​A great deal has been debated in the past couple of days about what U.S. soccer needs most. Above all, it needs a superstar—a genuine, global talent who can stay at the top for 15 to 20 years and become a relentless goal-scoring machine. Think Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappé, Haaland. It’s easier to say than to do. Yet we have produced superstars in other sports. So why not in soccer?
The answer hinges on attracting the best athletes to soccer at a young age. Stronger competition will quicken the development of players with the potential to become great. And yes, that might edge out some other sports by drawing away the top athletes, at least to some degree. But the math is straightforward: more players in soccer create more good players, which in turn creates more chances for promising talents to push their abilities to the limit, lift the level of play more consistently, and raise each player’s ceiling toward whatever limit it may be.
Ultimately, this is a cultural issue. Which sports do kids gravitate toward naturally? In the 1970s, the big three—football, baseball, basketball—dominated neighborhoods, and a soccer ball rarely appeared on a street corner. Today, the dynamic has shifted. If enough kids in neighborhoods across the country venture outside with friends and try to play, they’ll discover whether they have a knack for the sport. If they do, they’ll seek out organized soccer.
From there, the pipeline can expand. There are only so many children in any given area, and their time is finite. More hours spent on soccer means fewer hours on football, baseball, or basketball. It’s a cultural shift: if soccer becomes a regular after-school, weekend, or summer activity, enough kids will improve to test the potentially great ones among them.
Over time, this shift will influence the flow of superb players who might have thrived in other sports. For decades, it’s been a three-way tug-of-war for talent. When soccer becomes as central a pursuit as the other major sports—when kids choose it whenever they can—more will become proficient. They will assist those who have the potential to become truly exceptional, helping their talents blossom.
In time, the United States will produce a genuine superstar who doesn’t merely compete on the world stage but dominates it. I wish I could live long enough to witness that moment—though I can do without the dangers of wandering into yellow jacket nests. The broader goal, of course, is to position American soccer to nurture elite talent, elevate the sport’s profile, and create a pathway to sustained success on the world stage. With continued focus on development, recruitment of top young athletes, and cultural shifts that include soccer as a regular pursuit, the dream of a homegrown superstar who can lead the U.S. to international dominance becomes increasingly attainable. The 2026 World Cup could serve as a catalyst, accelerating that transformation and widening the door for a generation of players to push the sport to new heights.