With over 3.4 billion people having watched the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals match, soccer, or football, as the rest of the world calls it, has been the most popular sport for a while. Many of soccer’s biggest stars, such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, etc., have used soccer as a means of escaping the underprivileged environment in which they were raised. Despite the success of many soccer stars, such desires to play professional soccer and “make it big” have also caused teenage players to fall for the bait of selfish soccer clubs that are only interested in their profits. For example, Champasak United, a newly formed soccer club in Laos, has been signing young African talents, especially those from Liberia. Many times, these teens are forced to sign long-term contracts and deal with the inhabitable living conditions of the club. Not only does the club confiscate its players’ passports, but also never pays the salaries it promised to its players, making it impossible for the players to return to their native countries after realizing the dire reality of their situation.

Word of minors being trapped in a foreign country has garnered the attention of soccer’s governing body, FIFA. Not only is it illegal for minors under the age of 18 to be signed by foreign clubs, but also the fact that Champasak United is a club that was never legally formed has caused FIFA to pressure the club into releasing its minor players. Though 17 of the minors were released, 6 of them chose to stay, still hoping find success through playing soccer. There is an estimated number of 15,000 young players that are shipped out of Africa annually. Though some of them do find success in foreign countries, many young talents are wasted as they are conned into conditions such as those of Champasak United. Chasing their dreams is admirable, but soccer players should make careful decisions regarding their career.