Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 100% right! Soccer is a sport of privilege in America - Moreno | ESPN FC

[@peterjazii6925]

He is 100 percent right. I made a tryout into DC United academy and I couldn’t afford to pay😭

[@steviecarnegie6066]

Bro i live near Arlington and that youth system out there is crazy expensive

[@mebansharaisantasticokhong7312]

Keep playing bro🌟

[@mavelous_football_videossp2356]

@@steviecarnegie6066 how much does it cost to be in a professional soccer team in the US?

[@steviecarnegie6066]

@@mavelous_football_videossp2356 to buy one? Couple hundred Million now a days. But just 5 years ago it could have easily been under 100M for a franchise. But the MLS only brings teams in with a fan base and tells them they have to build a new stadium.

[@StylistecS]

Stevie Carnegie I think he was asking how much is academies.

[@wazzupidaug5]

Soccer has always been a rich kid sport in the USA

[@mfjosh6422]

Exactly look at the prep kid Landon Donovan

[@bradsorensen4882]

I played soccer because i couldnt afford hockey lol

[@danielalegre2371]

i agree with this but also disagree, i enjoyed a very fun childhood with soccer and playing for my middle school and high school where fees were about 50-100 bucks a year for uniforms and refs etc. I also payed for a recreational team fee where the fee was around 300 per year. I played A LOT of soccer yet even without joining academy ik some families could not have afforded even the low fees i payed. We had a lot of honduran kids on our team who had less money and the white parents on our recreational team would raise money to pay for most of their fees. It can be done but you probably wont go professional unless you get scouted for a college while playing high school soccer and then get drafted. Thats how it usually goes in the USA.

[@bradsorensen4882]

​@@danielalegre2371 Its exactly as you stated. I played D1 club growing up and its pretty much 300 a year with the exceptions of tournament fees and travel for tournaments like surf cup and state cup ect. We would car pool hard and load up hotel rooms and made it very affordable

[@bernardocansey6168]

@@bradsorensen4882 Thats cap bro its over 1k rn

[@mebansharaisantasticokhong7312]

Whole World- Football for the poor USA- Football for the Rich

[@raheemmcclashie8013]

"soccer" changed the name and everything

[@hadhamalnam]

Thats because our universal sport is basketball, no matter where you live in the US you can easily find a public court to play on and people to play against. You just can't say same for soccer, also both soccer and football by definition have to be highly organized to actually play, you don't really improve much at soccer by shooting at an empty net the same way you do from shooting on an empty court, and you can easily set up a 3 v 3 game while its super hard to find 22 kids interested in soccer to go play a game. The last part isnt really realistic because kids can play soccer with a few others on the streets and those mini courts you can find in South American countries allow for smaller games, but still.

[@hadhamalnam]

@@raheemmcclashie8013 bruh we didn't change the name, that was the original name, both football and soccer are just abbreviations of the actual name Association Football. The English came up with soccer but later switched to football

[@stephenfletcher5391]

Its also hard to do football for the poor in countries like India, China and the Philippines and that is why these countries despite big population can not compete with other nations internationally either. If you compare to Brazil, the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark or Mexico there is a lot more places to play, willingness to play and clubs, sponsors and political support for kids to come from the streets to get a chance to play and then find the possibility of a club and sponsor later as their talent develop. If the US want to compete at a higher level then it needs to have more football fields available for anyone to play on, like they do with basket ball courts, have a culture around seeing what excitement and opportunity football can bring by giving football more serious media time. I also think the US is disadvantaged by calling football for soccer, for the word "soccer" has almost come to mean a 2nd class football, because it is more played with your foot than football and still has to give its name away so that foreigners get confused about it. I mean the name though played more by foot has to give its name to a football played by hands, which shows how little it is prioritized. In the US Basketball courts is available almost everywhere for anyone to play on, but football fields are tougher to find and get opportunity to play on and so it is no wonder that the US is so good at basketball but no better than countries like Morocco, Korea, Peru, Wales and Iceland.

[@Y0utubeIsFuckingHomo]

Are you surprised? EVERY SINGLE THING is about money in America.

[@babayagaX9000]

imagine the amount of talent that the MLS or US national team would have if the system was like in Europe.

[@airanator1212]

Well I’m a massive fan of soccer and I remember that some travel team a bunch of my friends were on wanted me to play for them and my parents couldn’t afford it. I remember I was extremely good at the sport but ended up quitting it altogether because I didn’t just want to play for my school when none of my friends were on the team. I feel like my life might be completely different if I would’ve been able to play on that travel team.

[@siddasloth3292]

Many times I've been turned down or had to leave teams because I could not afford it.

[@skrrskrr3241]

@@adamsosnowski1243 I don't know where u live bruh in Germany it's really the cheapest sport there is

[@Dasanie]

If the US had the European academys and university support, than without a doubt. We’ve got some of the most athletically talented people in the world. But it’s rooted deep. Growing up as a kid in America you turn on the TV and you grow up watching guys like Lebron, Kobe, Tom Brady, Aaron judge etc.. And you fall in love with the sport. You go to school and all your friends are playing for your schools football team or basketball. So you play, get recognized, recruited to a university and finally make it to the pros where you make millions. But on the other hand the same can’t be said about soccer. That middle man of secondary schools just ain’t there to pump them out, and the influencer of a legit majors isn’t there either

[@Daza-La]

These Mexican's living in the US are very talented but they get priced out of potential football careers.

[@rsarin18]

If Pele, Messi, CR7 and many others were American we wouldn't have ever known who they were

[@hdmiketv8779]

i agree

[@Dasanie]

But than again there could’ve been players even better than those guys that were buried in the system that you never knew of.

[@Dasanie]

ryn mcray same could be said here. We most definitely could’ve had the talent considering all out sports are riddled with talent. The just weren’t seen

[@hirokeo]

Our best athletes play football and basketball because those are the urban sports in the U.S.

[@papjin6069]

To some extent Messi and CR7 could be sponsored.

[@mikejones9906]

I went to high school with kids who were great players but were forced to work part time jobs by their parents to survive which meant they couldn't focus on the game.

[@alonzoMTG]

Fact

[@jaredmorales9763]

😦🙏

[@twenty150_1]

That’s use to be me give up a scholarship to work at Mc Donald’s

[@guinneenetwork9588]

Plus yu shouldn’t have to go to school yo be a great soccer player AAU is shown attention name an American kids soccer league that’s shown love to that’s not privileged

[@mikejones9906]

@@twenty150_1 Yea bro, it's sad.

[@fishjungle9]

Essentially it is "pay to play"

[@hadhamalnam]

Adopting the EA model but in real life

[@denzelwenzel]

Isn't it like that everywhere, as long as you're not a pro, or on some kinda scholarship? I payed to play football from 6 to 16

[@jamescusack6511]

oliver wenzel Ha! I can tell you’re an American, but here in Europe, there are plenty of free club teams that you can join. There are a few private clubs, but there are plenty of other teams and clubs (very successful teams as well) which welcome you into their academy

[@waterproof4403]

@@jamescusack6511 yeah Europe is lit

[@xanittyy2347]

Which is stupid

[@yougottachillbruh]

It's why the US don't do well in football. The poor kids who are actually really good don't get a chance. Rich kids are never legendary in this sport.

[@LongLivesteph]

Lol always the one guy who think naming one dude disproves anything.

