North Americans in European football

North Americans in European football


Football in North America has developed at a rapid speed in the past decade. If we ignore Mexico, the USA and Canada initially were considered as basketball and hockey countries respectively. But those two managed to produce football players which are currently playing in the best European leagues. We will talk about 5 notable players coming from North America.


Christian Pulisic

The 21-year-old winger from the United States, Christian Pulisic is known for his dribbling skills and pace. He started a professional career in Dortmund, playing there 3 years from 2016 to 2019. He managed to score 10 goals in 81 Bundesliga matches, although these numbers might be deceptive, as he was creating a lot of chances for his team and provided attacking prospects.


In 2019 he moved to Premier League side, Chelsea. Under Frank Lampard Pulisic has had a lot of playing time and scored 5 goals in 16 matches. However, it is not yet his best form, and the American should improve if he wants to be a part of Lampard’s future team.


Alphonso Davies

Born in a refugee camp 19-year-old Canadian Alphonso Davies has already managed to astonish Bayern’s supporters. He made a debut on January 12 in 2019 and was met with high expectations. Under Hans-Dieter Flick, he adopted the role in the left-back, and we can remember his performance against Chelsea in the first leg round of 16.


Given his recent success, Davies started to gain more attention from his homeland country. Without a doubt, he is the best Canadian player at the right moment, so it is no wonder that the 21-year-old is at the center of attention. For this reason, gambling in Canada was also affected in a positive manner, and Canadian casino bonuses were based on Davies, particularly. They offered betting options on whether the left-back would score or assist. This is an obvious example of how the success of an individual player can impact the whole country and even the gambling industry.


Hirving Lozano

You should probably remember Mexican Lozano from his early years in PSV, where he managed to score 34 goals in 60 matches and was an integral part of the team. He shone in the World Cup 2018 as well, scoring a goal against Germany in Mexico’s group stage match.


In 2019 he transferred to Napoli but has only scored 2 goals in 16 matches. At the moment, Lozano fails to live up to the expectations but the 24-year-old has plenty of time to improve.


Raul Jimenez

Another Mexican Raul Jimenez has been a discovery of Premier League. In the beginning, he was on a one-year loan to Wolves but after an excellent display Wolves signed him on a permanent deal.


In the 2019-2020 season he has been fantastic as well scoring 13 goals in 29 Premier League matches. He and Diogo Jota created a formidable pair in the attacking line. Jimenez is 29, gradually reaching veteran years, but he is still capable of helping the team in future. However, Wolves will have a hard time keeping a Mexican.


Scott Arfield

31-year-old Canadian Scott Arfield is playing as a midfielder for the Scottish side Rangers. He had a 5-year tenure with Burnley where he amassed 21 goals in 177 matches which is not a bad result for a midfielder.


Joining Rangers in 2018, he quickly became a pivotal figure for the club, and Steven Gerrard quickly made use from the Canadian player. He has limited appearances for Canada - only 16 matches but might be called up for further fixtures if he continues to play at the high level.