Arsène Wenger Urges Consistency in US Soccer Talent Identification

Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s head of global football development, said Thursday that US soccer must commit to consistent talent identification and education to expand access beyond the current pay-to-play model. He spoke in a roundtable with US Soccer chief executive JT Batson and chief operating officer Dan Helfrich at the federation’s new $250 million headquarters in Fayetteville, Georgia.

Wenger praised the facility, stating that every footballer should feel at home somewhere.

He noted FIFA’s push, backed by president Gianni Infantino, to develop the sport in the United States because of its diversity and population of 350 million. Until recently, he said, there had been no alignment on global technical development policy in the country. Wenger criticized the pay-to-play system, under which youth participation fees can reach tens of thousands of dollars annually.

He observed that players from poor backgrounds have limited access, adding that the best footballers often come from such backgrounds. Decisions on next steps should rest with the federation rather than FIFA, he said. Wenger compared the effort to France’s academy system, which opened its first academy in 1973 and produced a European Championship winner in 1984.

He stressed that identifying talent requires an eye, education, and consistency over years rather than short-term fixes. Batson said the work will take time and resources, noting that successful federations at the current World Cup share strong government, community, and club support.

Helfrich said the goal is to create a new system that is highly affordable rather than making the existing model cheaper, opening pathways to more players.