The number of Americans watching, playing and loving soccer keeps growing at an explosive rate, and the nation's politicians are following suit.
US Secretary of State John Kerry turned heads both at home and abroad on Monday when he tweeted out a photo of himself kicking a soccer ball on the tarmac at an airport in Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, as his plane refueled on its way home to Washington, D.C., following a diplomatic visit to Africa.
“Stopped to refuel in #CapeVerde - nice to stretch legs/kick around soccer ball. Ready for #2014WorldCup to start!” wrote the former Senator and 2004 Presidential candidate.
Though the Massachusetts native doesn't get too many chances to show off his skills these days, it's worth noting that Kerry was an ace player during his college days at Yale and even scored a hat trick against Ivy League rivals Harvard.
Kerry's post has received nearly 1,000 retweets so far, and makes him only the latest of many top government officials to express his enthusiasm for the World Cup and the sport in general.
Last month, President Barack Obama took part in an unusual kickaround with an advanced robot in Japan, while Vice President Joe Biden personally greeted the World Cup trophy when it passed through Washington’s Dulles International Airport en route to Brazil. Biden also announced his plans to attend at least one US national team match at this summer's showcase event.
Add in the long list of Congressional representatives who played in the US Soccer Foundation's Capital Soccer Classic charity match last month – did you know that there's a group on Capitol Hill called the Congressional Soccer Caucus? – and it's clear that the sport is gaining friends in high places.
