Lucas Lima Maristela interview on life after college soccer

In the Lucas Lima Maristela interview, the Brazilian soccer player said he has taken a business job after college, accepted that he may not have the professional playing career he once wanted, and remains open to working in soccer as a coach or manager. Lima also told Maristela why he came to the United States on a scholarship in 2022 and what made that move difficult.

How did Lucas Lima's family shape his interest in soccer?

Lucas Lima said soccer felt like his own choice from early childhood, although it was already part of family life in Brazil. His father had an opportunity to play professionally, his brother played, and a cousin built a professional career at a high level. Lima wanted to join in before he was old enough.

He remembers being about four years old and crying when his brother went to practice without him. Lima would ask his mother why he could not go too. That memory matters to him because, as he told Maristela, his parents never had to push him toward the sport.

He began taking soccer classes young and grew up watching other children play while waiting for his chance. Playing was not a career calculation at that point. It was something he wanted to do whenever he saw a ball and other kids on the field.

Why did Lucas Lima move from Brazil to the United States for soccer?

Lucas Lima came to the United States on a soccer scholarship in 2022 because it offered him a way to keep playing while earning a degree. He had hoped to reach the top level in Brazil, but he saw how many players were competing for places. His brother's earlier move to the United States helped him understand the process.

Competition in Brazil was only part of his decision. Lima had practiced with professional players there and seen how different their lives could be from those of the small group earning large salaries. He did not want his education to depend on whether soccer became a full-time livelihood.

College soccer offered him more time to pursue the playing career he wanted. He contrasted the pressure he felt around age 20 in Brazil with opportunities he saw for players in the United States to enter professional leagues at 24 or 25. At the same time, studying abroad meant learning a language, meeting people and building connections he would keep even if soccer did not work out as planned.

His brother had gone to the United States before him and could explain what the move involved. Lima said that made the choice easier, though the chance to combine sport and education appealed to him in its own right.

What challenges did Lucas Lima face as an international student-athlete?

Lucas Lima identified distance from family and the need to keep performing in both soccer and school as major challenges in the United States. He also urged international students to understand visa rules, particularly if they hope to stay after college. Each concern became more immediate as he moved toward graduation and work.

Being away from family

Lima said students should prepare to miss important dates at home and recognize that family life continues while they are away. He had spent time living away from his family when he was younger in Brazil, which helped him adjust. For some players he knew of, though, the first year of college was their first extended period away from home.

Balancing a scholarship, classes and visa rules

A scholarship did not mean four years in which he could stop proving himself, Lima said. He described the effort of playing a Thursday-night game, attending an 8 a.m. biology class on Friday, getting a good grade, then returning to practice and travel. He felt responsible for sustaining his level as a player and student while others competed for a place.

He also advised international athletes to learn the regulations governing their visas and the options available if they want to remain in the United States. In his view, a prospective employer may need to understand a graduate's immigration situation before knowing what support it can provide.

How is Lucas Lima adjusting to life after college soccer?

Lucas Lima said USL League Two was the last competition he played, and he has since graduated with a degree in economics and finance and started a business job. He prepared himself for the possibility that he would not become the professional player he once hoped to be. He does not regard that outcome as a failure.

His last competition in USL League Two

Lima described USL League Two as a competitive, semiprofessional level that players commonly take part in during the summer. He said its teams can include strong college players and professional players who are without contracts. It was the last tournament he played before stepping back from competition.

A degree and a job beyond the field

When he arrived in the United States, he knew he wanted to study something related to business and began in business administration. After two years, he settled on economics and finance. He has now taken a job with a company in the United States working in business, a transition he said he is enjoying.

Lima acknowledged that an earlier version of himself might have feared leaving competitive soccer behind. As graduation approached, he worked on seeing himself as more than a player. He credits the sport with shaping his character, bringing him to the United States and introducing him to people who remain important to his life.

How does Lucas Lima stay motivated through soccer setbacks?

Lucas Lima's advice to athletes facing setbacks is to focus on effort rather than decisions they cannot control. He said a playing career has good and bad periods, neither of which lasts forever. A coach's preferences or an unexpected opportunity may change a player's circumstances, but preparation remains the player's responsibility.

Asked what he would tell an athlete when things are going badly, Lima put his advice simply:

No matter what is happening. Just worry about what you can control

He applied that outlook to his own college years. With more players seeking soccer scholarships, he felt he needed to find a better version of himself each year rather than assume that earning a place as a freshman secured it for the rest of college. That meant maintaining his work in training even when a result or a selection was outside his hands.

For athletes whose playing plans change, he sees ways to remain involved in soccer through coaching, training, refereeing or business. His point was not that every player must stay in the sport. It was that missing one version of a career need not erase what a person has learned or what they can do next.

What does Lucas Lima want from his future career?

Lucas Lima wants to develop in his business job while keeping open the possibility of working in soccer as a manager or coach. He said he needs to prepare if he wants to take such an opportunity later. Beyond a job title, he hopes to build a family and continue helping the people around him.

Business now and a possible return to soccer

His immediate focus is adjusting to work, becoming more independent and deciding which direction he wants to take. Lima said earning his own money is part of that change. Soccer still matters to him, but he does not want to assume that loving it is enough to qualify him for a future coaching or management role.

He also spoke about building a family with his girlfriend, who is from the United States. He presented that goal alongside work and soccer, as part of the adult life he is beginning after college.

Bringing friends to the gym

When Maristela asked what made him proudest, Lima chose his effect on other people rather than a playing achievement. He recalled inviting one friend to work out with him at 6 a.m., then seeing a second and a third join. The important part, he said, was being there to help someone form a habit.

He thinks that willingness to bring others along may also have helped him become a captain during his soccer career. Hearing a friend say that Lima helped them start going to the gym meant a great deal to him: it was a small, concrete way to make someone else's day better.