Zlatan Ibrahimovic once slammed American youth football system for being too expensive

Ibrahimovic criticizes cost of American youth setup

After spending two seasons in Major League Soccer with the LA Galaxy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic said he saw how costly academy involvement can be for families in the United States.

The AC Milan senior advisor suggested that high fees restrict access to opportunity. His perspective focused on inclusion rather than ability.

“I had the experience when I was here that it was pretty expensive to put the kids in the academy or the football, you call it soccer, soccer teams.”

“In Europe, it is free to play the game; they have a small membership, I think, for insurance or whatever. But it’s not the same price as it was here.”

The comparison highlighted what he considers a philosophical divide between development models. In his view, cost should not determine who gets to pursue the sport seriously.

Belief that football should be accessible to everyone

Ibrahimovic continued by stressing that the game ought to remain open to all backgrounds. He described football as a global unifier rather than a product.

His comments came as the United States men’s national team faced criticism after a group-stage exit at Copa America. Questions about development pathways have remained part of the conversation.

“For me, football is for everybody. You just put the ball in the middle, and everybody plays, obviously. Then you have different levels, different structure, different way of doing things.”

“If that is the key, I don’t know, listen, I’m not here. The game continues, the game gets better. What the key is? I don’t know. Football is for everybody because it is connecting everybody, it is the world’s biggest sport, and everybody should be able to enjoy it.”

Now serving as a senior advisor at AC Milan, Ibrahimovic has maintained a consistent position on accessibility.