[@smallshaq8062]

"Rich kids are never legendary in this sport." that's incorrect. Without research, I can name several footballers that are legends of the game and were rich/extremely wealthy due to their families.

[@yougottachillbruh]

@PoonkAmi kaka broke his back and survived by God's grace in a pool incident and did not have to pay 3500 dollars to play for Sao Paulo

[@yougottachillbruh]

@@smallshaq8062 Bro.. kindly name some absolute legends who's families were rich and wealthy..Guys who will never be forgotten in this sport..and it better not be some players who "kind of made it"

[@michaelphillips2629]

@@henrik1860 Didn't Haaland's father play soccer on the club level?

[@diomedesarjona458]

I remember getting the cops called on us for simply playing on our local middle school's field. Even when proving we lived in the community we were told we couldn't play there. Coming from a country where I could play anywhere it was a complete shock to me. Taking consideration the millions of people that migrate to US, we should be a powerhouse in Fútbol.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

Most of the people migrating to the US are middle aged and don't play soccer anymore.

[@kevinwilkins7851]

U.S. Soccer is run by upper class mothers and fathers who mostly want their kids to be fit and disciplined. These same people are sadly hostile to changing the status quo.

[@housesavagemafia7504]

​@@kevinwilkins7851Ofc They Are These Rich White Folks Wanna Ballhog the Entire Sport Just to be Mediocre at Pro Level but Get PAID The Good Money They Always Year Round In All Of These Fields Where Others Already Have Permits in Them Trynna Stay Fighting These lower class people (the poor) So They Can Convert it Into CORPORATE. Everything In This B į ť ch is Corporate to Them

[@dalenesbitt2491]

In Ireland you pay a €30 registration fee once a year, that's all. The team gets sponsored from some local shop or business and that pays for kits and gear. The "coaches" (manager) is usually the Da of one of the kids and he does it for free after work and at weekends. The kids pay about €2 per game and that pays for the referee. Paying thousands for football is mental! 🤔

[@27Nets]

The same in Italy, the real question here is, why in the US everything needs to have a cost and generate a profit? Having kids play sports sholdn’t have a cost or generate any profit anywhere in the world.

[@psfiniczk7918]

Y’all lucky in America not only it costs so much it also has no chances to get scouted with out spending plus if you end up playing college soccer it’s not as competitive as a regular academy game they rarely broadcast the MLS.

[@dalenesbitt2491]

@@27Nets if you're basing this off pure numbers then America should have the best football team in the world. Statistically speaking even if 1 in every 10 million people turned out brilliant then they'd have multiple world class stars. Whereas Ireland has a population of 5 million people and yet we still turn out fairly decent sports people. The reason America will never be a world class team is because it's a game meant for everyone, yet it's being exploited by the governing body and fed to the rich kids. All the good footballers I know of came from the streets.

[@sagardebbarma493]

Well in India everything is free we don't have to pay at all but yet again youth development system is poor

[@dalenesbitt2491]

@@sagardebbarma493 yeah but cricket is the dominant sport in India. In Ireland Gaelic is the dominant sport; then football, Hurling then Rugby and yet we're still ranked 2nd in the world I think in Rugby. As you said, youth development has to be right. It seems that development money is lining some dirty pockets.

[@Amundsakis]

At the local academies in Norway you pay 100-150$ a season for a kid to play in a team. Soccer is for EVERYONE.

[@LegendNinja41]

seems to be working, pretty good amount of talents from Norway even though the population is only 5-6 million.

[@bernardocansey6168]

@@LegendNinja41 And they got Haaland who's nasty

[@kimfuruwal9285]

@@bernardocansey6168 and Martin Ödegaard.

[@tf8094]

@@kimfuruwal9285 and joshua

[@purplesky4157]

And now they have haland and odegard. I see Norway as the new Croatia in the next years. Dark horses with high quality players

[@ainahko16]

America: Not good at soccer but good at marketing and profiting on it like it's housing, healthcare, and education.

[@m.d.4231]

Exactly. It extends beyond soccer. Where there is an opportunity for profit, nothing else matters. The US is the multicultural hub of the world with immigrants from europe, latin america, asia and africa and cannot even produce a single world-class talent. Let's run through the top 4 Balon D'or: 1. Messi (father worked in a steel factory), 2. VVD (had to get a job as a dishwasher while playing in academy), 3. CR7 (farther was a gardener), 4. Sadio Mane (grew up in dirt poor Bambali). None of these guys' parents are forking $3,500 for what is essentially a glorified tryout session.

[@ainahko16]

@@m.d.4231 Even our sports like gridiron, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc cost an arm and a leg to participate. If I were a congressman right now, I would sign a bill that will eliminate pay to play.

[@eldiego68]

ainahko16 the NCAA just sent a hitman after you

[@ainahko16]

@@eldiego68 I'm ready to square up then!

[@biskys6718]

@@ainahko16 unfortunately nobody in a position such as a congressman will care enough about eliminating pay to play.

[@mariocortez3981]

If in the US , healthcare is more of a business than a human service what makes you think soccer wouldn’t be treated as a business for profit

[@patricke8627]

Well you have to understand why soccer is expensive in the US. Soccer is expensive everywhere but it’s all about where the money comes from. In the US there are no major ‘clubs’. The only teams are MLS, which doesn’t have the figures to make moves. In Europe and Latin America, there are powerhouse clubs with deep pockets. This enables the club to sponsor the organization from team A all the way down to team Diaper. The players are essentially homegrown and then sold off to a bigger club. So instead of getting currency from parents, they get it from various sponsors or from Team A

[@timnewman7591]

I suspect the profits from selling a star player to a European club are far more than you get from charging kids for coaching and providing places to play. Less reliable, of course.

[@AurelAvramescu]

@@patricke8627 Wrong, at least in Europe are programs sponsored by the Football Federation from that country, not only by the big clubs. For example in Germany, near my place within 2 km radius are 3 clubs for kids and the cost is free, is true some associations charge around 10-15 euros a month.

[@C.t1888]

And you believe you should get all that free? Who pays for englands health care? The workers pay for the people.who dont want to work as well as every immigrant who comes in , doesnt want to work , as well as every illegal and their families .And it has the worst health service in all of the western world.

[@AurelAvramescu]

@@C.t1888 Do you understand that we pay way way less for healthcare in Europe in general and have much better outcome. USA healthcare system is the most expensive in the world and rank 37 in the world.

[@andresfelipe9612]

Just the word "soccer" sends shivers down my spine.

[@javyon]

Even as an American

[@javyon]

ryn mcray okay ryn relax

[@wvu05]

It was the word that England used when they taught us the game. Does calcio cause the same feeling?

[@charlesmclearn4642]

In the English Language, Soccer (As a shortening of Association Football) is more correct than just football, of which there are dozens of variations.

[@ibrohiem]

@ryn mcray Every Country that has a separate native game called football uses the term Soccer. For example Australia uses the term Soccer too. Also it's football because the ball in one foot in length.

[@TheHuskyK9]

For once, I absolutely agree with Zlatan. Do y’all know how much it costs to register your kid into AYSO football? Way too much. One of the reasons why the US will remain mediocre at it. Notice how it’s usually the poor or lower middle-class kids that become great at their respective sports. LeBron, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldhino, etc. Rich kids have very limited drive and motivation.

