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Soccer Forward Fests are an opportunity to activate Keeping Score of What Matters in your community. Together, we can drive participation and access to soccer nationwide.
Soccer Forward Fests provide a way to celebrate soccer, comprised of community-driven events.
Soccer Forward Fests will begin 100 days out from the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 and span all the way through the tournament's final whistle.
Anyone from schools, community organizations, and U.S. Soccer Member Organizations, to partners and local leaders are invited to register an existing event or host a new one. From Maine to Hawaii, city to local neighborhood, professional to grassroots, Fests can be anywhere - a place to rally and excite around the connecting power of soccer.
Fests can come to life in many ways. Some examples include:
Designed as part of a unifying, storytelling platform, Soccer Forward Fests are meant to equip anyone, no matter where they live, to host an event that allows them to tell the story of soccer in their community and feel a part of the world’s biggest soccer tournament.
Hosting a Fest is an opportunity to use soccer as a catalyst for lasting community impact, celebrating and growing the sport locally. At the same time, Soccer Forward and Common Goal will amplify your efforts on a national stage during a period of rapid growth for the sport across the United States.
Soccer Forward and Common Goal have assembled helpful tools to empower you to host soccer-centric, community-driven, and safe Fests that bring the excitement of the biggest soccer event in history to life across the country.
If you are interested in joining this nationwide, community-driven celebration, click below to register your event!
America SCORES Chicago will measure our Jamboree impact by tracking the total number of Poet-Athletes, coaches, and volunteers who participate. This will include a breakdown of how many coaches and volunteers identify as female, male, or nonbinary. We will also track the total minutes of active play throughout the Jamboree. Additionally, we will engage families of Poet-Athletes in the celebration and capture the impact of programming from their perspective through surveys.
FansFest is a homegrown, fan organized event that celebrates Oakland’s rich sports legacy and current sports teams. This year, as the Oakland Roots and Soul, Oakland Ballers, and more gather, we will celebrate the upcoming seasons of our local teams. Kids will play, recreational and semi-professional teams will also be present, as the Oakland sports community (over 2,000 people) gathers to support each other.
LET’S GO OAKLAND!
We’re keeping score of how many people gather to support Oakland sports, a community that has bonded over championships and recent hardships. We’ll also keep score of how many minutes played– we love providing safe places for kids of all skillsets to play for free.
Boston SCORES will measure our end of season celebration impact by tracking the total number of athletes, coaches, family members and volunteers who participate. This will include a breakdown of how many coaches and volunteers identify as female, male, or nonbinary. We will also track the total minutes of active play throughout the event. Additionally, we will engage families of the athletes in the celebration and capture the impact of programming from their perspective through surveys.
We measure success by looking at student and family participation (1500), school representation (16 plus), and feedback from attendees via surveys. We also track how many students register for or continue in sports programs after the event. Just as important, we listen to families and students to understand their experience and make improvements for future events.
