I didn't mean freaks to minimize the skill aspect of soccer, but having the best athletes in the country playing the sport is a good start. It's the same with football. There are countless wide receivers that could run 4.2 who didn't have ball skills or didn't know how to run routes that never amounted to anything. But get enough of the best athletes in the country together and you are bound to find the physical freaks who also have the technical abilities to excel in soccer. Unicorns would have been a better term.
And I only mention football because in the US HS system, the soccer and football seasons overlap so kids have to choose one or the other and obviously the financial incentive is much better in football as has been pointed out. Looks what the US Women's team accomplishes internationally where football obviously isn't an option.
I know what you mean! But I think also that is part of what makes soccer pretty special.
A lot of world class players are very, very "normal" in terms of base genetic material. Look at a guy like Modric. One of the best ever to do it but small, slow, and pretty "unathletic". Someone like Pirlo too... not "small"... but barely ever ran, smoked every day... but you dont have to be big, strong, fast, or even in more than "good" shape to be amazing. Because skill is so, so much more important than everything else. Messi is/was literally disabled and a midget aha.
Whereas in NFL and NBA especially? Unless a freak to begin with skill just does not matter. (apart from, funnily enough, maybe for a QB! Albeit 90% ever to play have still been freaks)
If you are ~5'3 and run a 14 second 100m... what other high end sport can you play? Pretty much none. Probably 90% of the population "could" be soccer pros in theory. With NFL? That might be 10%... NBA? Maybe 5%.
And as a result the pool of guys who can make it and be very skilled is pretty much wider than any other sport.
