matches out of reach for many families. NJ Youth Soccer says part of its focus is making sure kids who never enter a stadium still feel connected to the tournament.

"Bottom line, our major focus is making sure kids and families who may never attend a World Cup match still feel connected to the experience through local programming and community engagement," Dabby said.

That local programming could include festivals, watch parties, soccer activations and community-based events designed to bring the World Cup atmosphere closer to families across New Jersey.

Youth soccer is already growing in New Jersey

NJ Youth Soccer currently includes more than 400 member clubs and more than 120,000 players statewide.

Participation has been steadily rising in recent years, according to figures shared by Dabby:

2025-2026: 120,000+ players
2024-2025: 113,000 players
2023-2024: 112,000 players
2022-2023: 111,000 players
2021-2022: 106,000 players

Dabby said youth soccer leaders have seen an "inspiration effect" or "halo effect" around major tournaments before, and they expect the same from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"Throughout the past several years, youth soccer participation has been steadily growing throughout New Jersey– with a particularly large uptick following the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025," Dabby said. "We expect another big increase following the FIFA World Cup 2026!"

The World Cup bump could go beyond travel soccer

Dabby said the expected surge is about more than adding players to existing teams.

According to NJ Youth Soccer, the World Cup could also increase interest in volunteering, refereeing, community engagement and partnerships connected to the sport.

"It’s bigger than just growth in travel soccer– it’s community engagement, volunteers, referee participation, and partnerships tied to the sport," Dabby said.

The organization says corporate partnerships will be important after the World Cup, especially if youth programs see a new wave of interest from families.

Dabby said NJ Youth Soccer has not raised its membership registration fees in about 10 years, largely because of corporate support from brands including PRIME, Dick’s Sporting Goods, RWJBarnabas Health, Capelli Sport and JAG Physical Therapy, along with grants from the State of New Jersey and U.S. Soccer’s Innovate to Grow Fund.

That support, he said, helps keep soccer more accessible for families.

Building places to play after the final whistle

The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The stadium is also set to host multiple matches during the tournament, including group-stage and knockout-round games.

For NJ Youth Soccer, the focus is not just on what happens during the tournament.

"The goal is not simply to create a temporary spike in interest—it is to build infrastructure, programs, and partnerships that strengthen the soccer ecosystem in New Jersey for decades to come," Dabby said.

One example is NJ Youth Soccer’s collaboration with the NYNJ Host Committee and the U.S. Soccer Foundation to support and celebrate the opening of multiple mini-pitches in communities that have historically had limited access to safe places to play soccer, including Newark and Jersey City.

Dabby said more cities are expected to be announced.

NJ Youth Soccer is also working with New York Life to bring Let’s Play, a fully funded after-school program, to the Boys & Girls Club of Newark. Dabby said the organization hopes it will be the first of many similar programs across the state.

The organization is also supporting Soccer Forward’s Soccer at Schools initiative in partnership with Bank of America, which Dabby said could introduce the game to children who may not otherwise have access to organized soccer.

RELATED: How does the new 2026 World Cup format work? What to know about the expanded tournament

A local player headed to the world stage

For Dabby, one of the clearest examples of the World Cup’s local impact is Markhus "Duke" Lacroix.

Lacroix was recently named to the Haitian National Team. He grew up playing for the Ocean City Nor'easters, a local club in New Jersey.

This summer, he could play in the World Cup just 65 miles from where he grew up playing youth soccer, when Haiti faces Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19. Philadelphia’s official World Cup schedule lists Brazil vs. Haiti for that date at Lincoln Financial Field.

Dabby said Lacroix will also be training about 25 miles from where he grew up playing, with Haiti holding training camp at Stockton University for the summer.

"Players from Ocean City Nor'easters know Duke’s story and are so excited to watch someone who started at their club take on the sport’s biggest stage– and it’s even more special that he’ll be doing it so close to home," Dabby said.

He added that Lacroix may even visit a training session or match with the club to meet some of the kids.

"Duke’s story is the perfect example of what this World Cup means to New Jersey Youth Soccer– it’s proof to all of our kids that you really can live out your dreams," Dabby said.

From youth activity to American sports culture

Dabby said the 2026 tournament has the potential to shift how soccer is viewed in the U.S.

"The FIFA World Cup 2026 has the potential to elevate soccer from being viewed simply as a youth activity to being recognized as a major part of the American sports landscape and culture," he said.

For young players, seeing World Cup matches take place in their own region could make the sport feel more reachable.

"Kids who watch these matches may now believe, 'That could be me someday,'" Dabby said.

New Jersey has seen those moments before.

Dabby pointed to the 1994 Men’s World Cup, when New Jersey legends Tab Ramos, John Harkes and Tony Meola were part of the sport’s national rise. He also cited the 1999 Women’s World Cup, with New Jersey legends Christie Rampone, then Christie Pearce, and Tisha Venturini, along with the 2015 Women’s World Cup and Carli Lloyd’s hat trick.

Each moment, he said, helped lay the foundation for the next generation.

What's next:

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 through July 19, with matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament will feature 48 teams, 12 groups and 104 matches.

New Jersey Youth Soccer says it will continue scaling programs, adding partners and building access points for kids before, during and after the tournament.

"We’re continuing to scale our programming, bring on additional partners and build an infrastructure that not only welcomes kids into the soccer world around the World Cup, but keeps them in the game long after the tournament ends, too," Dabby said.

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