The International Takeover of College Soccer
- Garrett DeLorme
- Dec 2, 2025
- 4 min read
International students have increasingly infiltrated the culture of college soccer. As the NCAA
Men’s Division 1 soccer tournament is about to begin, it is important to note the impact
international students have had on college soccer rosters. In the 2024 NCAA final between
Vermont and Marshall, an astonishing 73% of the players starting in that game were international
students. This year, of all players available to play in the NCAA tournament, 35.5% of them are
international students, with only Washington and Princeton having just one international student
on their roster. This demonstrates how much international students have impacted the culture of
college soccer.
Why do international students want to come to the US?
I had the chance to interview two SMU soccer players, Matthias Dick and Fredrik Skilberg, to
get their take on coming to the U.S.. Matthias Dick, a senior at SMU from Tenttnang, Germany,
explained that “in the US it is a unique system where you can play soccer at a high level and get
an education at the same time.” He also added that “back home, if you want to play at a high
level you have to train twice a day and don’t have time to do school at the same time” (Dick).
When I asked Fredrik Skilberg, a senior at SMU from Stockholm, Sweden, what drew him to
come play soccer in the U.S., he responded by stating, “I wanted to continue my education but I
didn't want to stop playing soccer so the US was the only option because you can't do that back
home” (Skilberg). Both Skilberg and Dick have aspirations to continue playing soccer after they
graduate, but they also have the degree to fall back on once their professional and collegiate
careers come to an end. Skilberg also expressed that “it is good to have a backup plan with the
education” (Skilberg). While both of these players are capable of making it to the highest level,
coming to the U.S. opens up pathways that otherwise would not be possible in Europe.
How are Homegrown Players affected by the surplus of International Students?
When interviewing the SMU men's soccer team, I also got to hear from sophomores Ryan
Clanton-Pimentel and Oliver Knotek. I asked both of these players, “How do you feel the
addition of international students to college soccer rosters has been?” Clanton-Pimentel, from
Leander, Texas, who was part of the ACC All-Tournament Team, responded by stating he “looks
at it from two different perspectives: the soccer perspective and off-the-field perspective.” He
continued, stating that as a player, “the international students help you with the flow of the game
because you see their different style of play” (Clanton-Pimentel). Knotek, from Palos Verdes,
California, who led his high school with 41 goals in 61 games—affirmed that “they bring a
different personality to the group and energy.” However, Kontek also added that “having 26
international students, such as Marshall does, will throw off the culture and make the college
team feel more like a professional club” (Knotek). This poses the questions: What are the pros
and cons of having international students on college rosters, and should there be a cap? At SMU,
the international students display a positive effect on the soccer culture. SMU’s men's soccer
team plays with a poise and confidence, allowing them to play around the best Division 1 soccer
teams in the U.S., leading them to win the ACC championship and earn the No. 5 seed in the
NCAA tournament.
Should there be a cap on the amount of International Players on a college roster?
Having the most international students on your roster can also prove success, as the 2024 NCAA
tournament finalists Marshall showed with 26 international students out of their 28-man roster.
Even though this contributed to their successful season, it feels that it takes away from the
development of U.S. homegrown players. Schools are learning to recruit heavily from
international countries due to the fact that European countries have the most quality. Although,
having too many international players can lead to miscommunication on the field and make it
harder to create a strong culture. Clanton-Pimentel also displayed the fact that he “doesn’t want it
to become oversaturated where every program is filled with international students”
(Clanton-Pimentel). College soccer is a crucial stepping stone for the development of U.S. soccer
athletes, and having many internationals on a roster makes it more difficult for homegrown
players to make it to the highest level. Knotek later added that “college soccer is more of a
business and coaches want to win” (Knotek). This further illustrates why coaches will recruit
more international players because they have the reputation of helping teams win trophies.
Although there are many benefits to having international players come to the U.S., it would be
very hard to implement a cap on international players because the NCAA would have to
implement many new regulations.
What will happen to College Soccer going forward?
Having a system in the U.S. that is attractive to international students goes to show that college
soccer is developing and promoting a more fluid brand of soccer. International students add a
distinct quality to collegiate soccer as well as expose homegrown players to different cultures.
The international takeover brings many positives to the beautiful game, while also raising
questions about what the NCAA’s next steps should be as rosters become increasingly
international.
Player Information:
Fredrik (freddie) Skilberg: #11
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Senior
Forward
Played for IFK Lindigo formerly known as Djugarden IF
Matthias Dick: #23
Hometown: Tenttnang, Germany
Senior
Defender (wing back)
Previously played at Sacred heart for three years
Before college: played for Monfort- Gymnasium Tettnang as well as SSV Ulm 1846 fussball as well as FV Ravensburg
Ryan Clanton-Pimentel: #27
Hometown: Leander, TX
Sophomore
Defender (wing back)
Played for Lonestar ECNL prior to coming to SMU
Oliver Knotek: #32
Hometown: Palos Verdes, CA
Sophomore
Forward (wing- back)
Previously played for Pateadores ECNL
Secondary Source:
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