Published July 29, 2026 at 4:00 AM CDT

LAWRENCE, Kansas — After years away from the beautiful game, the excitement of the 2026 World Cup has drawn former players back to the pitch.

They aren’t looking to compete at the highest level. Instead, it’s about reconnecting with the sport they grew up playing.

Cole McMahan, who’s 20, caught the soccer bug again during his company’s summer tournament in Olathe.

“I had been waiting for an opportunity to get back into soccer as a more informal way to get more active,” said McMahan, who returned to soccer after a five-year hiatus. “It’s been fun to play again and play a sport that was important to me growing up.”

A USA Today analysis found other fans like McMahan. Joe Bledsoe, a team sports and footwear employee at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Lawrence, said he's noticed a change in his customer base this summer.

“Every year in the spring and summer we see an increase in soccer cleat sales, but this year it’s definitely been a lot more consistent,” he said. “I’m seeing more people around 18 to 22 years old coming in asking about cleats for recreational use rather than youth, high school or collegiate athletics.”

According to academic research, major sporting events can spur highly engaged fans into being more active. But it can be grueling to return to after time away.

Cody Johnson, a 21-year-old who played soccer for Topeka High School, said the World Cup gave and his friends a reason to return to soccer after years away.

“After the first few games I was definitely sore,” he said. “I’m not the athlete that I was in high school, but I look forward to continuing playing and hopefully not being as sore next time.”

Grant Schere

/

University of Kansas

KU student Brady Roberts, left, practices some moves with Cole McMahan.

Dan Lorenz, director of sports medicine at LMH Health in Lawrence, said soreness is common for athletes returning to a sport after several years away, especially if they ramp up too quickly.

“The key is to listen to your body and don’t go full throttle day one,” he said. ‘You’ll be miserable.”

Lorenz recommends easing back into activity with four to six weeks of conditioning before returning to full-speed competition, including resistance training, cardiovascular exercises and stretching to get your body ready for the high demand of the sport.

Johnson, who played four years of high school soccer, has joined a recreational league with friends since the World Cup.

“It's been like rediscovering a song you used to love,” he said.

KCUR is partnering with students at the University of Kansas' William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication for coverage of this summer's World Cup.