[@Wargoat6]

Maradona played with an orange as a kid. Literally.

[@George-jc3mt]

Uzi Patrol also pele ronaldo and messi weren’t rich 😂😂half of the greatest in football have a poor background

[@Ironborn4]

Because for poor kids there is no alternative. A rich kid can always go to college and become something else and stay rich if he doesn't want to succeed in sports. A poor kid goes right back to the slum

[@rockytalkndawoods3057]

75-125 for a local neighborhood league. 1,200-3200per child for teams that travel

[@dman644]

tiger wasnt poor he was upper middle class his dad was an navy officer

[@serialkilla23]

So many Latinos in Cali....if they change the sys ...easily in 10 years....USA would be a knockout round team.

[@BobbyMarley718]

So correct lol Like every other major sport the US should be among the top, we have ppl from all countries and backgrounds. The US cheat code.

[@cjplazure1111]

Fr man i used to be in cali and now im in mexico and its hella cheap to play for an academy

[@mattloveohiost5]

not just Latinos, if you get more black kids playing, that is excellent because of how seemingly naturally athletic alot of them are. you can teach skills, but you cant teach athleticism, which is so important in soccer

[@icouldhavebeenyourfather8840]

How about pushing soccer as an actual lucrative sport to the black kids everywhere. We literally produce some of the greatest athletes in the world. Just imagine the likes of tyreek Hill on the wings, or Darrelle Revis like defenders

[@ThaTyphon]

Lol no. They would switch to their parents country. Most Latinos arent patriotic to the country that raised them but to the country their parents are from.

[@RGTomoenage11]

Everything is for the rich in the US. In Latin America the teams get sponsors...

[@aegontargaryen8934]

Not exactly..baseball, basketball, volleyball, and many other sports aren't expensive in the US. I find it very interesting because in my country (Indonesia) soccer's very affordable and basketball is the more expensive one. Perhaps this is why the US is arguably the best at every sport (at least most of the sports, based on your results from the Olympics) except for soccer.

[@chucknorrisjr829]

@@aegontargaryen8934 in Ameica there is also high-end expensive basketball camps that not everyone is priveleged enough to go to....

[@jacobortega2786]

@@aegontargaryen8934 look at the majority of athletes of those sports who go to play for american universities... almost all play for private expensive clubs in volleyball, baseball, soccer, hockey, etc.

[@jkdoodle4460]

Jacob Ortega wym whats ur point

[@urmomlovesmymilksteak]

@@jkdoodle4460 his point is that alot of kids have parents with the money to put them in very nice camps with ex pro athletes. Even if they don't get a scholarship thru sports with all that work, the kid will still get into the university. You see how this country's system is fucked

[@jwells1914]

Say what you want about Zlatan, he’s correct about this one!!!

[@airanator1212]

Nobodies really talking trash about Zlatan

[@erich3784]

Zlatan is from an immigrant family. He grew up in a poor neighborhood, he knows what he's talking about. Same for Maradona, same for Zidane, same for Mbappé.

[@manyinterests1961]

Zlatan is always correct!!! lol

[@housesavagemafia7504]

@@erich3784 Zlatan Knows What he's Talking About.

[@johnolin]

We also need more public soccer parks. When I visit Peru, I see them all over the place, in every other corner. Here you see a basketball court everywhere or baseball courts but you rarely see soccer parks, even the few that have em, you have to reserve and pay to play.

[@ulrichgueretmpoko9400]

We have plenty of empty soccer field here, the only problem is that no one goes to play.

[@SamuelSantos_]

It probably has something to do with the demand, baseball and basketball are simply more popular than ⚽️ over there. But I agree

[@Virtuoso191]

Baseball fields are hardly available in urban areas. Its easier to build outdoor basketball courts because its cost efficient and eats up less space than soccer fields but I agree with Zlatan. The soccer youth programs have priced out blue collar people and thus the talent pool gets bottleneck.

[@knpstrr]

It's because soccer sucks.

[@Deco_2k]

knpstrr So why the rest of the love the sports and the US think it’s suxk don’t u see that something is wrong with that picture!

[@lazlothegoat9663]

Its sad cause I grew up playing American football and basketball, but Soccer became my favorite sport after being exposed to it through fifa and the world cup. I feel robbed that the common man in the U.S is basically kept from being a part of this sport. Hopefully that changes

[@diegotapia2830]

how a sport where you pretty much need just a ball and 4 stones to make a goal turns into an expensive sport ? only in america

[@jacksondolly3248]

It's not that simple though. How a player makes it to the pro level in soccer is vastly different to how players in basketball, football, or baseball make it to the pro level. As far as i know, there aren't out of school clubs for the latter 3, but playing for a club is essential in soccer if you want to progress and be seen. Scouts are always at high school games for basketball, football, and baseball, and they are there for soccer too, but if that player isn't in an academy or very good club, they'll just be passed over in favor of a club player, and in the majority of those cases, the only players who's parents can afford to pay for those club/academy costs are white, middle to upper class, nuclear families. Which is really sad, cause then the results are just rich kids getting training when poorer players might be more talented. In the US, scouts will never go to a local rec park and find a superstar just kicking about with his buds; they'll be at a club tournament.

[@diegotapia2830]

@@jacksondolly3248 and that´s why here every club had its own academy, where they can grown up their own players, besides the filial and independent academies; so you got a big pool of potential players to choose. but my point was that soccer is a sport that you can pretty much play everywhere. i even used to play in school with a paper and even a sock made ball

[@federicoascencio9560]

@@jacksondolly3248 their scouts sucks them, in South America scout goes every where to find a potential star, in the "potreros y canchitas del barrio" no matter if its dangerous, you can find a potential star and their even help him to try leave the poverty

[@Randomguy-kn3nv]

Federico Ascencio same thing occurs in Mexico. It makes sense to look at these places as a scout because in some countries futbol is the only thing the masses have that take their minds off corrupt governments and struggling in terms of money

[@Crackmode119]

Federico Ascencio aca en USA ni en un partido de “all stars” mandan scouts. Si no tenes $$ buena suerte

[@datguyxzilo1673]

We need scouts going around streets instead of colleges and high schools

[@ademosthenes4911]

Why not HS? every HS have teams, there are state tournaments and anybody can try out for their HS team and if you are good enough futbol can pay for College so were else do you want to send scouts?

[@Brymoiamaro]

A Demosthenes in football a players career starts in their teens if they’re good enough. With the college system they would have to wait till 21 or 22 to even be a pro which is why pulisic didn’t go to college and went to Europe

[@ademosthenes4911]

@@Brymoiamaro you used the magic words, if they are good enough, remember Freddy Adu? as far as i can remember nobody have even come close to the hype that kid caused, he did not go to college because people believed he was talented enough, it did not work but in futbol there is no sure thing anywhere, out of hundreds that try out if not thousands or more one make it and i'm not saying top level player, i mean regular journeymen's, those can be found in HS and some develop late so still College can be an option..

[@TheRichard73]

Facts bro!!!

[@SuperJolla84]

@@ademosthenes4911 Not every high school team has soccer. Especially inner cities where they like to prioritize basketball and american football.

[@teufelhunden8308]

Tried getting my 10 yr old in local soccer team. $2,000 a semester. No thank you.

