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Despite sharing a name, there's very little connecting football—or "soccer"—and American football beyond the requirement for a skilled kicker.
The capacity to cleanly strike the ball—whether round or oval—is fundamental to success, and this has led to a number of soccer players transferring their talents to the United States over the years.
While it remains a rarely-traveled road, some players have ventured into the NFL late in their athletic careers, beating the odds to accomplish remarkable things on the gridiron.
With that in mind, here are some notable examples of soccer players who made the transition to American football.
Toni Fritsch
Toni Fritsch is one of the rare athletes to have successfully bridged two vastly different sports.
The former Rapid Wien forward enjoyed a trophy-filled tenure in his native Austria between 1963 and 1971, claiming five major honors at club level while earning nine caps for the national side. He netted just twice internationally, but it proved an unforgettable double against England—earning him the nickname 'Wembley Toni'—just a year before the Three Lions lifted the World Cup.
After being identified as an ideal kicker by the Dallas Cowboys during one of their European scouting trips in 1971, Fritsch headed to the United States in pursuit of even greater glory. The NFL's first Austrian player was part of the Cowboys' Super Bowl-winning squad in his debut season, before further stints with the San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints.
Horst Mühlmann
After failing to break through at boyhood club Borussia Dortmund as a rising soccer talent, Horst Mühlmann switched Ruhr derby loyalties by joining Schalke in 1961. The goalkeeper would spend five seasons in Gelsenkirchen before eventually linking up with American side Kansas City Spurs of the North American Soccer League (NASL) toward the close of the decade.
Once in Kansas City, the 29-year-old Mühlmann quickly launched his football career with the Kansas City Chiefs, before taking on the kicker role for the Cincinnati Bengals later that year in 1969. Known for his powerful and precise kicks, he spent five years in Ohio before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1975.
Matt Bahr
Matt Bahr's professional soccer career was fairly unremarkable. He had brief stints with the NASL's Colorado Caribous and Tulsa Roughnecks as he attempted to follow in the footsteps of his father Walter Bahr—former captain of the USMNT—but it wasn't long before he changed sports.
Bahr was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1979—one of six NFL franchises he represented over a 16-year NFL career—and immediately claimed the Super Bowl as a rookie kicker. His finest moment, however, came with the New York Giants in 1991 when he nailed the decisive field goal in a 20–19 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV.
Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr followed a remarkably similar sporting path to his brother, Matt. After an undistinguished spell with the NASL's Philadelphia Atoms, he traded soccer for American football when he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals as a kicker in 1976.
Much like his brother, Bahr won the Super Bowl twice—first with the Oakland Raiders in 1980 (Super Bowl XV) and again in the 1983 season (Super Bowl XVIII) after the franchise had relocated to Los Angeles. He wrapped up his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers.
Toni Linhart
Toni Linhart, a Pro Bowler in 1976 and 1977 for the Baltimore #Colts, was a member of the Austrian national soccer team before coming to America in 1972 and tagging on with the Saints as a placekicker. Linhart led the NFL in scoring in 1976. pic.twitter.com/NdYkJLlm6X
Perhaps surprisingly, Fritsch wasn't the only Austrian to swap domestic soccer for a shot at the NFL. Toni Linhart followed that same route at the same time as his fellow countryman, though he fell short of winning the Super Bowl and played 43 fewer games.
Linhart made his way to the U.S. after professional soccer stints with Wiener Sport-Club and First Vienna. The defender-turned-kicker represented the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Colts and New York Jets across a seven-year career, even finishing as the NFL's top scorer in 1976.
Brandon Aubrey
Brandon Aubrey is the most recent athlete to make the switch from soccer to American football. Despite signing for MLS club Toronto FC in 2017, the center back never featured in a senior match, appearing only for their reserve side as well as the Philadelphia Union's reserve team.
After becoming a free agent in 2018, he shifted his focus to American football, joining UFL side Birmingham Stallions to develop his abilities as a kicker. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2023—where he immediately became the NFL's top points scorer in his debut season (157).
Honorable Mentions
There is a fairly extensive list of soccer players who competed in NFL Europe—a developmental league for the NFL that ran from 1991 to 2007.
Among the competition's most prominent figures was Clive Allen, the former Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea striker who earned five senior caps for England. He turned out for the London Monarchs in NFL Europe, though only for a single season in 1997.
Former Barcelona goalkeeper Jesús Angoy served as a kicker for the Barcelona Dragons, while West Germany international Manfred Burgsmüller spent six seasons with Rhein Fire and claimed the World Bowl on two occasions.
Spare a thought for 100-cap USMNT goalkeeper Tony Meola, formerly of the NASL's Kansas City Wizards and MLS's New York Red Bulls. He signed with the New York Jets in 1994 but saw his NFL dream evaporate, cut after just three disappointing preseason outings.