Would the U.S. actually win the World Cup if its best athletes played soccer? - ESPN

It's the same viral tweet every time the United States gets knocked out of the Men's World Cup. «If America's best athletes all played soccer,» the story goes, «the U.S. would dominate.»

In the abstract, of course, the idea seems incredible. Lamar Jackson whipping in crosses for LeBron James? Josh Allen marauding through midfield? Aaron Judge tipping away penalties? Sure, that would be fun.

Would it really propel the United States to an unmatched level of dominance in world football? I'm not so sure, and the reason starts with the greatest player of his (or perhaps any) generation.

The answer to why the United States couldn't just ride a wave of super-athletes to a World Cup is listed at 5-foot-7 and 148 pounds.

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Lionel Messi is an incredible athlete, but he's a very different athlete than the vast majority of Americans who might populate in your head when you think about that potential American national team, with every great wing and wide receiver in the player pool.

In basketball or football, Messi's height and small frame would almost be disqualifying. In soccer, it has obviously proven to be a blessing, with a low center of gravity, short-area quickness and the ability to deke defenders before beating them into position to shoot, all easier to do thanks to his smaller frame. It's impossible to say whether Messi's vision, creative ability and inch-perfect accuracy as a distributor evolved out of a need to beat bigger, stronger players from his beginnings at La Masia, but it certainly seems as if it's part of the