World Cup 2026

[MuggsyB]

When you have more people, you have more potential top athletes.
Of course, other factors like wealth, development structure, interest in a given sport, etc., also matter. But just in terms of raw materials to work with, you'd rather start off with a talent pool of 20 million to choose from than 2 million.

Ya....I think many of the variables you cite play the most important role.  Indonesia doesn't slay in badminton but are irrelevant in soccer because they have 280 million people. 

[Pakuni]

Pakuni fails to understand the reality that the most athletic kids who have any shot of being a professional athlete are filtered into sports that generate the big money at a young age.

What American sport would someone Messi's, Neymar's or Maradonna's stature have been filtered to? Horse racing?

[Uncle Rico]

What American sport would someone Messi's, Neymar's or Maradonna's stature have been filtered to? Horse racing?

E-sports

[MUBurrow]

Pakuni fails to understand the reality that the most athletic kids who have any shot of being a professional athlete are filtered into sports that generate the big money at a young age.

FWIW I also fail to understand this because I don't think it is, in fact, reality.

[Billy Hoyle]

Yeah, because everyone is 6'8" that's why there's so many more basketball camps than soccer camps and advanced basketball programs than soccer programs.
The infrastructure for those chasing the dream isn't going to change.

Well, unless you like socialism:

Now presenting 24/7 soccer fields in the city that never sleeps.

Find your next late-night game at nycopenplay.com.

https://x.com/anniefortruth/status/2074111728007381306?s=46&t=wj-kQtLCLPNb9xDTKbHRvQ

No, the idea that the US can only peak at mediocrity because our best athletes are playing other sports, and that if athletes like Saquon Barkley or Mike Trout were soccer players, we'd dominate world soccer, is what I'm referring to. It's like saying Messi or CR7 would be great point guards if and their countries would be major players on the world scene if they played basketball.

If basketball were the top sport in Austria, that 6-9 keeper would be a basketball player and a dominant one at that, right?

[Pakuni]

E-sports

Right. Or band. Or just school.
Most major American sports by their nature exclude smaller athletes. Not a lot of average-sized people are excelling in high school hoops or football, much less at major college programs or the pros. Which is why the argument that all the potentially great American soccer players are playing basketball or football or baseball doesn't really hold up. Some of them, sure. But there's enough people in this country that we really shouldn't lack the raw talent to compete with the likes of Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands. We just stink at identifying and developing that talent.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Mbappe can apparently run a 40 in like 4.14. 

And that includes flopping at least twice

[MUBurrow]

But there's enough people in this country that we really shouldn't lack the raw talent to compete with the likes of Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands. We just stink at identifying and developing that talent.

Yep. "The best athletes" aren't just some amorphous phenomona that can be molded into the best at any sport. Sure there's some overlap, but Wes Matthews probably wouldn't have become a top professional soccer player.  And contrary to Unleash's point, I would love to see evidence he chose basketball because he just thought it would make him the most money. 

The US has plenty of kids participating in soccer to field a very competitive international team, and they aren't quitting because they think another sport will make them more money. They either don't have the family money/connections to participate at the most competitive levels and aren't being developed, and/or are just fizzling/aging out of sports altogether.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Population size has basically no correlation to soccer success.  China and India have billions of people and aren't even afterthoughts in the soccer world.

Meanwhile, Belgium is roughly the size of Maryland with the population of Ohio. Top 10 in the world; World Cup quarterfinalist.

The biggest drivers of success are culture and infrastructure.  Soccer is at best the 5th sport in the US.  It's pay to play. It emphasizes games over practice.  It favors athleticism over technical ability and soccer IQ.

Dual/multi nationals also complicate things.  The US doesn't always get the best of the best from our eligible player pool.  Four of the top young US prospects are also eligible to play for Germany, and of those players is also eligible for France.

If those players develop into world class players, they may not even represent the US.    They might end up with a traditional power, where they have a legit chance to win a World Cup.  Not uncommon for US to land starters that wouldn't have the same role on a European team.

In order to break through, the USMNT needs several things to go there way.  More on that in another post.

[wadesworld]

Yep. "The best athletes" aren't just some amorphous phenomona that can be molded into the best at any sport. Sure there's some overlap, but Wes Matthews probably wouldn't have become a top professional soccer player.  And contrary to Unleash's point, I would love to see evidence he chose basketball because he just thought it would make him the most money. 

The US has plenty of kids participating in soccer to field a very competitive international team, and they aren't quitting because they think another sport will make them more money. They either don't have the family money/connections to participate at the most competitive levels and aren't being developed, and/or are just fizzling/aging out of sports altogether.

Interestingly, I think Wes was an All State soccer player? Could be way off on that, but I think I remember that.

[Pakuni]

In Germany, a talented 14-year-old earns his club money. In America, his parents pay the club $15,000 a year.

That single inversion explains why "we will not" is the most accurate line ever written about US soccer.s=61&t=jsIZllSIAp6Fe-FmvZNVnw

There's definitely lots of truth to all you wrote here, and it's definitely a factor in the U.S. failures to develop as much soccer talent as we ought to.
But it's also fair to note that youth hockey works on a very similar model - and in some ways (cost, travel, connections) it's worse - and yet we've never been better as a hockey country. We're the men's and women's world champs, and the percentage of American-born players in the NHL has never been higher.
And there are way more barriers for the average kid to play high-level hockey in this country than soccer.

So, all the institutional faults you cite are accurate, but there's probably more at work here in addition to all that.

[MU82]

I've never been much of a believer in such-and-such slight motivating players or teams more. I mean, do you really need extra motivation above and beyond the pursuit of a championship in (name the sport)?

Nevertheless, Michael Jordan regularly claimed to use such slights as motivation - even making up slights if he had to. Hundreds of other athletes over the years have done similar. So it's hardly surprising that several Belgian players said after last night's game that the political overturning of Balogun's suspension "motivated" them.

For whatever it was worth, the Belgians were the ones who were able to play the chip-on-shoulder card. Had the suspension not been flipped, it would have been the Americans who could have claimed they were "motivated" by an "unjust" suspension. They almost surely would have lost anyway, because Belgium was clearly better, but hey, a storyline is a storyline.

Also, there are lots of memes out there in the aftermath, some funny, some crude, many hyper-political. One that's really making the rounds shows a victorious Belgian player, hand cupped to his ear in celebration, and the phrase, "Overturn this."

https://www.instagram.com/p/DaeZiOBDFKa/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=AA7MOSB6y8RkNbKyH8GqVte

[pbiflyer]

Yep. "The best athletes" aren't just some amorphous phenomona that can be molded into the best at any sport. Sure there's some overlap, but Wes Matthews probably wouldn't have become a top professional soccer player.  And contrary to Unleash's point, I would love to see evidence he chose basketball because he just thought it would make him the most money. 

The US has plenty of kids participating in soccer to field a very competitive international team, and they aren't quitting because they think another sport will make them more money. They either don't have the family money/connections to participate at the most competitive levels and aren't being developed, and/or are just fizzling/aging out of sports altogether.

I blame the participation trophies. We need to be even more ruthless at an early age.
Weed out those weak ones by the time they are 7 or 8.
Just like they do in Norway.

https://racketbusiness.com/p/why-norway-is-so-successful-at-the-olympics


For a country of just over five million people, Norway consistently performs at an extraordinary level at the Olympic Games. This is not accidental. It is structural.

The foundation of Norway's success begins in childhood.

Norwegian sport is built on a formal Children's Rights in Sport framework. Up to age 12, the focus is not on rankings, elite travel teams, or early specialization. The focus is on enjoyment, inclusion, and long-term development. Children are encouraged to play multiple sports, develop broadly, and choose their own level of engagement. Competition exists, but results are not the center of the system.


This creates three powerful outcomes.

First, participation rates remain extremely high. When children are not pushed out by pressure, cost, or burnout, more stay in sport longer. A wide participation base naturally increases the probability of elite talent emerging.

Second, athletes develop intrinsic motivation. Because young athletes are not forced into high-performance tracks too early, those who continue into elite pathways do so by choice. They arrive at advanced stages with psychological resilience, self-determination, and a genuine love for training.

Third, specialization happens at the correct time. After early adolescence, athletes who want to pursue high performance are supported by structured coaching, national federations, and high-level infrastructure. By that stage, their physical literacy, coordination, and endurance base are already well developed.

Contrast this with the early specialization model often seen in the United States, where competitive pressure can begin at very young ages. Norway delays that pressure. The result is lower burnout, fewer overuse injuries, and stronger long-term athlete development.

[tower912]

ah yes, the trusted "LeBron James and Kevin Durant and every all-star American in every other sport would dominate soccer" memes. We all know how many 6-8 260-pound soccer players there are on the pitch, right? No way Lionel Messi could get around Kevin Durant in the open field and certainly that shrimp Haaland wouldn't be slipping any shots past Bam Adabayo, amirite? And if Mike Trout can hit home runs can you imagine how he'd be as a striker?

