When you start playing the beautiful game from a young age, you might aspire to become a professional. After all, there’s a lot to like about the professional soccer lifestyle! But if you choose to become a soccer player and are talented enough to get paid for it, here are some of the reasons why it’s an excellent career to pursue.
You get paid to do what you love
Soccer is truly a game for the masses. When you grow up playing soccer with your friends out in your local park, you dream of one day playing in front of packed out crowds at the biggest stadia in the world. If you’re lucky enough to become a professional soccer player, you have the chance to live the dream and get paid to do what you love! Not many people can truly say that about their jobs.
You have the chance to earn a LOT of money!
There’s no getting away from it, soccer players are paid huge amounts of money for what they do! When you take a look at the highest paid players in the MLS, for instance, it makes pretty impressive reading:
- Carlos Vela – $6.3million
- Javier Hernández – $6.00million
- Gonzalo Higuain – $5.79million
- Alejandro Pozeulo – $4,69million
These were the top MLS earners in 2021, according to a piece by ESPN. Granted, the above names are superstars, but the average wage in the entire player pool currently stands just over $418,000. While it’s not mega bucks, when you consider sponsorship and other income streams, you can see that soccer is a very lucrative career in the US.
You can travel the world
Another great thing about playing soccer for a living is that you get the chance to travel the world. If you’re called up to represent your national team, you might find yourself traveling to places beyond your wildest dreams to play for your country.
What’s more, if you make it big time in the MLS, you might be offered the chance to play in one of the biggest leagues in Europe, as has been the case with the likes of Landon Donovan and Christian Pulisic, to name just two US stars. While it might not be your sole motivation for developing a career in soccer, the fact that you can travel far and wide is certainly a plus point!
You will be doing a job that keeps you fit
Soccer players are athletes and train hard throughout the week. The ninety minutes that you watch them play at the weekend is a result of a lot of hard work and dedication! It’s not everyone in the world who gets to do a job where they’re paid to keep fit, but soccer is certainly one of them. Instead of having to pay for an expensive gym membership, your career as a soccer player ensures you will keep fit by default!
You will be presented with a range of other opportunities
When you become a professional soccer player, multiple doors open up to you. You will be approached to be an ambassador for various brands and products, and you might even be invited to be a panelist on a sports channel like ESPN. Your rise to prominence will also give you the opportunity to collaborate with other sports stars and you will live an awesome lifestyle, which is something so many people aspire to around the world!
How do you become a pro soccer player?
The truth of the matter is that if you want to become a pro soccer player, you need to have the talent to make it in the sport! As such, it’s best to start playing as early as you can in life, so you can develop the required skills to burst onto the scene.
While players in Europe are often recruited through soccer academies, many American players progress through their colleges and go onto make a name for themselves in the domestic game.
If you believe you (or your kids) have the talent to make it as a pro soccer player, we wish you the very best of luck! Train hard, practice regularly, and do everything you can to turn your dream into a reality.