The new documentary 'Can We Kick It?' pulls back the curtain on soccer’s tangled relationship with Black America, tracing a path from the early 20th‑century pitches of urban neighborhoods to the multimillion‑dollar youth leagues that dominate the sport today. Directed by Akbar Majeed, the film weaves archival footage, personal interviews and cultural analysis to ask why a game that once thrived in city streets now feels locked behind a pay‑to‑play gate.
Barriers that keep the ball out of reach
Majeed argues that the cost of joining a club — often exceeding three thousand dollars a year — creates a financial wall that disproportionately blocks families in low‑income communities. The documentary points to the pay‑to‑play model as a key factor in the sport’s limited foothold among Black youth, a point echoed by Fox Sports presenter Alexi Lalas, who has publicly defended the system as necessary for competitive development.
The film also revisits a forgotten chapter of collegiate soccer history: Howard University, a historically Black institution, saw its 1971 NCAA title stripped under controversial circumstances, only to reclaim glory with an undefeated championship in 1974. This episode, according to Majeed, illustrates both the resilience of Black athletes and the systemic obstacles they have faced.
A reference to the 1950 World Cup appears as a symbolic ‘shot heard around the world,’ highlighting Joe Gaetjens’s winning goal for the United States against England. Majeed uses the moment to underscore how Black contributions have often been sidelined in mainstream narratives of the sport.
From ice rink to urban field
Majeed’s own journey reflects the documentary’s broader theme. While traveling abroad he discovered the global passion for soccer, later launching a basketball academy that led him to convert an ice‑skating rink in Charlotte, North Carolina, into an indoor soccer field. The project was an attempt to bring grassroots sport back into the communities that once nurtured it.
The conversation extends to the upcoming 2026 World Cup, co‑hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Majeed suggests that the tournament’s legacy will be measured not only by stadiums and viewership numbers but by how authentically the sport embraces urban, Black and immigrant communities.
A cultural reckoning
The documentary ends without a tidy resolution, instead inviting viewers to consider how soccer can become a truly inclusive American pastime. By foregrounding the stories of players, families and institutions that have shaped the game, 'Can We Kick It?' challenges the sport’s governing bodies to confront the cultural divides that have persisted for decades.