If only Peter Crouch had chosen basketball instead. He could have been as good as Kobe becuase he's 6-7, and basketball would be the top sport in England.

Hmmmm, PCA or Yadi joke here?

[pbiflyer]

This explains a bit.You cannot view this attachment.

[Pakuni]

Hockey parents say, "Hold my beer."
Playing 15U at the AAA level will set you back about $12,000 just in club fees.

[panda]

FWIW, that account posts nothing but barely researched AI slop.  Not that its fully untrue (the academy structure and pay for play in the US harms elite soccer development here without question), but just worth taking with a grain of salt.

This is a big point that is worth mentioning as much anything else.  Even as popular as basketball is in parts of Europe, soccer is still the sun and the moon for the vast majority of the population.  And you have, usually, 2-3 premier clubs (with their academies and youth system) at most in the smaller countries, so identifying the unnaturally gifted prospects, who largely only dream of soccer, and guiding them to best youth set-up is much easier than the scale of the US.

Ive mentioned before that my work colleagues/friends in Belgium live in the same town, Boom, where Lukaku grew up.  He's the same age and was in primary school together with one of their daughter's until their teens.  Before he was 10, everyone knew he was a star and he would be going to Lierse (the best club in Antwerp at the time, Royal Antwerp has made a revival lately but was crap back then), just a matter of when.  And then to Anderlecht if he continued to play at the level he was.  It was just a given.  Not whether he would opt for basketball instead or go the college route or whatnot.  If you're a super talented soccer player and you want to pursue it, this is the path, done and done.

It's a talent ID problem IMO. One of the best USMNT of all time played on dirt fields in Texas in a Mexican weekend mens league, drove hours to play club soccer and then goes on to play for a good not great college program.

MLS also makes it difficult for player movement once you join academies. Alex Freeman had to buy his way out of an Inter Miami contract to join Orlando once his family moved. This happens a lot to families who are not well off and they're locked in with a team they'll never play for. MLS makes it difficult for youth development.

[Uncle Rico]

FIFA outdid themselves with that script.

[panda]

After a day to think on it, what a disappointing finish to what was such a fun ride this WC. I agree with Sultan based purely on results this is no different than other runs, but the style of play and home crowds made this special IMO.

Howeva - the game last night was a complete and utter embarrassment. I don't know if we're much better than Belgium but gifting four goals to your opponent doesn't say your opponent is head and shoulders above you. It says you played like garbage.

Dest was horribly wasteful going forward and directly responsible for the first goal. Ream was a statue all game and directly responsible for the second goal. Freese made some good saves but that mistake he made is atrocious and should never happen. Poor Chris Richards had such a good tournament but his mistake gifted Lukaku #4. Belgium didn't win this we lost with horrible mistakes.

Freeman played poorly yesterday but ultimately had a great tournament. Mckennie, Adams, Tillman and Balogun all improved or validated their stock value.

Pulisic...Horrible tournament aside from the first 45 minutes of the Paraguay game. Made of glass, zero impact whatsoever and comes out after the game last night saying his injury will give him time to rest. SMH - Horrible mentality for a player coming off a very poor club season. He'll be back in MLS in a year.

Overall a great ride with great pieces. Onto the Copa with king BJ at the helm :-)

*edit

Real legend calls out Pulisic
https://x.com/sydneyleroux/status/2074539612467298562?s=46

[panda]

LOL. Willfully ignorant.

Except you aren't really willfully ignorant, you know your argument is beyond stupid but you are willing to make it anyways.

Two heads of state try to change something which benefits their team and fans. You have a problem with one but not the other. Go figure.

[Billy Hoyle]

don't forget to add in travel costs too.

My buddy in NJ will be traveling to Seattle then Nashville for his 12 y/o daughter's ECNL tournaments. He was just in Florida for his twin boys' tournaments. He's actually relieved teh 14 y/o is injured this summer and isn't on the travel squad of her ECNL team.

[Shaka Shart]

Overall a great ride with great pieces. Onto the Copa with king BJ at the helm :-)

??? This isn't the pickleball thread???

[panda]

??? This isn't the pickleball thread???

lol

[panda]

https://x.com/thesammahmood_/status/2074434672201785728?s=12

shout out tarragona/shoothoops

[MU82]

As has been the case ever since Pele's signing with the NY Cosmos was going to make soccer the next great American sport ... we're only a decade away from being a decade away. Or thereabouts.