Soccer. The game transcends language barriers and functions as a tool for diplomacy, recreation and competition. It is the most popular sport in the world, although professional soccer — widely known as soccer outside the United States — only gained traction in the United States in the 1990s and early 2000s. From photos of children playing on the White House lawn to championship teams and some of the most famous players meeting U.S. presidents, the National Archives catalog contains decades of soccer records.
You can learn more about the impact of sport in the exhibition All American: the power of sportwhich took place at the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery in Washington, DC, from September 16, 2022 to January 7, 2024.
Find out more about football-related holdings at the National Archives:
