Josh Nascimento, son of the legendary soccer icon Pelé, is shaping FC Dallas youth soccer development by mentoring promising young players in North Texas. Based in Frisco, Texas, Nascimento applies the lessons he learned from his father while helping youth athletes elevate their skills and passion for the game.
FC Dallas Academy’s Head of Performance, Nascimento spoke with FOX 4’s Jeff Kolb about his unique journey growing up with one of the greatest players in history and how Pelé’s influence continues to inspire his approach to training ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be partly hosted in the United States.
Guiding the Next Generation of Soccer Talent
As Head of Performance for the FC Dallas Academy, Josh Nascimento oversees the development of some of the most talented youth soccer prospects in the country. His work focuses on imparting technical skills and mental toughness to help young players reach their potential.
I think once you teach them one thing, and then it sticks, and when it sticks you’re like, yes, you know?
Nascimento told Kolb on his favorite thing about teaching.
Unlike many of these youths, Josh’s childhood included a rare experience—growing up with Pelé, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. This connection gave him a firsthand perspective on what it means to reach the highest levels of the sport.
Josh recalls a memorable moment from his youth when Pelé surprised him during a soccer game in Florida at age 12 by unexpectedly joining the players’ bench, catching everyone off guard.
I just see him walking, but instead of him walking and just staying where the parents were, I don’t know what he was thinking, he came to the bench, and he just stood there,
Josh remembered.
And then all the kids on the bench just looked up, and my dad was there, and even the coach was like, what? And I was in the middle of the game, I was like, what the heck is my dad doing on the bench, you know?
Carrying Forward a Historic Legacy
Pelé remains the only player in history to win three FIFA World Cups, a record that cements his status as a global soccer legend. He was also a pioneer for the sport’s growth in the United States, joining the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League in 1975, long before stars like Lionel Messi and David Beckham elevated Major League Soccer’s popularity.
I think he paved the way for these guys to come in. He loved to teach. He loved it, especially the young kids. And I think you found that he saw an opportunity to do that here and to grow this sport and to just create a legacy,
Nascimento explained during his interview.
Growing up in the shadow of such a monumental figure required Josh to establish his own identity in soccer. He aspired to follow in Pelé’s footsteps by playing for Santos F.C., the Brazilian club where his father became a global star.
I remember I just went out to play like I normally did in the field that we had. I had just gotten a Santos kit that was brand new. All of a sudden, I see him coming out in a Santos kit as well to play with me, and I was just like, what? I was blown away with it. I was like, no way, my dad’s in the Santos kit,
Josh recalled.
Pelé also contributed directly to improving Josh’s skills in simple yet meaningful ways.
We had like a corridor between our rooms, playing him the ball or him just throwing the ball for me to kick it a little bit,
he said.
Facing a World Cup Without Pelé
This summer marks the first World Cup Josh will experience without his father, who passed away in 2022 after the previous tournament. The absence is deeply felt as the global soccer event approaches.
Yeah, just not being able to, you know, even just call and be like, hey, did you watch the game? What do you think? He embodies the World Cup in a way. It’s gonna be different,
Nascimento reflected.
Despite this loss, Pelé’s influence lives on at FC Dallas, where Josh incorporates his father’s legacy into his coaching to encourage and motivate young players.
I think that, for me, it’s also a big win because they’re like, wow, if Pelé actually went through that too, like, Wow, okay, like I can get through this.
By linking his father’s experiences to the challenges faced by aspiring soccer players, Nascimento instills confidence and resilience in the FC Dallas Academy’s youth. This approach is poised to have a lasting impact on the region’s soccer development and potentially shape future American soccer stars heading into the 2026 World Cup and beyond.
