The longest FIFA World Cup in history finally concluded this past weekend, and we (mostly) had a lot of fun along the way. As an Egyptian-American, I won’t go into the details of the injustices suffered by some of the less-favored teams.
When I returned to work (where I think about economic mobility all day long), it got me wondering: We know that there is only a 2.8% chance that a child in Memphis who is born into the lowest economic quintile will reach the top economic quintile in their lifetime. But what are the odds that a child born into poverty in Memphis could play in the World Cup?
Let’s start with the likelihood that a boy from Memphis would play in the World Cup. As far as I can tell, only two men who were born in Memphis have ever suited up to play for the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT): Richard Mulrooney and Jonny Walker. Neither played in any World Cup matches, though Mulrooney did get to play in some important Gold Cup matches in 2003. Coincidentally, these men are now coaches for the University of Memphis men’s and women’s soccer teams.
Now, for the women. Only one woman born in Memphis has ever played for the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), and she is legitimately one of the greatest of all time. Cindy Parlow Cone has won two Olympic gold medals with the USWNT and played in, scored in, and won the 1999 Women’s World Cup. She went on to coach the Portland Thorns to victory in the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season, becoming the youngest coach to ever win an American professional sports championship in any sport. Parlow Cone currently serves as the President of the United States Soccer Federation and is the only woman to ever hold that position.
So we know that no men born in Memphis—regardless of their families’ financial status—have ever played in the World Cup. I cannot say for certain what Parlow Cone’s upbringing looked like financially, but it’s still not great odds. And honestly, the fact that the highest level of the world’s most popular sport is largely inaccessible to children in some of the poorest cities in the country may be what’s hindering the USMNT’s progress.
