The Malaysian Soccer Crisis, Explained

Say you’re a talented young athlete. Would you rather be a doctor, a lawyer, or a Malaysian soccer star?

Chances are, once you realize how little Malaysians pay their professional soccer players, you’d probably choose one of the first two. And maybe that’s part of the reason Malaysia’s two national squads were both defeated by Singapore in the A.F.C. Cup last week.

But can incentives drive a national sport revival?