Carmen Vitali
NFL Reporter
Arguments over which professional athletes could excel at other sports have long been debated. Would LeBron James actually have made it to the NFL as a tight end? Could Patrick Mahomes have had as successful a career in Major League Baseball, following in his father’s footsteps? Can anyone else play hockey?
Even though American football is our country’s biggest sport, it’s another kind of football that’s the largest around the world. Hundreds of millions of people play soccer regularly, according to multiple studies over the last couple of decades, while billions consume the sport in some fashion.
As teams are qualifying for spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, that got us thinking: How strong of a soccer team could we make using players from America’s most popular sport? And would that team be good enough to qualify for a spot in the FIFA World Cup?
We won’t debate the second question, but there are several players around the NFL who have a skill or two that we think could translate from the gridiron to the pitch.
So, here’s what my team of football players playing fútbol would look like:
Strikers (2):
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua
These guys have to be playmakers, plain and simple. Two of the first names that come to mind are two of the league’s best receivers. They have to be fast, too. I love the combination of Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua on a soccer field. They’d be pretty complementary on a football field, too.
Midfielders (4):
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Midfielders need to have vision — and speed. They also need to have stamina and burst. That’s why I looked on both sides of the ball for players who possess such a dynamic skill set. Running backs Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs are phenomenal athletes with vision. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is rangy and has the same. And Lamar Jackson makes the cut as the lone quarterback on this list, probably putting him dead center.
Defenders (4):
Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II
San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle
Ravens S Kyle Hamilton
Houston Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.
Defenders need to have length, which lends itself to the same in American football. This group is mostly made up of long, rangy defensive backs that can counter any offensive attacks. I threw George Kittle on there, too, because the body type of tight ends, especially fast, wideout-like ones, can absolutely stand up to offensive pressure. Plus, he would just be fun. He’s got the attitude of a soccer defender already.
Goalkeeper:
Cleveland Browns edge Myles Garrett
My eyes lit up when I thought of this one. Myles Garrett is a freak athlete and takes up a ton of space. He has the athleticism to go from one end of the goal to the other, and he’s also got the mentality worthy of a goalkeeper. Could you imagine Garrett staring you down? It’s enough to make anyone run the other direction, much less try and score on him.
Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.
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