[@gargola1887]

Lmfao

[@zacwoods]

Sheesh that amount makes youth baseball look cheap🤣

[@Nge7stars]

In Europe for 10-15k you can create a football club

[@alejandroruiz6672]

Don't be cheap

[@dkg6826]

Alejandro Ruiz STFU

[@TheBigPhoondaMental]

The soccer stars you watch on TV played in dirt and mud when they were young

[@resilientlemon1302]

I think the main focus is making it cheaper to get into organised teams. A lot easier for scouts to have a centralised place to view prospects. Even Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were in the futsal academy records.

[@Supirbemo]

You just need ball and 2 pair of sandal

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

If rains a lot there

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

@@Supirbemo in Africa they have no shoes. A marathon runner ran barefoot and won at the Olympics in 1960.

[@mihakljun4856]

Fun fact: if you replace "soccer" with "healthcare", the statement makes sense as well :)

[@hendriesantio8825]

Capitalism at its highest

[@jurisranger]

Socialism is worse lol

[@jurisranger]

@Keys Banyan Because we all know how great socialism has worked in the past for countries lol

[@agnidiptahomroy8656]

@@jurisranger yes Socialism is working perfectly for China, so the US is so so jealous of China 😂😂😂

[@jurisranger]

@@agnidiptahomroy8656 Lol that's why people flee China to move to the US 😂😂😂😂

[@JM-wd4nw]

1. Pay to play (Club System) 2. From “Club” get Recruited to a University. 3. MLS Drafts from the University. Results: MLS Terrible, low level!! Why: Because the better players and talented players are left out of 1 because They can’t pay!

[@arsenalatletigoldenera]

Benjamin Ruthard Frenkie Amaya

[@GTM9164]

Our best athletes go to nfl nba baseball or hockey before soccer it the culture

[@jacobwalters5341]

Shocking

[@Californiaexpat]

Growing up in the US system I often talk about how when I was in The Rec league my teams were made up of many Hispanic players, as I joined a Comp, Club team my teams got more and more white... and by my late teens my teams were predominately upper middle class white kids, something needs to change

[@ademosthenes4911]

yes but is not only the money, a lot of Hispanic parents don't want to spend the time to take their kids to practices and games, I'm Hispanic and an assistant coach see it all the time.

[@seanocalaghan2225]

@@ademosthenes4911 it is the money

[@ademosthenes4911]

@@seanocalaghan2225 do you know what a lot of Mexican fans and media think? that their top talent never get a chance because of the lack of opportunities, that their best players are in the weekend amateur leagues, that is also a Myth, there are plenty of scouts looking at those leagues, they like USA just don't have enough talent.

[@ademosthenes4911]

@LightSoundGeometry Analog Electronics In today society no one in his right mind will say something like that if he want to keep his job,

[@leonardoflorentin]

@@ademosthenes4911 it has nothing to do with being hispanic, white or asian, its about TALENT, as shitty as the USA skills are they still manage to be the second best team on the concacaf, even defeated Mexico many time.

[@Incognito87146]

This is one of the reasons why the US national teams is not as good even though they have a huge population

[@rahminbuckman6090]

*Men's national team. Our Women are doing just fine.

[@sardineBro]

exactly! pay to play is the reason why the US will never win a world cup

[@TrustMeMore]

@@rahminbuckman6090 women soccer is a joke

[@jamesmoscardo2865]

@@rahminbuckman6090 sorry, but that is a given. When talking about football, the general reference is to Men's football, as it's the division that is relevant.

[@kbskbreezy]

@Vinny Mac it's more about being able to find talent out of the numbers. For instance if the Us have 145 million football eligible ppl and crotia has 2 million.which group do you think are going to find more world-class players, granted if football was actually a popular sport here?

[@sniperThebest-gf3oh]

I live in Canada and in cities it’s the same thing, soccer is too expensive that is why I stopped playing because I couldn’t afford to pay for everything

[@kefirmma4765]

What costs so much? The season fees? I am surprised about thag

[@Dasanie]

KefirMMA pretty much which can cost over 3k a year and sometimes more depending on where you live. On top of travel fees which sometime can be included in the original, but add in more fees if your club makes tournaments and bam

[@nofakenews217]

I remember when I was in high school and i wanted to join a club and the cheapest one was $500 just for the registration thats not even counting travel,uniform, etc. On top of that my dad was laid off due to the recession back in 2008. Sad moments in life.

[@93mlo]

Why not sacrifice and go to Mexico to try out for their teams? Unless you knew you be an average player at best

[@atanasioerices5990]

The recession killed the dream for everyone

[@octpod3923]

@@93mlo as if MLS players were better.

[@jesselioce]

Belgian here, i played at the youth academie of a top tier club as a kid, started at age 5. Tuition was 300 euro for the year which included match day kit, 1 pair of cleats and shin pads of the technical sponsor, a "track suit" and a training bag. The cleats weren't premium but at least you got one pair so that's one less expense for parents with lower income. We even got a discount for official club apparel like a winter vest etc. Lower tier and regional clubs are even cheaper. The situation in america is just bonkers. Btw we even got paid at the uefa junior age group. 20 euro per victory and 5 for a draw if i remember correctly. No way could i have played football if it cost 3.5k a year.

[@ramonmartinez3375]

I’ve been saying this most of my life! Zlatan is the goat mls player for that comment alone.

[@markwill3515]

So true!

[@miketylerunited4034]

Couldn’t agree more 🔥

[@brrvi921]

I cant belive it we are in 2020 but literally in only the US u have to pay over 3000 dollars just so that your kid/kids can start playing football for a club!! America is just so different from the rest of the world its actually unreal!!

[@outofthetrash5925]

It's going on more and more everywhere. Wher ai grew up in the UK we had a few large patches of grass where we could stick jackets down for goals and just play. They now all have no ball game signs on or have had various things done to them to prevent ball playing. Whilst people think nothing of allowing their dog to s*** all over them anyway. There are at least 2 large 6 aside pitch owning companies where you can play football instead. But guess what, it isn't free, nor is it cheap to people in that area. It's sad really.

[@itsmeprasad1987]

Amen to that...

[@jgaffney567]

It is everything in the USA. People see oh wow money can be made here let's exploit this.That must change values must be adjusted and changed

[@ethandavis961]

This video almost made me cry it was so spot on... they hit on almost all of my struggles as an aspiring pro.

[@93mlo]

You were probably going to be an average player anyways

[@juliusgomes3452]

Best fun affordable car mx5ND naw he was gonna be the best Satan

[@dondavo_]

Best fun affordable car mx5ND You suck for this comment

[@uhurus2]

Ethan Davis I feel ya dawg

[@fordastreeets8019]

@@93mlo no one in America cares about soccer bro 💀

[@PumpkinBread2]

He's right and until it changes the USNMT is going to SUCK. As well as MLS being the retirement league. Too bad greed will win the day and the situation will never improve. It's too corporate.

