Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, according to the Huffington Post. Becoming a professional soccer star is a dream come true, especially for young stars Josh Sargent and Christian Pulisic, who have wanted this for as long as they could remember.

Josh Sargent

Going from playing in his backyard to playing on major league fields at the age of 17, it is no wonder local soccer star, Josh Sargent is in the spotlight. Sargent has always wanted to become a soccer star. At the age of three, he began expressing how he wanted to play professionally. Since then, his skills have greatly improved.

At the age of 17, Sargent was able to play on the Under-17 team and the Under-20 team. Just this April, Sargent scored five goals and handed two assists in the U-17 Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) tournament.

By May and June, Sargent was competing in the Under-20 World Cup finals. In the Under-20 World Cup, Sargent scored the only goal of the game to lift the U.S. to victory over Senegal.

“I honestly didn’t even consider it because I didn’t think I had a chance,”                           Sargent said in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “At first, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t even see the field.”

Throughout the U-20 World Cup, Sargent rounded to a total of four goals, tying the U.S. record held by Jozy Altidore, Eddie Johnson, and Taylor Twellman. Sargent’s effort helped the team reach the quarterfinal round against Venezuela.

Sargent continues to perform outstandingly on the field. Next season, Sargent will be playing for Werder Bremen in Germany. His effort has made him a soccer sensation.

Christian Pulisic

A few years ago, Christian Pulisic was in his backyard with his father working on his soccer skills. Now he is playing professionally with Germany’s Borussia Dortmund team and the U.S. national team.

“Being able to play at the club level at a high level and then getting called into the national team, it’s amazing,” Pulisic said in an interview with The Washington Post.

This August kicked off Pulisic’s second full season at Dortmund. He scored against Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup as well as scoring and assisting two weeks later in the league opener at Wolfsburg. Last season, Pulisic made history being the youngest player to score two goals in the Bundesliga match and having a five-goal portfolio in all competitions.

Pulisic has worked on defending greater assertiveness and selfishness with the menacing attackers. This season, Pulisic is more comfortable on the field and has shown a greater desire to score.

“My biggest quality is just going out there and being creative, being dangerous,”  Pulisic said in an interview with The Washington Post. “Just always keeping the defenders on their toes with that attacking style.”

Pulisic has shown that he has greatly improved since starting. He is sure to be in the global spotlight during the World Cup in 2018.