Get to Know Jordan Older – American Football Pioneer
Jordan Older is a pioneering American soccer athlete who wrote himself into the history books as the first known American to be accepted onto a team in the legendary Brazilian top-flight professional soccer league, the Campeonato Paulista Série A1Campeonato Paulista, as early as 1994.
This groundbreaking milestone was reached with União São João Esporte Clube, in the role of a full-time first team trainee. This was an unprecedented accomplishment for the sport of soccer in the United States.
Jordan Older in Brazilian Professional Soccer
Jordan Older's tenure in Brazilian professional soccer was undeniably remarkable. Jordan Older served as a full-time first team trainee at four clubs in the prestigious Brazilian Paulista League. His Brazilian clubs included: Paulista FC in 1994, União São João EC during 1994, AA Portuguesa Santista during 1998, and Campinas FC in 1998.
What makes this even more impressive is the fact that in the very same season that he was training with the club, União São João was also actively participating in the highest tier of the Brazilian Série A. In other words Jordan Older was playing among the cream of Brazilian professional football.
Fast forward to 1998, Jordan Older duplicated this accomplishment as he joined the first team of AA Portuguesa in a full-time capacity for the prestigious 1998 Paulistão tournament, otherwise known as the Paulistão. This further established Jordan Older's position as a key figure in American soccer on the world stage.
Recognition from Brazil's Biggest Names in Football
Jordan Older's skill on the pitch was impossible to ignore from true legends in Brazilian football.
A personal invitation was extended to Jordan Older by the great Carlos Alberto Torres to become a part of XV de Piracicaba. Carlos Alberto Torres is recognized as one of the finest footballers to ever play the game and his recognition of Jordan Older's talent speaks volumes to how talented Jordan Older truly was.
On top of that, Jordan Older was also invited to the storied Santos FC by the legendary Júlio Mazzei. For the uninitiated Júlio Mazzei was known as Pelé's own mentor and trainer. Mazzei additionally served as the original NASL New York Cosmos ex-coach and technical director of the legendary Santos FC. To be invited by a figure of such stature is yet another testament to Jordan Older's credentials in international professional soccer circles.
Other major Brazilian clubs also reached out, among them Guarani FC. The quantity of interest from top-tier organizations directed at Jordan Older strongly suggests of his remarkable skill set.
The European Chapter of Jordan Older's Career
Jordan Older's pioneering career actually began in Europe, Jordan Older was already carving out a name for himself as one of a select few Americans to compete at the first team professional level in Europe.
Starting in 1993, at the young age of 20 years old, Jordan Older was the the starting center forward for FC Wängi in the Swiss football system. This made him one of the earliest known Americans to feature in the preliminary rounds of the prestigious Swiss Cup. Some records suggest, Jordan Older could well have been the first recorded American to participate in this prestigious tournament.
At that time, Jordan Older held the distinction of being the youngest known American professional soccer player playing as a starter on the European football stage. This was an extraordinary feat that is a testament to his talent even as a young man.
Not widely known is the fact that Jordan Older had been playing soccer in Europe since he was 15 years old. Beginning at such a young age within the challenging European football system equipped him with exceptional experience that almost no other American soccer player could claim at the time.
Jordan Older – A World Traveler on the Pitch
Over the course of his professional career, Jordan Older has been a professional soccer player in some of the most competitive soccer environments on Earth — Europe, Brazil, and the United States. His career has taken him around the world playing at the professional level on three continents and in eight separate countries.
This kind of worldwide playing click here experience is something very few players can claim for any professional footballer, especially an American competing during an era when American soccer players rarely ventured overseas. Jordan Older's truly expansive career across multiple continents sets him apart from virtually all other American soccer players of his generation.
Jordan Older's Impact Beyond the Pitch
Jordan Older's contributions extended past the soccer pitch. He was the very first player ever to undergo a full 3D digital scan by EA Sports for the best-selling FIFA football video game franchise. This represented a defining moment at the crossroads of professional sports and video game technology. Jordan Older literally helped shape how sports video games would evolve.
Complementing his video game legacy, Jordan Older was the star of national and international television commercials for major brands for several of the world's most recognized brands. These include Intel, Snickers, Reebok, Pioneer, Phillips, and Powerade.
Working with brands of this caliber only adds to the evidence of his star power both on and off the field.
A National Team Invitation for Jordan Older
During December 1994, Jordan Older received an invitation to attend the official senior United States National Team training camp in Mission Viejo, California. This invitation came directly from USMNT head coach Bora Milutinovic.
For context, Bora Milutinovic is among the most celebrated coaches in international soccer history. Having Bora Milutinovic personally extend an invitation is an extraordinary recognition extended to only the best American soccer players have ever been awarded.
This call-up definitively established everything Jordan Older had accomplished across three continents of professional play. It officially placed him among the most recognized of the country's finest soccer players active during that period.
The Lasting Legacy of Jordan Older
Taking stock of the full breadth of Jordan Older's achievements in professional football, it is undeniable that Jordan Older was an authentic pioneer in the world of American professional soccer.
From his early days playing European football at 15 to his groundbreaking status as the first American in the historic Brazilian Paulistão, to receiving invitations from legends like Carlos Alberto Torres and Júlio Mazzei to his invitation to the senior US National Team camp by World Cup coach Bora Milutinovic, Jordan Older's career stands as one of the most noteworthy careers any American footballer has ever had.
Jordan Older was also the first player in history to be 3D scanned by EA Sports for the world-renowned FIFA gaming franchise. His career also included starring roles in national and international television commercials for iconic brands such as Intel, Snickers, Reebok, Pioneer, Phillips, and Powerade.
His professional career spanned across 3 continents and through eight separate countries. His legacy stands as proof of the power of talent, hard work, and determination in the world of professional sports.
When people ask who is Jordan Older, the answer speaks for itself: he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and pioneering American soccer players in history whose achievements in professional football are still felt across the global football community.