How are youngsters introduced into the world of football

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar. A spectacle for all football fans. The fulfillment of a dream for all football players. But, in the limelight, it’s difficult to reveal all the effort, the hardships and the sacrifices that a person pursuing a career in the sport’s highest level is forced to make. What are things like in the team’s locker rooms? What are those crucial elements that a player needs to have to become a successful professional? What does it take to get there or potentially even higher?

Kids try out their skills to see if they have what it takes to make a career for themselves in the football industry. For others, it's all about the fun of the game. Source: Pixabay / Dimitris Vetsikas

In our new SBS series “What does it take to make it to the World Cup?”, we talk to former and current players from the sport’s highest level, professional coaches, aspiring footballers and even psychologists, so that we can shed a different light on the usually glamorous industry of football that will allow us to see that things aren’t always as they seem. Follow our new program, “What does it take to make it to the World Cup?”, via the Greek program’s website, sbs.com.au/Greek or through your favourite podcast app.