As many of you know, we had the pleasure of hosting several German coaches over the past few weeks. Before they left, we asked them: What are the biggest differences you see between youth soccer in Germany and the U.S.?
Here’s what they shared:
1. A Unified, Institutional Club System
In Germany, everything runs through a single soccer federation — the DFB (Deutscher Fußball-Bund). Unlike the U.S., where leagues like MLS Next, ECNL, and CSA compete for status and talent, Germany has a clear league hierarchy. Promotion and relegation are purely performance-based, and there’s one central system that governs all competitive play.
2. Fewer Girls Playing Soccer
In Germany, roughly 1 girl plays soccer for every 7 boys. Culturally, the sport is still seen by many as a “boys’ game.” However, girls are allowed to play on boys’ teams until U16 and can even play one year down to level the playing field. Despite fewer participants, this approach has produced a highly competitive women’s national team.
3. American Kids Are More Disciplined
An unexpected observation: the German coaches felt that the kids at Fussbally were more disciplined and focused than their peers in Germany. They attributed this to a more “listen and do” culture in the U.S., compared to the German “learn through play” approach. (Of course, this is just their impression — not a data point.)
4. Small-Sided Play Makes a Huge Difference
The coaches noticed that American players often struggle more with decision-making and technical execution in small spaces. In Germany, kids grow up playing far more 3v3 and 5v5, which develops faster thinking and cleaner touches. At camp, it was immediately clear which kids at Fussbally had been exposed to funino-style small-sided games — and which ones hadn’t.
These are just a few of the insights our German coaches shared — and there’s so much more we’re excited to continue learning from them when they return next year!
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