[@FranciscoMartinez-uz9mb]

I had to work every afternoon in highschool when my friends would go train with there club teams. The really sad thing about it was I was way better than them when I would only get at least 2 hours of playing time in my neighborhood a week. When I graduated no college wanted to sign me because I never played club and never played highschool soccer. The coach would invite me to the highschool training and said he would pay for my gas, but I couldn’t since I had to help my parents work after school. And of course my parents could never afford to put me in a club team. At least nowadays I’m happy playing alone with my soccer ball ⚽️ at my feet in the evenings after work. Sometimes I cry and imagine my life in uni or college playing soccer ⚽️ my most precious memories is that of a ball at my feet. Hopefully one day when I have a kid or girl that they fall in love with the beautiful sport in will teach them and support them no matter what!!! 😓😁 it’s a melancholic feeling. But soccer here in the U.S is a business just like healthcare and drugs that’s why the U.S will never succeed in being world class.

[@okami4076]

The MLS draft doesn’t really come from Universities. The MLS draft cone from Second Division. Most of the soccer players at college level don’t become professional soccer players because they don’t have the level. Most of the professional soccer players get a Agent to represent them and sign their first professional contract!

[@Dasanie]

F and those guys come out of academies and clubs.

[@diegopowerful7280]

Yeah

[@vasugarg863]

Your story made me cry. Is it the same with with USA Olympians? Are they all rich kids or everyone gets a fair chance?

[@BrokeBoyNoodles]

My high school coach said he isn’t choosing me in the starting 11 because I don’t play in an elite travel team which would cost me thousands of dollars, so I couldn’t even afford it. He basically told me that I couldn’t even fight for my place so I left the team.

[@edgargonzalez-ce8rx]

That's why the U.S.A is trash. Look to play abroad. First stop South America, then Europe. First practice a ton! Learn the game. Then record your games. Edit and make a highlight of yourself. Then send them to scouts and professional team academies abroad. Why play with American s when you can play with real players all over the world? You got this!! Good luck!!

[@thaace11]

Then he's not a good coach and you're better off training hard then playing overseas. A good coach selects players based on ability. Whether you're able to afford to play on a travel team should be irrelevant!!!

[@mikejones9906]

@@thaace11 Not in American soccer, players are chosen based on how much parents "donate"

[@phoenix-king779]

That’s similar to what happened to me. Now I just do XC and track

[@thaace11]

Mike Jones I know man. I’m well aware of the pay to play rules for soccer stateside.

[@cjaime5137]

The Pay To Play system needs to go, the US has so much untapped potential, but it can’t be discovered because a normal American family can’t afford to have their son or daughter go through US certified soccer camps.

[@clearstar8354]

100%. It would be game over if we let EVERYONE play this sport. I mean look at Track & Field or many other Olympic sports. Not sure why soccer is so special in the USA.

[@312inoutme]

Money is the golden ticket they haven’t tapped the market without thinking of managing/developing but rather squeeze the cash out of the player.

[@1berrylover178]

The problem is there is not enough demand for soccer. In cities, soccer can never hope to compete with the accessibility of basketball. In small towns/suburbs there aren't enough teams (necessitating expensive travel teams) when compared to baseball and football. American soccer is caught in a chicken and egg problem where the popularity of the sport relies on a high level of American success and that success needs soccer to be popular in the US to happen. As a result I just can't see soccer ever being more than America's 5th sport for the wealthy

[@davedaves3900]

The MLS will never reach the heights of the PL and la liga. Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho all came from poor backgrounds. Poverty breeds the best players.

[@perc30julio12]

Right!! It breeds more drive, and determination.

[@kanewarren8759]

Facts

[@ivanrayanguiano3217]

Pele is the perfect example

[@TheJasonCombee76]

The German and Spanish players mostly don’t come from poor backgrounds.

[@MbisonBalrog]

MLS getting many players overseas. Even USL is

[@easleyrider]

When I was a teen, I was a BADASS goalkeeper. This is how it was between Mexico and USA MEXICO: I was actually paid bus fair and given money for equipment when I played for Atlas in Fuerzas basics. USA: I came here at 14, my high-school team SUCKED (didn't even have a coach) and I was invited to 4 club teams, but I couldn't afford the $1500 they were asking for. I still went to community College and got a trial with Chivas USA. I missed YEARS of development. This was pre-beckham, and since then we have a good reserve league and much better youth system, but still, competitive soccer is hard to come by. Its getting better every year though.

[@BleedCubbieBlue]

It would be cool if I was able to pay for kids that were in your situation.

[@vasugarg863]

Is it the same with with USA Olympians? Are they all rich kids or everyone gets a fair chance?

[@footballbarcafan10]

He is spot on. It's interesting because other sports in the United States like American football and basketball are completely different.

[@roberttyner5809]

AAU basketball can be incredibly expensive to enroll your child in. That is assuming they pass the team tryout($50 fee non refundable.). Football is an outlier because the numbers are going down in participation, so you couldn’t even come up with a travel non high school team.

[@karlbunge1359]

Robert Tyner aau basketball is not that expensive compared to other aau sports. It’s all relative to the team and what not, the more you travel the more it will cost.

[@Ronin-FBA]

AAU basketball is free for top recruits. They have sponsors. Nike and Adidas. The US always finds a way for poor families to play football, basketball and baseball. Soccer on the other hand is a privilege in America. And it will never change. The rich kids don't want it to change...

[@IDFWU650]

As soon as inner city kids start playing, watch the transformation of the type of athletes the US would produce.

[@koki84ji7]

its not an athlete thing, such a tired and boring argument peddled by people that just started to watch the sport. I wonder what xavi 40 yard dash time was? i wonder how much Messi can bench?? so stupid

[@LennonMarx420]

@@koki84ji7 For sure the metrics would be different, but there is a point to be had here. How many good American athletes that have trained their whole life but are playing in MLB, NFL, NBA, or the NHL would be good/very good/world class at soccer if they had been playing and training that their whole lives? How many giant NBA centers would be good Central Defenders or Goalkeepers with that training? How many wide receivers in the NFL would be talented wingers if they had that training instead? Not all of them, for sure, but there is so much talent in the American sports leagues that it would be silly to think none of them could play soccer if that had been the big draw here instead of NBA/NFL/MLB/NHL.

[@mariowilliams9206]

Messi is very athletic have you seen ronaldo best have god given skill and master the technical side of the game Xavi Pirlo Iniesta all those are great players but it's a reason they're not considered the top players in the world because that's slow they can't defend their just one trick ponies who just really know how to pass the ball and use technique to get around Defenders if they had actual athleticism they would be unstoppable in the world class in every sense of the way

[@cgonthebeat3741]

Well that's never gonna happen.

[@chakir348]

@@koki84ji7 xavi doesn't run fast but definitely his stamina with iniesta is close long distance runners messi still fast and strong for his body size add to that the technical talent and you will get the best players if you saying football players not athletic you're out of your f..ing mind try running for 90 minutes accelerating acceleration after acceleration

[@roastman4520]

In Germany it’s for free, the German football federation pays for your yearly fees except for the insurance which is approx €7-8 pw

[@Bongaboi151]

And that's why Germany is a heavyweight. Accessibility.

[@JJones-oi3jc]

Its free mostly everywhere in England if your good enough your be in an academy from the age of 6 for free. Just like most of Europe and Latin America

[@boodaviking2736]

It's hard to make the 5th most popular sport in america free. Outside of the top 3 sports (football, basketball, baseball) all the others sports are expensive. The 2 countries you just used as an example , soccer is the number 1 sport there.

[@kanewarren8759]

That's why Germany has beast players but in that will never happen

[@davep4240]

Is it really? Your tax dollars are paying for it so it’s not really free.

