Open Mic | Kieran Gibbs on Developing the Next Generation of Soccer Players

Susannah Fuller chats with former Arsenal and England defender Kieran Gibbs to talk about his path from pro player to co-founding ONE FC, a youth soccer academy in Miami. Gibbs shares his approach to player development, how he hopes to bring his own experiences to the U.S. and where the project is now and going in the future. Plus, they discuss the 2026 World Cup and talk about Arsenal’s chance of repeating as Premier League Champions.

0:00 Intro

1:24 ONE FC Origin Story

6:03 Lessons from European Academies

8:26 The ONE FC Approach

10:59 Identifying Soccer Talent in the U.S.

14:36 Growing ONE FC

18:38 The 2026 World Cup Experience

25:26 Can Arsenal Repeat?

30:05 Where to Find Out More About ONE FC

Open Mic is an Soccerwise interview series that features in-depth conversations with interest soccer voices from around the world. We’ll occasionally share select episodes here on First Touch when the conversation fits.

The American home for the global game. Follow the conversation: