Milestones to Accomplish by 16, 18, and 21 to Become a Pro Footballer! 

This video is absolutely perfect for me Matt as a 17 year old. Thanks

Great Video, I played NJCAA D1 soccer for two years and then transferred to a good NCAA D2 school to play soccer. Unfortunately, I had a really bad foot injury and only played a couple spring season games. I went to several doctors that all said I should stop playing. I thought I was done but I continued rehab, lifting, and conditioning for 2 years hoping to play again at 100%. I graduated this past spring and stumbled upon my old youtube channel with my old highlights. I decided to utilize the connections I built in college to see if I could train with any semi-pro teams. I was able to practice with a really good semi-pro team in Dallas, TX this summer and now I'm trying out for a UPSL team. I'm now 22 and way behind, but I enjoyed this video. Great work!

Thank you Matt Im 16 and this video is exactly what I needed to see.

This video is so true and accurate! One thing I noticed as well throughout my journey to pro was seeing where others around me were at. We’re they playing D1 college? Pro? National team? If you surround yourself with players reaching those levels, then you’ll develop into that level yourself if you apply yourself correctly. Whether I was in Brazil, USA, Latvia, Finland, I always tried to surround myself with the highest level possible. At D1 college I tried to learn from the guys going pro. At academy I tried to learn from the national team guys and first team players.

Matt I watched your last match against loudoun until it got delayed at half time you played excellent, I admire your hard work and dedication to be a RU-vidr and a pro Soccer player keep up the great work!

Thanks for putting this one together!

Thanks Matt this is so helpful 👍

Don´t care if Im too old now. I will still try. Good luck to you all too! We will make it!

Very well-rounded advice, right to the point, one of the reason I favour this channel. Keep up the good work.

Love this video. Keep up the good work!!

Wonderful video, your content is always filled with informative videos.

Fantastic video, again. I'm 51 years old and love looking back at my playing days wondering where I would land. At 16 (1988...lol), I was playing with a top level NY based travel team and also playing ODP. At 18, same thing. However in 1990 when I was 18 going into my senior yr of high school, the idea of playing "pro" soccer in America was unheard of. There was no sustainable real league. And going to Europe was a long shot. In fact it was the following Summer as I entered my freshman year of D1 college ball (1991) where I was meeting players from Ireland and England that had actually been in premiere league youth set ups yet couldn't get pro contracts at 18 so decided to play US college. It was quite an awakening. It really soured my attitude towards college, as well. By souphmore year I decided it wasn't worth the time/effort to continue to make the sacrifice. I was able to convert my soccer scholarship into an academic one. I then just played semi pro in the NY area until graduation in 1995. Sure enough, after I graduate and get a real job in the corporate world they then announce MLS and I'm like "wtf." I kinda regretted giving up the game when I did since now there was a real pro league in the US. So you players today really are fortunate to have lots of options to a pro contract. Don't give up. And Matt is right about certain players peaking when they are younger or older. I played with a kid on Long Island that eventually would play in a world cup (don't want to say who). But if you told him or I at 18 yrs old that someday he'd be in a WC, we both woulda laughed. There were 100 other players we thought were better at the time but went nowhere.

Man I remember when you didn’t even have 100k subscribers, good stuff. I used to watch your vids when I was competing, now I am retired and coaching. I always recommend your vids to these up in comers

Awesome channel! Matt is doing more for soccer in the US than probably anyone else.

I really love your content very inspirational and well informed currently just got out of the hospital after no food or drink for two days and this video helped me re establish my path 👊🏻

Thank you so much for this video

We need more people like Matt.

Great advices as usual💪

amazing video! plus the quality is top notch 🥶

this is so helpful

This video is terrific. Wished this was around when I was coming up!

Always to the point. ❤

great video man really been liking your videos im 14 and a CB in soccer

Great video, thanks you ❤

I really needed this especially as I am turning 16 soon, thank you.

Thank you Matt

Great info thank you

Nice one man.

Thanks matt

Just to remember this awesome video :D

I’m 12 right now (I know i’m young i’m turning 13 later this year) but i’m devoting my life to achieving these goals whilst also working hard on my studies to have a backup plan

Bro I’m thirteen I feel like I have a good metallurgy and work ethic and I try to work and train by myself maybe sometime I and me could train when I’m 17 or 18 ur vids are so good. All the support.

the most underated youtuber keep up

Love the video, for years now u have help me make my game better and now I will be signing my first pro contract, thank u 🙏

This is a class video

Thank u so much . I v been following you since you were in germany. I m now myself in germany just moved 5 months ago Im 19 and i am kinda doing what you were then doing. The goal for this year is to sign with a Regionalliga team and then we’ll see how it goes . Stay hard 💪

Great video. Maybe if you have time you could make a video about the milestones of soccer coaching. From volunteer coach to pro club level coach to national team coach.

Thank you

Please make a video about stretching after training

The best coach❤

Matt, I was the #12 on BYU in your clip at 18 seconds. So crazy that we played against each other back then. I've followed your channel for years and had no idea.

Im 13 and every year ima make sure i come back to this video and ensure im hitting these goals

This is a great video but for me and I’m sure a lot of people are in the same situation, it’s not too helpful since I’ve missed two years from age 17-19 with a ruptured ACL but this is a great video for people who are fortunate to not encounter any major injuries during their paths to success. I must add I’m not using the ACL injury as an excuse I’m saying it’s hard for me to relate to the video.

I'm 16 this video inspired me to not give up thank you for this video

ngl matt these videos used to make me cry as a kid growing up because i knew i wasn’t gonna become pro, but i soon realized it was the truth i needed to hear. in the united states if you’re not at at least academy level by 16 there’s like no chance for you. but things like sunday league, indoor, and club are all great alternatives to play when you finally decide to hang up the boots.

Could you do a video on your activation exercises

Thank you so much Matt you really helped me progress in my career and push harder to sign a contract. I am 14 years old now I always try to work hard every single day and improve all the aspects of my game. Till now I am still trying to get into a team and play pro football one day.

Thanks for the video. I have been injured for 6 months so I feel like I am behind the rest at 16 test old gk

wish i had this growing up. only trained 2x a week until 23 then stopped! was knocking at semi pro level in my 20s and had former semi pros in the amateur squad. physical stamina was top of team but cant get to pro with training 2x a week during the season and not training off season.

Hey Matt! Love you content and you give so much insight into what a professional life should be like and you have definitely become someone I look upto. I have one question though: For a someone who is not from the US like myself, how much would you recommend US college football as an option to go pro compared to something in India? If I have good prospects here and am already playing for a good team, will college football in the US be that big of a jump?

18, 19 soon just in Pre season with my first semi pro team here in England

im 16 and this is perfect for where I am right now

Hello Matt, I've been following your channel for about 4 years now and I just want to let you know you've taught me so much! But unfortunately today I have officially quit pursuing football. I'm too old now (17) and being realistic with myself I don't believe I can make it. Just want to say thank for you everything :) GL this season!

I’ve just turned 17 and live in England but have singed a contract for an American scholarship (have to be 18 to go) ,really hoping could be promising to making it pro

Hey Matt I love your videos and I am using your analysis matches to improve as I am also a right/left back or a right/left winger. I was wondering if you could advise me in what to do right now. I am 12y old and I have the level of the top league in my age group, however I dont play there. i could change to a team that plays there however my parents wont let my but my desire to change is quite big. What should I do?

Man am I the only that doesn’t get any of these anywhere? I try my best to do what I can which is to advance on my technique such as touches, passing, and shooting. And during this summer I came to SA to play in a soccer camp which was fun but idk I don’t have anyone to play with which is why am thinking more of myself practicing by myself and much more to improve.

My mentality really fucked up me becoming a pro . I know I have the potential to become a pro, because I‘ve played in the youth of Racing Strasbourg(France,Ligue 1)and Sc Freiburg (Germany, Bundesliga). But I was always scared of making mistakes and was also so afraid of the opinions from others. I just didn’t had enough confidence and just was really insecure about my potential, even though it was there. Now I’m 19 years old, just fell out of love with the game and realized I didn’t become a pro and that it is over now . I’m very disappointed in myself at this point and I can’t believe it that it all went like this , because I’ve promised myself to become a pro. My younger self would be so disappointed. Just wanted to get that from my heart right now. Love you guys

Ive been injured since I was 18 and now I am 20 and still injured probably gonna get surgery because I cant heal, I need to become a pro though, no matter what it takes even though right now the position Im in is that of a highschoolers.

Even at 12 years old I do these things

Thanks,i’m 15 but i think i’ll start from now so i have a higher chance.

I hope i will play for real Madrid someday😢❤

Great vidéo, im 15 and im looking to achieve those milestones, I just wonder how can I compare the part of my game to pro's level.

i dont want to play college or pro but i want to be the best i can be for my travel and high school team and this helps thanks.

I’m currently 16 and want to attend trials for pro and semi pro teams before the 2024 season starts but currently have nothing on my football CV or highlights What should I do to have a good enough CV to try out for clubs during next pre season?

hey so i'm 20 rn and I don't have a highlight video. I never played for an academy and I was cut from club tryouts. They do film their games and they are pretty go The actual school team is d1. I'm thinking of doing soccer clinics in Europe over the summer. Paid academies in Spain/Netherlands etc. I'd say rn to a pro standard my weak points rn are my weak foot, and the mental game. The fitness comes with playing but I want to be a more professional setting so I can be up to that standard

Wise words! For someone who basically was (at best) a decent semi-pro guy in the early 2000s, the biggest thing that helped me overcome/catch-up was playing a lot of futsal/futbito/small-sided games (every day in Spain, then back in the US) in my early 20s. For better or for worse, I didn't really get past semi-pro, but I did have a lot of fun. (After the futbito, finding good teams to train with also helped a lot too). It's less true (than 10-20 years ago), and the top US players usually already have the touch/tactical understanding, but (imho) for a lot of the guys that are trying to catch-up (relatively speaking), I think playing a lot of futsal, small-sided games is probably the biggest missing component for a lot of US players. A lot of US youth/college team trainings may be more focused on team/tactical components, but I think a lot of US players don''t get that futsal foundation/culture that a lot of other players in other countries like Spain and Brasil usually get growing up. Depending a specific player's playing style, getting that more sticky, futsal-touch would usually need to be "remedied" at some point, depending on how they want to play the game, etc. In any case, best wishes everyone!

Could you also explain a schedule for a 44-year old? I already can shoot a ball from the 16m line to the goal without the ball touching the floor.

What recommendations can you make for an 8 year old who already plays for a u9 team in Europe? (Borussia Mönchengladbach u9). Should I advise my kid to train 5x per week or more? More sprinting excersises or rather more ballwork? Many thanks for your videos.

I wish I never gave up and stopped playing after my numerous ankle sprains and other life challenges. Ended up taking a break for like 1-2 years Now 23 and way behind but playing on D1 team. Still though I'm not really sure where to go from here or if it's worth it at the age that I am at.

Can we still achieve these milestones even if we have not achieved them currently??

Great video, but the most important part is how to find scouts/coaches who will vouch for you/watch your highlights video, etc at a young age. If you can't do that, you could be amazing but you'll never make it.

This video is true, but I don't have any facilities or good coaches in my city, and in egypt, there are no high-school teams or collage team we play for leisure so unless I live in Cairo I ain't gonna get the evaluation I need as a 15 year old😢

Matt I am in a very bad situation right now and need guidance. I’ve been injured and suffered from a groin and hip injury the past year and a half, and I have no idea how to get back, because the exercises I am doing and the gym work doesnt work so well, still haveny played football since the injury, any advice?

I just turned 16 and will be starting my second year as a varsity player for my high school soccer team. I don’t do club anymore because of boarding school. Am I doing ok or not enough

what are highlight videos for?

