The First African American Soccer Players in the U.S.

In the late 1800s, two siblings made history as the first Black soccer players in America—and they claimed a league title to cement their legacy. This week, we look back at the incredible story of Oliver and Fred Watson from 19th-century Rhode Island. Plus, we explore soccer in the Star Wars universe, examine an updated rumor surrounding the World Cup ball, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• ⛰️ The Secret Soccer Club in Appalachia

• 🌠 How Soccer Became Canon in Star Wars

• 🥇 The First African American Soccer Players in the U.S.

• ⚽ The Latest 2026 World Cup Ball

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

TRAVEL
The Secret Soccer Club in Appalachia

From a soccer-playing Sasquatch to a field surrounded by sprawling forests, Appalachian FC is the best-kept secret in U.S. soccer today.

For the second stop of our road trip across America, we swung by Boone, NC, to see how the beautiful game is flourishing in the Appalachian mountains, meet a budding supporters group, and discover why this soccer club has captured the imagination of fans in North Carolina and beyond.

Check out Episode 2 of The Soccer Odyssey right here.

ENTERTAINMENT
How Soccer Became Canon in Star Wars

As I always do around every May the 4th, I binged all the Star Wars movies in under a week. And as I was watching Episode II, one particular scene caught my eye.

In it, Obi-Wan Kenobi enters a bar, and you can see a TV playing some sort of sport for droids. That sparked my curiosity about ball games in a Galaxy far, far away… and turns out, soccer is in fact canon in the Star Wars universe.

In the 2000s, before Disney bought the rights from Lucasfilm, there were multiple pieces of media that referenced bolo-ball, a sport identical to soccer played all across the galaxy. Funnily enough, the writers made it so that bolo-ball was popular in every corner of the universe, except Coruscant (the capital of the Republic in Star Wars). Apparently, this was some sort of “reference” to the state of soccer in the United States 🤷‍♂️.

Anyway, once Disney took over Star Wars, they scrapped the lore behind bolo-ball, until it recently returned to the canon in a less detailed way. I guess there were still some footy fans remaining at the head of Star Wars who wanted to keep it alive in a small capacity.

For all of you who love these iconic films, you can read about the full story of soccer in that faraway galaxy here.

COVER STORY
The First African American Soccer Players in the U.S.

I’ll be the first to admit it, I had no idea Rhode Island had so much soccer history. From hosting the first-ever Open Cup Final to building the first soccer-specific stadium in the country, to being home to the earliest documented African American soccer players in the U.S., the smallest state in America is actually one of the biggest when it comes to trailblazing in soccer.

On my way to the Rhode Island FC home opener this weekend, I had a lot of time to kill, and I stumbled upon the incredible story of Oliver and Fred Watson: two talented brothers from the Ocean State who are remembered as the earliest documented African American soccer players in our country.

In late April and early May of 1895 (130 years ago!), Oliver broke into the New England scene as a winger, scoring crucial goals that led his side to the American Cup final that year. His appearances in that tournament for the Pawtucket YMCA made him the first African American player to suit up for a senior team.

Fred Watson, just like his brother Oliver, was also an exceptional talent. In the spring of 1901, the brothers became the first African American soccer players to win a league championship. In the fall of 1901, Fred became the first African American to play in a professional soccer league game.

The Watson brothers were all over the papers during the late 1890s and early 1900s, as reporters often cited them as “the first colored men to play the game.” Notably, they both seemed to be very talented and beloved by the community.

Fred, in particular, is said to have been “very popular with fans.” So much so that when he broke his leg in 1901, members and fans of his team held a benefit game to raise funds for him. They made almost enough money to cover two months of Fred’s wages!

By 1907, it seems both brothers had hung up their boots, but by then, they had already made their mark on the sport. Right around that time, reports from other cities show that more and more people of color were taking up the sport. In the end, the story of Oliver and Fred Watson is one that allows us to expand the timeline of Black participation in both American and global soccer.

Their whole tale is a fascinating one, and you can listen to it here thanks to the incredible research by historians Ed Farnsworth and Brian Bunk.

TOP SECRET
The Latest 2026 World Cup Ball

A couple of months ago, you may remember seeing a black-and-white prototype of the 2026 World Cup ball. Well, now it seems we have images of the actual, completed ball.

Allegedly, it will be called Trionda, and it will feature three colors representing the three host nations.

For the apparent release date, price, and all the juicy details, you can head here. 

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

One of the best parts ahead of any World Cup is discussing all the rumors. Let us know your honest thoughts on this ball. We’ll highlight your best answers next week!

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Ride of the Valkyries: RIFC opened their brand new stadium over the weekend, and the Rhode Island National Guard did not disappoint. We had an awesome view from the ground.

House of Dallas: Why does the newest USL club in Dallas feature a wolf and a snake on their crest? Find out the meaning behind this polarizing shield.

Darth Vader x Chattanooga FC: I’m running out of closet space, but I need this limited edition kit badly. The dark side never looked so good.

USMNT Brick: Ever dreamed of carving your name on a brick at a USMNT facility? Me either. But now I’m considering it. Maybe.

Holy Cow: Yup, there was a full-fledged cow right by one of the corner flags at this USL1 game. I absolutely love this league with all my heart.

EXPANSION
Minnesota Super Cup 2025

As the sport grows in America, one group of footy fanatics decided it was time to introduce a World Cup-style tournament to showcase the best of Minnesota’s soccer talent.

This year, the Minnesota Super Cup is back and bigger than ever, introducing its first-ever international club to the mix, coming from Ontario. Between the qualifiers, knockouts, and finals, the race to lift the trophy of Minnesota’s premier pre-professional competition is on.

Will it be an MLS Next club? USL2? NPSL? UPSL? Find all the action this May through July in the Twin Cities.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this one just like last year!

OUR HISTORY
Sisterly Sync Up

This one will probably still be written about a hundred years from now.

Over the weekend, Gisele Thompson scored the first goal of her NWSL career, and it was assisted by none other than her star big sister Alyssa.

With that feat, they became the first sisters in NWSL history to combine for a goal! It was a great one, too.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: Will Wrexham achieve promotion to the Premier League [in the next five years]? Here are some of your answers:

• “No. I think a lot of people underestimate how hard it is to go from the Championship to the Prem.” - BD

• “Yes. They will pump as much money as possible to make it happen.” - Ben

• “Yes. If they were able to get this far in three years, I think five years is a reasonable window to get to the PL.” - Jose

In the poll, “Yes” came in first with 69.5% of the vote, while “No” came in second with 30.5% of the vote.

In my opinion, it’s gonna happen. The Wrexham story is Hollywood-esque, and Hollywood always has a fairytale ending. It will happen by the end of the decade for sure.

UP NEXT
Tampa Bay Bound

For a couple of us, it’ll be our first time ever at the iconic Al Lang Stadium in St. Pete. It’s an honor that it’ll be during the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ 50th season… and against MLS side Orlando City, no less. Life doesn’t get better than that. If you’re in the Florida area, come check out the bus and say hello! There’s a chance you might walk away with a signed team pennant.

Lastly, before signing off, I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone at RIFC and Hearts of Pine for welcoming us to their respective home openers this past weekend. They were both absolutely incredible, and it was a pleasure to get to meet so many awesome people at each club! Hoping we can get the bus up at each location soon.

Enjoying This?

Make sure to forward this email to a friend and help us spread the soccer gospel far and wide! We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo