When Rocio Soto signed up her three sons to play soccer seven years ago, she never imagined she’d be spending so much money.
The kids were then between 7 and 11 years old. Since then, Soto, who back then lived in North Miami, has spent around $13,500 on travel, uniforms, a private coach and even refereeing fees.
“We have paid so much money for so many different things regarding youth soccer,” she said. “It’s a lot.”
In just a couple days, the U.S. will host the World Cup for the second time in 32 years, along with Canada and Mexico. The tournament will inspire the next generation of North American players. But given the extraordinarily high price of tickets and the difficult time for many in the American economy, it may also cause parents to reflect on how much they pay for their kids to kick a ball around a pitch.
Like Soto, millions of Americans have paid billions of dollars in recent years so that their children could learn to juggle, shoot and pass.
To do this, many travel across the country and pay high club and uniform fees.
On elite teams, parents can pay as much as $20,000 a year for travel and other expenses, industry sources say.
Many people, particularly in minority communities, can’t afford that kind of bill.
“The clubs want to make money,” U.S. Soccer legend Landon Donovan said recently on an episode of the The Rich Eisen Show. “Kids get left behind because they don’t develop. Now, we’re seeing the fruits of that.”
Many view it as unfair.
William Hernandez, age 21, is an Argentine-American who began playing soccer almost as soon as he could walk. He played center midfield, the quarterback of the offense, for Miami Beach Senior High School and won the Greater Miami Athletic Conference in 2023.
He dreamed of playing for Rosario Central, or a professional team like Paris Saint-Germain, but never had the money to join.
The cost of academies can be high. For instance, the Paris Saint-Germain Miami Academy, which is located in Brickell, costs $2,700 just to try out.
Hernandez says he’s looked into this and just can’t afford it. He lives with his single mom in Midtown and has worked at Best Buy for the last four years just to pay the rent. He takes the bus because he can’t afford a car.
“Pricing played a huge factor,” said Hernandez. “It was unfair to see the upper class kids have the money to play and it discouraged me to pursue soccer professionally.”
Then there’s Pablo Pittella, age 50, an Argentine who grew up playing soccer in Buenos Aires. He played center midfield in the Boca Juniors academy and even worked as a ball boy for the first team inside La Bombonera, the club’s iconic stadium.
Pitella saw talented players struggle, but not because they lacked ability. Some of his teammates did not have enough money to take the bus to training. Others came from different provinces, leaving their families behind and hoping soccer could give them a better life.
But in Argentina, players did not have to pay expensive academy fees just to be seen. If a club believed a player was good enough, it often helped with food, housing or transportation.
That pressure also came with a cost. For many young players, soccer was not just a sport. It was their only way out.
“Many of my teammates did not have a plan B if they did not make it professionally, and many suffered from depression,” said Pittella.
That is one of the biggest differences Pittella sees between youth soccer in Argentina and the United States. In Argentina, money could still be a problem, but it did not always stop a talented player from getting on the field.
“I had teammates who didn’t have money to travel by bus,” said Pittella. “In Argentina, you don’t pay to play. On the contrary, if you’re good, the team helps you.”
Soto’s oldest son is a goalkeeper and does private training.
“We pay $50 per session throughout the entire week,” said Soto. “Each session is about an hour and a half long. The cost adds up over time, but he had so many improvements.”
Soto goes on to say that her son’s one-on-one goalkeeping training is extremely important to his development.
“The one-on-one sessions allow him to be able to focus on areas that won’t get focused on during regular training sessions,” said Soto.
Despite the finances, Soto says she has never thought about pulling her sons out.
“Yes, it’s expensive and demanding, but they love it too much,” said Soto.
