The Most-Avoided Soccer Club in Every US State

Manchester City is the soccer club American fans most want to keep out of their mystery box. We looked at 17,437 US orders where customers told us which teams to avoid, and City topped the list nationally and was the single most-avoided club in 20 states — more than any other team. Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal round out the clubs America would rather not unwrap.

The most-avoided soccer clubs in America

When US fans order a mystery jersey, they can name teams they'd rather not receive. Here's who they name most:

It's a who's-who of the game's biggest, most successful clubs. Nobody's asking to avoid a mid-table side they've never heard of — the shirts fans reject are the ones they see everywhere. Familiarity, it turns out, breeds avoidance.

The most-avoided club in every US state

Break it down by state and one team runs the table. Manchester City is the most-avoided club in 20 of the 45 states with enough data to call, from New York to Texas to Washington.

A few states break the pattern in fun ways. Washington D.C. is the most anti-Arsenal place in America (31% of D.C. responders named the Gunners). Mississippi is the most one-eyed of all — nearly 41% there want to dodge Manchester City. Hawaii is the only state to put an MLS side top, avoiding LAFC most. Wyoming, alone, most wants to swerve Tottenham. And Maine reserves its coldest shoulder for Liverpool.

Why Manchester City?

Read into it what you like. City have won more than anyone in England lately, and dominant, heavily-marketed, trophy-hoarding clubs tend to attract the "everyone already has one" reflex. The same logic explains why Real Madrid, United and Arsenal sit near the top: these are the shirts already in every group chat. The whole appeal of a mystery box is discovering a club you wouldn't have picked, so fans use the avoid list to rule out the obvious and leave room for the surprise.

How we measured this

This is based on 17,437 orders shipped to US addresses between July 2025 and July 2026, where the customer named at least one club to avoid. We counted only freely-typed team names, removed prefilled form defaults so they couldn't skew the result, and merged obvious spelling variants (Man City / Manchester City, and so on). We ranked each state by the club its responders named most, and only called states with 40 or more responses — 45 states cleared that bar. It's real buying behavior from real fans, not a poll.

Pick the clubs you'll never open

Every Mystery Shirt in a Box lets you name up to three teams, leagues or colors to avoid, so you'll never unwrap a shirt you'd refuse to wear. Every jersey is genuine and officially licensed — the surprise is which badge, never whether it's real. Want more of what the data says about US fans? See the club shirts they avoid most in our most-avoided soccer shirts study and the full American soccer fan data hub.

FAQ

What is the most-avoided soccer club in America?
Manchester City. Across 17,437 US mystery box orders, City was named as a club to avoid more than any other team, and it was the most-avoided club in 20 states.

Which club do US fans avoid in the most states?
Manchester City, which topped 20 of the 45 states with enough data. Manchester United led 9 states and Real Madrid 6.

How was the most-avoided club calculated?
From 17,437 US orders (July 2025 to July 2026) where customers freely typed clubs to avoid. Prefilled form defaults were removed and spelling variants merged; only states with 40+ responses were ranked.

Can I choose which clubs to avoid in a mystery box?
Yes. Every Mystery Shirt in a Box lets you name up to three teams, leagues or colors to avoid before we pick your genuine, officially licensed shirt.