I think by 15-16 you should already be playing on and against academy u18-19. No college or high school. Straight academy route and scouted . That is where the elite play. Players who play for free on academies because of their skill. You could go the route he said in the video. But the route everyone wants to go down is European, mls or South American- a good indicator if you will reach that level is being realistic with yourself, at 15-16-17 years old you should be on the u21 academy squad. You also need to be an expert at striking the ball , on target with power every single time. This is in the USA of course-England and European are levels above. A tier 5 teams is still levels above US leagues.

Im 26 and Im right on track! By 23 I should be pro

Hey matt I hope you see this, I just turned 17 but i have never played academic or even school level as my school doesn't have a setup to play football for students yet. And I have only been playing outside on a pitch that is in a park where many types of players play games and I just join them. What can I do to improve my milestones so I can finally sign? I want to play at least 2nd division here in UAE. Thanks!

Yessssirrr! I pray for all of us!!✝️❤️ let’s get it, with a relationship with Jesus all is possible

What happens if you can only play high school soccer and can't afford nor afford transportation to join a league?

Yep it is over for me

I am show this to my future 4 year old

I haven't started football yet, I'm trying to atart soon (im 14)

Do you think playing in an italian club as an american wil boost my chances of being signed?

I’m only 15 and I’ve checked out all of the 16 milestone

Thank you so much for this, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make it pro. In my country football is not that famous and I don’t have that much opportunities unless I move to another country and I don’t think that would be possible given that all my family have the “you need to study mentality”, I WILL try my best I WILL give it all I’ve got and sacrifice everything I need to so that I can go pro but my chance of going pro is just a fading light faraway that I can barely see and it becomes less visible every day. It hurts me to think about this but I guess it’s my reality. Good luck to all football players trying to make it, wish you the best give it your all and enjoy ❤

Is it high level if I’m playing for the Michigan jags at 16u level when I’m 13?

Wish I was 14-16 again so I could have some guidance. Any advice for 23+ years

Iam 20 yrs old i just started football 6months back, is it possible for me to go pro And is there anyone who has gone pro a little late?

So i have to be good at shooting first touch and off the ball movement at 16 And what if im a goalkeeper? its whole different so the milestones are not realistic for me

That's the US route... in Europe if you're 21 and play at semi-pro, you're pretty much done. There are only a few examples of players making it to the big league after playing at amateur or semipro level. Vardi... and maybe a few others who made to the championship or League 1. You're still a pro at League 2, but you will need to think about the plan "B" eventually. Just think about it... most of the European players debute at pro level at the age of 16-18. A lot of them make debute at top level... some on loan in 2nd or 3rd tier, sometimes abroad, but still at pro level.

Guys i play in the A in soccer at 15 is there still a what for me to go AAA.

Praying for real madrid as my forever club

hi guys im 28 and i just started playing in div 2 social 5 a side. we played our first game and lost 7-3. I single handedly let 3 goals in as keeper and made 1 successful tackle in 40 minutes. My fitness is good though. Can I still go pro?

I’m going into grade nine this year and I’ve decided I want to play and missed out on the sign up and the season has started now any tips to get ready for next year? (Also I will probably try out for my high school team this year)

Is it not too late at 18 to start thinking that?

Hi Matt, I like and appreciate your video and points. That noted is there any injury concern with hip/knee around 5 days training, 2 days games, 2 to 3x weights all with one sport motion at 16 yo? Seems like a heavy load that would be season vs off season specific regiment. We are seeing loads of hip injuries and mobility issues on players between 16-20 now. Also, "pro" is quite vague now even in the US. We are seeing professional players at very low levels getting paid but far from making a living in all countries. Love to see you do a video of all the negatives that become road blocks either physically or mentally for prospective players. Young guys could learn a lot from understanding the "grind" vs the glory.

I don’t know I’f this video is true because this is just the best optional way but you can still go pro at every age

I am 18 from India. I start playing football from now can i make it professional?

What if we have been affected by covid. I was doing well at 18/19 and then due to the pandemic I gained a bit of weight, lost fitness. Now I’m 21 currently at semi pro level. With pro level attributes. But a lot of attributes I need to develop like speed of play and stamina. What my next step. I turn 22 at the of this year, finishing my university degree. I might go abroad to leap into the professional scene soon after I’m done. I need advice