Martin Kelman lives and breathes soccer.
"I just love everything about soccer," Kelman said, standing amid a personal collection of hundreds, if not thousands, of memorabilia items. Some are decades old and come from all corners of the globe.
That collection is on display at the Frisco Heritage Museum through the end of the year. It makes up a new exhibition called Legends of Soccer.
Kelman is showing his collection to the public as a way to foster interest in soccer amid World Cup fever.
The exhibition highlights the achievements of international soccer greats like Pelé, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, and World Cup moments to remember, like a scrappy U.S. team's stunning 1-0 upset against England in 1950. Modern legends get their moment in the sun, too, like David Beckham and, of course, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Kelman's affinity for the "beautiful game" stretches back to his childhood in Manchester, England.
"We'd go to the games, and the players were really approachable," he said. "You know, 'Here's an autograph, son,' and so I started gaining autographs."
From there, his collection grew.
"The thing I try and focus on is programs, because I think they resonate with a memory," he said. "Tickets as well, because sadly the world's gone digital."
The exhibition features jerseys, posters, signed items, life-size standees of famous players and all sorts of tokens that might be hard to find anywhere else.
It includes tributes to international, American and even Texan players, including a familiar name.
In the "future legends" section, Kelman has a personal connection.
"You see a player by the name of Kelman. That's actually my son, Charlie," he said. "Charlie grew up here in Frisco. Amazing young man...He went professional at 17."
Both of Martin Kelman's sons, Charlie and Bobby, are professional soccer players.
"It's great to see them do what they love, and I think that's the key," he said of their work.
Martin Kelman told KERA he came to the United States in 1995, as a veteran of the British Army, to work for a Swedish telecommunications company.
As he got older, he said his love of sports and soccer came back. He picked up coaching and also became a FIFA agent, representing some players.
Now, with the World Cup in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Kelman is showing others the magic of the game.
He wants the Legends of Soccer exhibition to be educational and accessible, especially for kids.
"That's why this is a free exhibition," he said. "I had a lot of offers from people to bring this out and show it places, but they all wanted to charge."
Objects on display are diverse in terms of where and when they're from, and why they're historically significant.
And Kelman's knowledge of the sport, and the meaning of each item, is encyclopedic.
During a tour, he narrated stories from various World Cups, highlighted the achievements of both famous and lesser-known players, explained game mechanics and outlined his thoughts on the sport's trajectory from here.
"What I'm hoping is when people have walked through this exhibition, at the end of it, they go, 'You know, I know quite a bit about soccer now. I can hold my own in the bar conversation. I know these players'," he explained.
Kelman wants to see his exhibition help visiting fans re-connect with old memories of the game, start conversations about soccer amongst family members, and maybe even inspire future players.
"We're trying to help people grow the game," he said. "These are your heroes. You have to look up at someone and everyone's journey starts somewhere."
If that journey begins in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the good news is that the Metroplex is home to multiple professional soccer clubs for men and women.
Now that the 2026 World Cup is moving toward its end, the United States' hosting role is almost over. But soccer fever might just stick around.
Despite the U.S. men's national team losing 4-1 to Belgium in the Round of 16, Kelman said of American soccer:
"We're a great nation, you know, and it's only a matter of time before we really succeed in soccer."
He added, "We have all the infrastructure, but people have to believe. People have to play the game."
Got a tip? Email Andy Lusk at alusk@kera.org.
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