In my thesis, I make an attempt to summarize the history of ˝the beautiful game˝ from the very beginnings to its present status as the most steadily growing spectator sport in the United States. I am focusing on the evolution of soccer by placing it into a larger sociocultural context and by comparing its course to those of the major American sports. The historic description is followed by the analysis of present-day soccer (with special focus on Major League Soccer and on women’s soccer, two determining success stories) with all its influences, touching various cultural issues and offering an insight into how the game is rising and to what extent we – or Americans – can call it an American sport. I based my essay both on my unflagging interest and relatively extensive knowledge of the game and on various resources found in sports archives.