What if the secret to becoming a world-class soccer player isn’t just playing soccer all year round, but actually playing multiple sports?
While most modern youth academies push early specialization in just one sport, some of the greatest goalkeepers, strikers, and Champions League winners in history were multi-sport before focusing on their football career, or even at the same time for cross-training.
Playing different sports and using various types of soccer training gear directly develop coordination, athleticism, fitness, and decision-making, and indirectly prevent burnout, reduce overuse injuries, and help athletes become better soccer players.
In this blog post, I’ll introduce you to 9 famous professional footballers who played other sports, from Premier League legends to World Cup heroes.
Which famous professional soccer players played multiple sports?
1. Petr Cech – Ice Hockey
The former Chelsea and Premier League legend is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and after retiring from football, he became a professional ice hockey goalie.
He currently plays semi-professional ice hockey in his spare time, proving that you can play different sports at a high level and at an older age.
2. Lev Yashin – Bandy & Ice Hockey
Another player widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history, Lev Yashin, is a Soviet Union legend who played bandy (a form of ice hockey) and ice hockey at a high level before focusing on his football career.
Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win a Ballon d’Or, and he also won the USSR Ice Hockey Cup and Kharkov Superior Cup before becoming a European champion in football.
3. Henrik Larsson – Floor hockey
The former striker and Champions League winner represented Sweden at the international level and played floorball (a type of floor hockey) competitively before and during the early stages of his football career.
Before becoming a legend at Celtic, Barcelona, and Manchester United, on loan, Larsson scored 13 goals and 6 assists in 9 games for the Swedish floorball club Färjestadens IBK, showing his natural athleticism and multi-sport talent.
4. Bruce Arena – Lacrosse
Before becoming one of the most successful coaches in American soccer history, Bruce Arena was a talented lacrosse player during his college years, earning a soccer scholarship at Cornell University and even making the U.S. national lacrosse team before fully committing to soccer.
His background in multiple sports sharpened his tactical awareness, adaptability, and leadership qualities that later defined his legendary coaching career with the U.S. Men’s National Team and Major League Soccer.
5. Paolo Maldini – Tennis
The AC Milan legend and one of the greatest defenders in football history, Paolo Maldini, competed professionally in tennis after retiring from his football career.
He also played in an ATP Challenger doubles tournament, a high-level tennis tournament which serves as the second tier of professional tennis, just below the main ATP Tour.
6. Ivan Perisic – Beach Volleyball
The Croatian, ex-Bayern Munich star, and dynamic winger Ivan Perišić is one of the few professional footballers to compete seriously in beach volleyball, playing in high-level tournaments during the off-season while still actively playing football.
He even represented Croatia at the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.
7. Rodrigo Palacio – Basketball
The former Argentine striker Rodrigo Palacio played basketball competitively after retiring from professional football, joining an Italian Serie D basketball team.
Known for his agility and intelligence on the field, Palacio quickly adapted to the pace and precision of basketball, proving that elite competitors never lose their edge; they simply find new ways to express it.
8. Gareth Bale – Golf
The Real Madrid star and former Premier League sensation, Gareth Bale, is known for his lifelong passion for golf, often spending his free time on the course even during his soccer career.
Since retiring from professional football, and surprising nobody, Bale has competed in professional golf tournaments and now plays in Legend soccer matches.
He is one of the fastest soccer players of all-time.
9. Gary Lineker – Cricket
Before becoming one of England’s greatest strikers and a World Cup hero, Gary Lineker played cricket at a competitive level during his youth, representing his school and several local clubs.
His early experience at the crease helped sharpen the hand-eye coordination, timing, and focus that later defined his clinical finishing and composure in front of goal—proving that the skills learned in one sport can translate seamlessly to another.
10. Clive Allen – American Football
The former Tottenham and Manchester City striker, who scored nearly 200 goals in his professional football career, made a surprising switch after retirement by joining the London Monarchs in the National Football League (NFL) Europe as a goal kicker.
His transition from scoring goals to kicking field goals was seamless, and he had a successful career in both.
