Three-Year-Old Footballer at Centre of Row After Scoring 10 Goals in 12 Minutes

By Dawda Baldeh

A three-year-old footballer in Florida has become the focus of an online controversy after his family was asked to leave a youth soccer match following a remarkable goal-scoring performance.

According to his parents, Nevada, who was enrolled in an introductory football programme alongside children up to the age of five, was taken off the pitch after scoring 10 goals in just 12 minutes during a recent match.

His family said the youngster’s dominance prompted complaints from league officials and opposing parents, who argued that the game had become unbalanced and that other children were being denied an opportunity to play.

The dispute escalated when organisers asked Nevada’s family to leave the venue. Video footage shared online later showed police officers at the sidelines speaking with the family.

Nevada’s mother, Martasia Griffin, defended her son in a video that has since gone viral.

“He was just enjoying the game and playing his heart out,” she said. “To see police called over a three-year-old playing good soccer is just unbelievable.”

The incident has sparked widespread reaction on social media, with critics accusing the league of penalising a child for displaying exceptional talent.

However, the Winter Park Police Department said officers were called to respond to a dispute between league officials and the player’s parents. In a statement, police said: “The incident was a civil matter between those parties and not criminal.”

The department added that the league offered the family a refund and requested that they leave, but stressed that “No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park.”

The controversy has since drawn interest from sports commentators, youth coaches and former professional players, with Nevada reportedly receiving offers for specialised coaching and places at private football academies.