In this guide, we’re looking at foreign sports stars in the U.S. There have been some incredible foreign talents to have graced American sports. We absolutely love some of the stories here, and though some of the foreign players were already stars, some never really got there, and others make our list of the best foreign stars to move to the US due to the incredible circumstances that saw them play in the sports-mad country.
Here are some foreign athletes in other sports who have found major success in the U.S.
Lino Dante “Alan” Ameche
We’re going back to the 1950s, as Ameche was an incredible player for the Baltimore Colts, having won the Heisman Trophy while playing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
He went on to be one of the stars of his era, and though he wasn’t a ready-made star when he came to the US (his family emigrated to the U.S. in the 1930s), he remains one of the best foreign players ever seen in the NFL.
Checking the best NFL bets today you’re more likely to see players who were born in other countries thanks to the NFL International Player Pathway program, including Jakob Johnson and Efe Obada. However, in Ameche’s day, it must have taken a leap of faith to bet on him.
Ameche has gone down in history in the NFL, as he played in the NFL 1958 Championship Game which has been referred to as the greatest game ever played. Amechi scored the winning touchdown, so he went into folklore as one of the best.
Rinku Singh
This is an incredible tale. While Rinku Singh may not have been an All-Star, what he stands for as a cultural icon means a lot around the globe.
Singh was the son of a farmer in India, living in Uttar Pradesh. Like a lot of the population of India, he was mad about sports, but not baseball. He was a cricketer, and a decent one, but not signed to a professional team.
He took part in a competition called “Million Dollar Arm” to win a trip to America, a cash prize, and the chance to try and get a contract with a baseball team. He would go on to sign for the Pittsburgh Pirates and play a lot of baseball in the minor leagues, supposedly learning English by watching movies and baseball shows on television.
Singh is a character, and he turned millions of Indians on to the sport of baseball, and some didn’t even know that the sport existed!
Luka Dončić
Dončić is a foreign superstar who still has the world at his feet. As a young basketball player, he made his debut for the Real Madrid academy team aged just 16, and would be playing in their first team within two years, when he led them to a Euroleague win. He declared for the NBA draft back in 2018 and the Slovenian superstar went on to play in his first NBA All-Star game. He leads the Dallas Mavericks and is still young enough to have a decade or more of play in front of him.
Dončić is an icon in his home country, and plays for Slovenia, the country that actually won its first title in 2017, with Dončić in the lineup.
This NBA superstar leads the way when it comes to European imports.
David Beckham
Beckham is one of the best English footballers of all time. He made over 100 appearances for his country and has won pretty much everything in his club career too, playing for Manchester United as well as Real Madrid, and winning the Champions League, Premier League, and La Liga.
He’s known as one of the best set-piece takers ever to play the game.
When he signed a five-year contract with MLS club LA Galaxy, it is fair to say that people were shocked. He did spend some time out on loan, but made 98 appearances for Galaxy, scoring an impressive 18 goals from midfield, too.
Beckham’s impact is ongoing in America – he has grown to be one of the biggest names ever to play soccer in the country and has paved the way for some huge deals that saw megastars come to the MLS.
Now, Beckham is the owner of the soccer franchise Inter Miami. His love affair with soccer in America has made a huge impact on the popularity of the sport.
Summary
America is one of the best places in the world to watch sports, and these stars are proof that the country can attract people from all over the world and give them the opportunity to become superstars.
