It’s the kind of trajectory that makes for great sports movies—except it’s real, it’s happening right now, and it involves a Sacramento-area kid who started his college soccer career as a walk-on.
Max Arfsten, a 25-year-old midfielder from Fresno, just earned his spot on the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Not bad for someone who walked into UC Davis as a non-recruited player, right? That’s the part worth sitting with for a second. Walk-ons don’t usually make it to the World Cup. They’re the dreamers and grinders—the ones hoping to earn their way into the program through sheer determination. Arfsten did exactly that, earning Big West All-Freshman Team honors in 2019 and recording nine goals and eight assists across 39 matches for the Aggies.
Now he’s a midfielder for Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, and he’s about to represent his country on the biggest stage in soccer. The timing couldn’t be sharper: Team USA opened group play on June 12 with a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay, tying the largest win in U.S. World Cup history. The momentum is real. On Friday, the USMNT faces Australia in Seattle as group play continues—and Arfsten will be there, a former Big West player competing among the planet’s elite.
There’s something genuinely inspiring about a walk-on making it this far. Most kids who start out without a scholarship offer either find success at lower levels or move on to life after soccer. Arfsten took a different path: he stayed hungry, kept improving, and eventually caught the attention of MLS scouts. Now he’s competing for his country at the World Cup. That’s not luck. That’s the kind of story that reminds us why sports matter—not just for the entertainment, but for what they show us about perseverance and believing in yourself when nobody’s betting on you yet.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
