Poll: One in four Americans say they could score a World Cup penalty against a professional keeper

Think you could score a World Cup penalty kick against a professional keeper? One in four Americans thinks they could.

Key takeaways, in brief:

28% of Americans believe they could score a World Cup penalty against a professional goalkeeper.
Confidence drops with age: 43% of Gen Z feel they could convert, versus 37% of millennials, 26% of Gen X, and 12% of boomers.
A quarter of working fans (26%) have skipped work to watch World Cup matches; 14% say the tournament takes total priority.
Watching every game would take 156 hours (9,360 minutes), nearly 20 full working days.

That’s the findings of our survey of 2,000 people, which found 28% feeling they could convert from the penalty if the moment arose.

And with several big teams already going out at the dreaded penalties stage, it’s surprising so many feel they could hold their nerves.

Confidence in converting the pressure kick rises the younger a person is with 43% of Gen Z feeling they could beat a World Cup goalie versus 37% of millennials, a quarter of Gen X (26%) and just 12% of baby boomers.

The survey took the temperature of America’s World Cup passion, with respondents polled in the opening week of the tournament. Nearly half of working soccer fans said they’ll be skipping work to watch games.

With the competition heating up and now well into the knockout rounds, World Cup fever has gripped many, even when the games take place during working hours.

The survey found a quarter of workers (26%) have skipped work at least once or twice.

While a more devout one in seven (14%) said the World Cup takes total priority and have watched several games on work time throughout the tournament.

The research found early interest in the tournament was mixed.

Half of the 2,000 polled (52%) were uninterested in catching any of the games.
But a third (32%) always planned to catch games here and there or just the matches where the United States are playing.
Twelve percent said they’re trying to watch as much as they can and 4% of diehards said they’ll have watched every game in the whole tournament before the winner lifts the trophy on July 19th.

If someone does manage to watch every single World Cup game, they’ll rack up 72 group stage matches and 32 knockout games, including the final and semi-finals.

That’s 9,360 minutes of soccer or 156 hours or nearly 20 full working days— before any extra time and penalties.

Gen Z leads the way on World Cup viewership.

With the World Cup impact, the future for soccer in America does look bright; younger generations are more likely to have participated in watching the World Cup. Just 36% of Gen Z said they wouldn’t be watching any games, versus 64% of baby boomers.

Research methodology

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans who have access to the internet; the survey was administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 11–17, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.

Featured photo by Fauzan Saari