Spanish athletes who have thrived in American Sports
Over the years, Spain has produced many sporting greats across a wide number of disciplines. For example, there’s the great Rafa Nadal, who dominated tennis for so long until injury ended his illustrious career, and there’s Seve Ballesteros, undoubtedly one of the greatest golfers of all time.
From the world of motorsport, there’s Fernando Alonso, with two F1 world titles and 32 Grand Prix wins to his name, plus two-time WRC champion Carlos Sainz.
Many Spanish sportspeople have also made a name for themselves in America, whether in the NFL, NBA, MLB, or MLS. So, here’s a whistlestop tour of just some of them.
NFL – American Football
There’s been a long history of Spanish players in American football, and two of the very first were Jess and Kelly Rodriguez. The former played for the Buffalo Bisons in the 1929 season, with Kelly turning out for the Minneapolis Red Jackets in 1930. Neither are teams that you’d find in any NFL spreads today. But at the time, they were pretty big names in the sport.
It seemed like José Joaquín Arcega-Whiteside was destined for a basketball career. After all, both his parents played the sport professionally in Spain. But after moving to the US at the age of six, he had a different destiny. After attending Stanford, he was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles, going on to play for the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons. In 2024, he headed north of the border to play for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.
NBA - Basketball
Basketball has also had more than its fair share of Spanish players, including the three mentioned here. Marc Gasol Saez started his playing career at FC Barcelona before moving on to CB Girona. But in 2008, he was snapped up by the Memphis Grizzlies after initially being picked up by the LA Lakers. Ironically, he returned to the Lakers for the 2020-21 season, having appeared in numerous All-Star games in previous years.
Raul Lopez played two seasons for Real Madrid, but the NFL team Utah Jazz selected him in the draft in 2001. Despite a ligament injury that wiped out his first season, he went on to become a highly valued member of the team, playing point guard. He also went on to play for the Memphis Grizzlies before returning to Real Madrid in 2006.
For the sheer number of NFL teams he has played for, the record must go to Juancho Hernangomez. Now with the Greek team Panathinaikos, he has played for the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs, the Utah Jazz, and the Toronto Raptors—quite a list!
MLB – Major League Baseball
Alfredo Cabrera was the first Spanish-born player to participate in Major League Baseball. Originally from the Canary Islands, he debuted playing for the St Louis Cardinals in 1913. He then moved on to the Cuban League, where he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1942 to recognise a career that had also seen him manage the Alemandares Club, taking them to become championship winners in the 1916 season.
Born in Madrid in 1972, Danny Rios became a pitcher for the New York Yankees. He then moved on to the Tampa Yankees, where he enjoyed great success, and his 1995 season was described as “dazzling.” Eventually, he ended up with the Omaha Royals, where he was promoted to starting pitcher. His 90mph fastball proved hard to handle for many opponents.
Al Pardo, or Alberto Judas Pardo, to give him his full name, was born in Oviedo. As a child, he moved to Cuba and then to the US. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies as a catcher. The batting highlight of his career was hitting his one and only home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Joe Cowley.
MLS – Major League Soccer
Thanks to its global reach, it’s no surprise that soccer in the US has featured many players with Spanish heritage.
First up is Orio Rosell. The defensive midfielder, who has played for the LA Galaxy, began his career at Barcelona before moving to Kansas to play for the Kansas team, Sporting KC. After a spell with the Portuguese side Sporting CP, he was back in MLS with Orlando City before his move to the LA team.
Riqui Puig is another Spanish player who started at Barcelona and ended up at the LA Galaxy. The midfielder is contracted to stay with the team until 2027.
Finally, Carles Gil, captain of the New England Revolution, previously played for the Premier League club Aston Villa.
Of course, countless other Spanish heritage players have made it big in the US, and there are no doubt many more to come.
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