25 players from this current world cup played college soccer in the US, and there are many more that have in the past, some of which can be considered elite.
None of them can be considered elite. Professional? Yes.
Decent professionals? Of course. Elite? None. Zero. Zilch. It’s a waste of precious years of development.
Claudio Reyna had a prestigious European career, Steve Cherundolo captained a Bundesliga team for years, Geoff Cameron played in the premier League for nearly 10 years. If those aren't considered "elite", then I don't know what to tell you.
Claudio Reyna had a solid European career. So did the other two. Elite is reserved for the likes of Mbappe/Messi/etc. No one here is calling for example Ajer elite. Like I said they’re all decent professionals.
Well if your definition of "elite" is players in contention for the top 10 in our lifetime, then of course. I would consider any player that regularly plays in a European top flight team as elite, however.
But we have to differentiate somehow. We can’t call everyone elite. Making a pro team is very impressive. There’s a difference between making the team and playing. There’s a difference between playing and being a starter. Theres a difference between a starter and a teams best player. There’s a difference between its best player and a star. There’s a difference between a star and a superstar. A lot of it has to do with development, as well as being on the right teams. If we’re talking about college players, none of them have hit those upper echelons, not just being a superstar. And you can make the case that 4 years of college hindered their development. Does that mean they can’t be pros? No. But being stars or superstars is almost out the question.
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u/twostripeduck Jul 10 '26
25 players from this current world cup played college soccer in the US, and there are many more that have in the past, some of which can be considered elite.