Born Kicking: Iva Mei

Thirteen-year-old Iva Mei Ilieva Lian, born and raised in Baltimore with Bulgarian and Taiwanese heritage, is the latest young player to feature in the Born Kicking youth strand. Playing for a nationally ranked ECNL Under-14 team with Bethesda Soccer Club in Maryland, Iva Mei discusses her switch from ballet and gymnastics into football during the Covid lockdown, her preference for a midfield role, and her hopes of one day playing for Barcelona or Manchester City, whose men’s and women’s teams she supports. She names Aitana Bonmatí as the player she would most like to meet, predicts Manchester City to win this season’s Barclays WSL, and credits her parents as her biggest supporters and heroes. A cheerful showcase of a promising young talent from the American youth pathway, in the magazine’s long-running feature for grassroots readers.