[@alicelegardy7256]

Thank God somebody high profile had said it🔥🔥🙏🏾 honestly Zlatan coming to mls was the best thing to ever happen to us soccer in our history. Mainly because of him bringing more of a global eye to the league but also his openness with where the usa is as far as the sport as concerned. I’m very glad he speaks out on all the issues we have because maybe us soccer will listen to someone like him.

[@perezmarcos24]

That’s how I mastered controlling the ball. How to pass. How to create space. How to do certain skills in games. It was all learned playing with friends here in the us. I’m 24 now and I can truly say that playing with friends is very crucial towards how you see and develop your style of play. It’s important to still practice but your overall game gets better when you play freely. When you’re not constrained to rules that you have to follow when you play you begin to make more sense of the game. Yes those rules can still be followed when you’re playing an actual game, but with friends is a whole other experience. Your true nature of where you fit in as a player your role where you’re most comfortable playing comes out. You’re not constrained to the position a coach sees you in themselves. You play where you fit naturally.

[@astrophysicsFTW]

Parents couldn’t afford Redbulls youth academy for me even though I was recruited so I 100% agree

[@kh7688]

I'm shocked in a very good way, that there are no dislikes. I hope some idiots don't ruin it. I don't always agree with ESPN, but everyone here is right and make good points.

[@Bradiphrenie]

your point was proven there are now 3 idiots! UTC (don't click no link)

[@alicelegardy7256]

Facts, I believe Zlatan cane to MLS for a much bigger reason then to restore his career. I feel like faith brought him here to help fix the issue with soccer in this country because he’s been advocating change very openly and I’m not at all offended by his comments but I welcome them because that’s how we get change

[@Delboy0]

Basically Americans are greedy and they have monetised youth soccer like they monetised their healthcare so now have a team of rich white kids that are never going to be competitive in a world cup. It is ridiculous that soccer cost more than American football to play in the US despite the fact you need to buy so much equipment for American football. Playing in US travel youth teams cost more than playing in the academy of a Champions League team. Youth soccer coaches can earn £150,000 year and they are not going to give that up. This is the country that had a civil war to try and end slavery. You have to appeal to the inherent greed in Americans to change things. Allow training compensation payments to made to youth teams when the players sign for a professional team, like what happens around the world. If this was allowed these youth coaches would leave the suburbs and go to the inner cities to find talent, because they know better talent is there and would have more chance of becoming professional and getting bigger cheque.

[@kh7688]

@@Delboy0 Ahhhh Capitalism. The bedrock of American society.

[@kh7688]

@@alicelegardy7256 I'd like to think so too. He had nothing else to prove in his career. His trophy haul, his insane amount of goals (as well as the quality of them) and of course the names of teams on his resume (United, Milan, Inter, Barca, PSG etc). I'm sure he wanted to play his part in making soccer more accessible to the average American. For me it's the greatest sport in the world. Just as it is for billions of people worldwide.

[@hardrockfreak1337]

Zlatan is right. This countries obsession with unfettered capitalism is affecting our ability to compete in football.

[@keltwonda1359]

Absolutely on point. Everything has been commercialize.

[@ghost_kinggamer]

Lol capitalism in the MLS?Salary caps and all that BS lol. No relegation system...

[@eldiego68]

Where would the NCAA crooks go if they couldn’t get free money from student athletes? America will never break free from that organization. If you thought FIFA was corrupt, the NCAA will make you think Sep Blatter was a saint.

[@marcelobrandt9168]

@@ghost_kinggamer the no relegation system is a clear example of how money and capitalism influences the sport in the USA. You're stupid.

[@ghost_kinggamer]

@Michael Quirk Put Brazil out of that one mate.

[@Mr.Josh.]

SO true. I used to play Futbol out here when I was younger but never seemed to progress because of the pay to play. Lived in Argentina for 10 years after and learned how to play much more and had opportunities there. (Not to brag) but I couldn't imagine how good I would've been if I just grew up out there instead. The USA is most definitely ruining many potential stars for the sport just based on how the system is out here. Sad

[@jesselopez8731]

You should get me in contact with some Argentinian coaches

[@subifyouhatetiktokandreddit234]

Only rich white kids actually go and have careers

[@leonardoflorentin]

@@jesselopez8731 nah I'm an Argentine and is extremely difficult to get on an elite level, we have immigrants nationalized Argentines that end up playing for the national team of their fathers because they have absolutely no chance of ever get into the Argentine national team. If you want to make it into the argentine football you have to be above average and I mean way above.

[@ishrendon6435]

​@@leonardoflorentintrue

[@ishrendon6435]

Lol youre bragging about living in argentina and play a game of soccer lol sad here in the US we're better overall. But hey if you prefer better soccer sure but we're better than argentina in eveything. Idk amyone who would leave the US for argentina lol wow 😂

[@jaredmorales9763]

Very ironic how the country I live in ( USA ) prides themselves off of the “ American Dream “ and the ability to achieve your dreams from nothing by working hard , has a system where only rich kids who are rubbish can get the chance to play the beautiful game and achieve their dreams .

[@tudoralex-ve7st]

all of this dreams packaging you re offered is all propaganda mate. You should really talk to someone outside the us and see how we think,you would be amazed . No disrespect bro but if you re not rich usa is worse than eastern europe

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

I see many poor Latinos play soccer in the USA. They are not college bound and as soon as they can work they have to get a job to help support their parents other 6 kids.

[@MegaBestoffer]

Not just with sports. How America is one of the most powerful in the world astounds me. The system here is so flawed. I often feel it will crumble very soon.

[@TomRiddler-m3j]

Ronaldo grew up very poor and now look at him he’s one of the greatest players to have ever played. He’s just one of so many who grew up so poor, with so many disadvantages.

[@gargola1887]

@Sean Tottenham you mean NBA? You can jump to pro straight from high school

[@INoticeTooMuch1]

@Sean Tottenham what? There are tons of poor kids playing college football. Every year they give out like ~25 scholarships and all those players get a 6 figure education for free.

[@ademosthenes4911]

@Sean Tottenham Most of the kids that go to College in a scholarship never make it to the pross, I agree that Schools make a ton of money but still for many like me, sports pay for an education that otherwise i could not have efforted.

[@JJones-oi3jc]

Most professional footballers come from a working class background and thats why its amazing

[@ademosthenes4911]

@Sean Tottenham and think of all the guys that would never have a chance to have a decent life without sports, about the broken, broke and abandoned you speak of, they still have the opportunity to at least get a head start and there are always loans, if someone give's up because he can no longer play and get a free ride he or she have nobody to blame but themselves. The college system is not going to change, if you want athletes from the top sports to get pay, how about the rest? do they get pay also? I mean how about Gymnastics, Fencing, skiing, rifle, swimming, cross country, track and field etc. etc. and while in the subject why not make it free for everybody? The truth to me with futbol is not only the pay for play, is that to many people want everything handed over to them and are not willing to sacrifice anything to get it, the opportunities in this country are here, but it is a lot easier to put up excuses than to work hard. P.S. A Scholarship may not be enough to let you live like a king but is enough to pay for your food, roof, tuition any school related expenses and i don't know about what schools you are talking about when you say students having to fit their schedule to the team needs, the schools that i'm familiar with are like any HS, with the difference of the traveling, but you get to make up tests or excused from class when traveling.

[@blueexpresstv5401]

So it's like the pay to win in EA Sports with those"loot boxes"!

[@Darkmountaindweller]

EA got the concept from them 😂 and they ruined FIFA .Gone back to PES.

[@coachtechnique]

@@Darkmountaindweller thats messed up.

[@sephiroth-k8f]

@@Darkmountaindweller even pes is a mess

[@sampleshifter]

something like that

[@davilucas6470]

That's why when the players from here go to Europe they fail miserably. Not only is it expensive but they don't even get trained right 👎

[@jessecolato9631]

Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich?

[@frankreynolds9418]

Several American players have had solid careers playing in Europe. Some have failed, others have done quite well.

[@moman225]

@@jessecolato9631 he isn't american

[@yafettegbaru3887]

@@jessecolato9631 Alphonso Davies was actually a refugee coming into Canada. He is one of the few lucky ones in North America that was poor but had the opportunity to train and perform and look at him now. He is arguably one of the best Left-Backs in the world. I can only think of the many players that were rich in North America, traveled but failed miserably in Europe. Now imagine all the poor kids in America getting a chance to perform. The USMNT and Canadian National Team would be something else completely.

[@sonthebikeman]

Christian Pulisic? But agree with you, only a few North American players (except for Mexico, their football should be counted as a part of Latin American football), not just the American, can barely survive in Europe!

[@pedropierre9594]

Bro let the kids we see playing in the parks with grown ups into pro soccer club academies pay free and let them win us trophies.

[@JamesSmith-uh8zf]

The very best youth athletes in the US aren’t playing soccer.

[@blackeesh463]

The very best youth soccer players aren't playing either.

[@Dasanie]

Blackeesh lol true. But there just isn’t enough love in American hearts for soccer to fit in with the 3 major sports.

[@ATTRAYU]

Big up to ESPN for following this and moreno articulated it perfectly

[@6one995]

contract over relation over😆 savage Zalatan.but he is Right.

[@iAiannn]

He used to speak about it even when he was there.

[@utsavbasu1048]

U deserve likes

[@MrPoepope]

100% "Soccer mom"--ie posh suv driving mom is a totally north american term isnt it? Don't think people even get it the rest of the world over.

[@6one995]

MrPoepope right bro

[@6one995]

Aian Xaharia really?

[@mikejones9906]

Grew up playing youth soccer in the inner city and I've seen some kids that if they had the right coaching and encouragement could've been professionals and I'm sure a lot of others have that same experience.

[@alicelegardy7256]

Yeah but I’m order to play for a good youth team you have to pay every month and it’s waaay more expensive than aau basketball, so many kids don’t have access to the coaches/ resources to become professionals

[@mikejones9906]

@@alicelegardy7256 Exactly, there has to be a systematic setup and funding in the inner cities.

[@alicelegardy7256]

Mike Jones not just there but everywhere, it’s untapped talent in all parts of the country even in the rural areas, but this country is about business and business only. Can’t tax what’s free so they won’t make it that way it is what it is

[@jamawesome3451]

Marc The Robot ...You are absolutely right

[@staytrippy7302]

I played soccer in USA since 4 years old to 18 years old. Had a lot of experiences regarding this. My family and I personally struggled to pay for uniforms and other fees like so many other families and I've seen some kids turned away at tryouts not based on skill but based on their parents ability to pay the fees and dues. I felt terrible seeing this happen because I could've been one those kids being turned away if it weren't for multiple coaches at my club paying for my uniforms and fees. I hope other coaches, scouts and parents can step up like this for other kids who have a well deserved spot on a club team regardless of their parents income. Hopefully Soccer in America can start recruiting by skill and position rather than financial stability and connections.

[@davidyasser9591]

The best talent come from streets.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

Most kids deal in the streets and don't play soccer.

[@williaeric]

I totally agree with Zlatan and the reporter. It is a privilege in the US and needs to be restructured. The way the reporter addressed funding can be done and should be mandated by US Soccer Federation. What they can do is that every MLS Division 1 club needs to pay the US Soccer Federation a yearly fee for US Youth development programs. There is currently 26 MLS teams which is a good number and I think they will look at it as a youth player investment. US Soccer Federation will have coaches, scouts, facilities paid through the funding from the clubs on a yearly basis, so that answers the budget aspect of things that he said couldn't be done. Lastly, each scout will be an official representative of the MLS team. Which means the MLS club can set their own expectations specifically with their responsible scout. It will also reduce the work of the MLS club hiring and trying to find the right candidate for their own recruiting system locally, so then it offsets that costs.

[@BabsW]

As long as the MLS maintains its franchise/closed-league model, I can't see this ever changing. Clubs in other countries have a lot more incentive to scout, invest in, and develop the best players because those players can help them gain promotion, for example, or be sold around the world for millions of pounds in profit.

[@jacksiong1388]

You're right there's no draft system in europe , owner in europe be like " if you want a young talent from my academy ... just pay 3 millions dollars mother fucker "

[@keenanhenry95]

Yup, couldn't agree more. I'm 19 and wanted to join a soccer team in urban Florida, and each tryout would have costed about $300! I was like what the heck! Nope.

[@AnhtoanNguyen128]

I'm in urban Florida and it cost $300 for the season. Were you playing trying for a private club.

[@keenanhenry95]

@@AnhtoanNguyen128 I guess so 🤷🏽‍♂️ Still man, so much to go and play. That's like paying your boss to get a job and work for him.

[@kevinmonroe4887]

I've been saying this forever. I've tried so hard to bring the sport to the inner cities..can't find funding. We Will never be a world power in the sport until we get our best athletes involved...period.

[@snapkrr]

it’s a hard fit because ngl you need money, but individual academies do not have funding from proffesional teams or leagues like in europe. They end up having to ask for the money from the players, which causes a lot of talent not to be able to play at the highest level. You have your anomalies where certain talent is backed by richer families but most of the time, poor players can’t play the game. If in america, they had a similar model to NCAA Baseball, it would take the sport pretty far. There isn’t enough money in the sport yet to get there though. Once an increase in the sports popularity takes place, a lot of these problems will be fixed.

[@abraham115]

100% right They don't know the meaning of giving it all for the Camisa 💯

[@josephpedraza1995]

It is hard for me here bc I couldn’t play at a high level for that long bc it was so far away and here not everyone plays every day I only have one friend who lives 7 hours away that’s as committed as me and a couple of friends near me who even just play when it’s practice or game time, and he’s right, it’s not something that can be changed easily but it’s still very hard for those who do want to play, and I feel like I and many others have slipped through the cracks and I don’t think that’s fair

[@kqh123]

I see Zlatan, I click.

[@coachtechnique]

is see zlatan comment i like

[@SonnyDazeNYC]

For every James Sands there's 10 kids who could've been James Rodriguez that go undeveloped

[@xmalcom650]

No there are not. Mexico has not even produced one great player.

[@FuckleberryHinn79]

Alphonso Davies, from "being worth" 4,5 $ to 45 mill $ in 10 month.

[@blocburial]

I started playing football when i was 7yo in Poland. My fee was 10 pound a month. But on the other hand it has to be expensive enough to pay for qualified coaches that can take care of good education of young footballers. I think Netherlands is one of the best examples of well managed football industry.

[@frankreyes7938]

Finally someone speaks out

[@marzgotthevizion]

It’s happens here in Canada to

[@StylistecS]

Yeah I read that Canada is just as bad.

[@nkechiakhabue1610]

yeah bro

[@marzgotthevizion]

Ashtaroth Solemn Hypnotic all facts lol even if I hate it it’s true lol

[@timdel9]

@@marzgotthevizion yeah but you got them French Canadian girls lol

[@snapkrr]

i saw something where like the academy davies came from is using his face on pamphlets and is marketing him in a way to get more players to join the club

[@dwayneanderson1791]

So true Zlatan 👏🏽👏🏽

[@ZExperiences]

Imagine a similar quality of talent in nba / college basketball available in soccer. Unstoppable

[@trof6874]

I coached youth soccer for 12 years and Zatlan is 100% correct. I had a few kids in my day that were approached by US soccer ODP and none of them could afford to be a part of the system due to the expense . As soccer coaches like to joke, but it is true, US soccer is the best soccer upper middle class and beyond can provide. I have seen plenty of really talented kids get left behind. I see some teams are trying but for the most part this is still a huge problem in US. We will never field a great team on the international level as long as this is the path US soccer continues down.

[@BleedCubbieBlue]

Do you know if there's any charities that help support kids in these situations?

[@iChoseScylla]

Look at the USMNT and tell me that’s the best lot of kids you can find in the whole country to represent it. Of course not. They were in a position to be able to get that far. That’s not their fault but it excludes so many young players who are way better 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@XP3RTL3G3ND]

Michael Bradley coaches son as starting midfielder for years and years. What a joke!

[@Leo-tm7yi]

If they fix this the us national team could be incredible, the players at my age or around (mid-late teens) are incredible they have so much talent but bc of how expensive it is they don't bother taking it serious and this is happening all over the country, incredible talent wasted just bc they prefer a few thousands a of dollars instead of what could become a great national team

[@Josh-mx5ij]

Exactly, I know so many talented kids that, with the right training, could certainly be good enough for the national and professional level, but because it just costs so much for the right training and to be discovered, they don’t dare to dream and don’t aspire to be professionals

[@ninjalobsterpr1292]

This is true. The USA has very capable athletes to play this sport. The only reason they haven’t won a World Cup is because the sport is only played by rich kids, there aren’t any children playing this sport on the streets.

[@insightdeluxe2]

rich WHITE kids. get it right.

[@octpod3923]

No it's because they're average players.

[@matrixxx3662]

insightdeluxe2 South Americans will always have the best players.

[@SebastianTysler]

I played soccer in Poland in a club and as far as I remember my monthly dues were like $10 - mostly to cover coach salary and administrative expenses. What happened if you did not pay? Well you had talk with the coach and if you told him you had no money he just wave his hand and as long as you do well you play for free.

[@alanrobles6644]

I remember being in a House league team full of Latino kids from immigrant parents like myself. Basically soccer was in our blood but we didn't have the money or time to play in top leagues. We would scrimmage with the travel team and beat them by a large margin. We were humble, creative and smart but we knew soccer in this country wouldn't take us far

[@gbubemia]

Everything is expensive in the US!

[@LordZontar]

NEEDLESSLY expensive.

[@pedropantoja1598]

Completely agree! I remember I couldn’t join a team when I was 16 because my parents couldn’t afford it

[@kevinmaldonado4869]

Finally a good post from you everything alejandro said was right

[@010295k]

Agreed 100 percent. Brazil is a great example. Growing up in poverty

[@slurpii4669]

Not really, beach football one of the reasons why the brasilians are so good, along with football culture (playing football every weekend, with friends, neighbors etc)

[@charlielum4780]

This is so true I’ve been screwed over so many times from making the top team for my club because of wealthy families that pay for their kids to get on the team. It’s politics.

[@dtlafc170]

Been saying that for years, get rid of “pay to play” America can be a soccer powerhouse, if they let talented kids develop at a young age. They can go from rags to riches. And the league can grow locally and sell for profit, instead of buying big names and paying them a lot of money only to trash the league

[@TWODEEP25]

Ibra is once again the goat for this one , USA sucks at football

[@mikeyfeliciano7174]

This is actually old news when he was in LA Galaxy, can’t believe he has to say it again

[@theunit9851]

I think they are discussing it again He didnot say it again Nothing left to talk for ESPN about Soccer these days

[@magnificentiPod]

It's the same quote. Its just that the ESPN clowns have nothing else to discuss now

[@bernardocansey6168]

It must be spoken about tho if the country wants to move forward

[@m3talh3ad18]

No one's surprised, it's US and they speak only money 💸💲

[@buddahganja4707]

I couldn't travel to Australia when it was offered to me in my early teens. I faced the same issues

[@TheEyeball37]

I was offered to go to Australia and the Netherlands when I was young. My parents thought it was neat sounding, but were definitely not going to pay what it took to do it.

[@rayhanquesada6147]

Zlatan hit the nail on the head first try.. the USA has probably missed out on sooo many talents because in order to play you must pay..

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

That's what this girl told me. If you want to play you must pay.

[@rashshanthomas9068]

2400 for my son to play for his academy

[@mjmj8837]

Zlatan is GOLD!!

[@kevincristino686]

Football should be a sport all kids can play, this is so sad that actual potential in America can’t be seen unless your family has a bag.

[@77cambo77]

FIFA should implement a Grass Roots Tax on all players coaches and officials earning over £100k per week. Young players could then sign up via FIFA online and after processing they could join their local or selected club subject to certain criteria and then the child can play without needing to pay any registration fees.

[@MrVideofreak13]

2:30 The NCAA makes over 1 billion a year, im certain they can cope with such a system.

[@alonzoMTG]

The MLS IS LIKE a retirement home for European legends they don't care about young talent

[@gerardoluna5383]

A professional soccer player in my home town took me to some tryouts when I was young, because he witnessed me nutmeged 2 adults back to back ! Lead to nowhere

[@MbisonBalrog]

He did not offer to pay?

[@hubster4477]

Nutmegging isn't that special.

[@kvltizt]

@@hubster4477 An American child even knowing about nutmegs is special to the few of us who like soccer. Lol

[@joefrascino4546]

That’s y I couldn’t play at higher levels no matter how much the club said they wanted me if I couldn’t pay I couldn’t play🤷🏻‍♂️

[@timothyrosman6371]

The brass ring of US soccer for parents is a college scholarship, not a professional contract. Parents will "invest" the usurious fees to get their kids on travel teams to play these "elite FC" type tournaments for the sole purpose of getting their kid noticed by a college recruiter. A scholarship is after all, worth about $150k. This creates an odd arms race where in Europe, the clubs foot the bill for the infrastructure and scouting at the chance they can spot a kid, sign him and resell or develop him into a wonderkid. I refereed for 15 years at all sorts of youth levels and have seen it all. One tournament had a video trailer that recorded every game from multiple angles and then sold the footage to parents if their kid scored a goal or made some other good play that they wanted the highlights for. I feel like you could set up an urban soccer league for something like $40/kid which covers equipment, field use, ref fees and anything else could be offset by sponsors or bake sales or something. I did a high-level U17 game at Disney one year with an "elite" team of kids from suburban PA against a ragtag group of kids from Miami who barely got there and had mismatching equipment and were generally a calamity. The Miami kids won 6-1