11 Of The World's Greatest Jewish Soccer Players

Lox and bagels. Pastrami and rye. Jews and soccer? Not something we always put together. In honor of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, here are 11 (plus one fascinating bonus) of the most successful Jewish footballers you didn't know – or didn't know were Jewish.

1. Kyle Beckerman

If you've been watching the US team in this year's World Cup, you know this guy. His power may come from his strong legs, but it’s his majestic hair that makes him a fan favorite.

Born in Maryland to Jewish parents, Beckerman plays midfield (and serves as team captain) for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer (MLS).

The 32-year-old is the youngest player in MLS history to appear in 200 games and is renowned for the dedication and passion he shows on the field.

We believe that we will win with a Jewish star on the team this year in Brazil.

2. Gottfried Fuchs

Via wikipedia

This soccer star from the early 1900s was part of a family that would make any Jewish mother proud. His older brother was famed composer and architect Richard Fuchs.

Gottfried was part of a legendary German club that won the country's championship in 1910.

His greatest highlight? Oh, nothing big: he only scored 10 goals for Germany in a 16–0 win against Russia at the 1912 Olympics.

Later in life, Fuchs was forced to uproot his life in Germany and emigrate to Canada to escape the Holocaust.

3. Bela Guttman

Via Wikipedia

See those crossed arms and forceful stare? Bela Guttman earned a reputation for his self-confidence and brash style.

He was a prominent soccer star in the early 1920s who later earned a reputation as one of the best coaches in soccer history. He moved to Vienna to escape anti-Semitism in 1922.

Fans of Portuguese soccer know Bela for a much eerier reason: the curse he left on one of the world's most popular teams.

After being denied a pay raise while coaching Lisbon's Benfica club, he famously declared, "Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champion!"

His prediction still holds true today: Benfica have gone on to lose all eight of their subsequent European finals. Spooky!

4. Eddy Hamel

Via Wikipedia

Let's put it to you this way – this guy inspired fans of one of the world's most successful clubs (Ajax Amsterdam) to call themselves "Joden." That means "Jews" in Dutch. Boo yah.

Born in New York City, he moved to Amsterdam and became the first Jew to play for the team, eventually becoming a fan favorite.

However, Hamel's story eventually turned to tragedy. On April 30, 1943, he was killed in the Holocaust, one of the estimated 1.1 million people murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

5. Avi Cohen

Via Wikipedia

With a name like Avi Cohen, there's no doubt this guy was a Jew, through and through.

Cohen was an Israeli footballer best known for playing for Liverpool and Scotland.

After retiring, he famously danced on the Israeli version of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2008. His dancing skills were not as legendary as his soccer skills, ultimately being eliminated from the contest.

Cohen's story also ends tragically. In 2010, he was killed in a motorcycle crash. The Maccabi Tel Aviv club retired his #5 in his honor.

But the Cohen family carries on his legacy. His son, Tamir, is a midfielder for Israeli Premier League team Hapoel Ra'anana.

6. Eli Ohana

Via Wikipedia

Never underestimate the power of negotiating with your parents.

Ohana's father, a traditional Jew, was opposed to the idea of his son playing soccer. But he eventually budged: his son could play on the condition that he went to synagogue before practice every Saturday.

As a result, he became one of Israel's most legendary footballers.

At age 23, Ohana signed with KV Mechelen in Belgium. One season later, he led them to victory in one of Europe's premier tournaments.

7. Jose Pekerman

Via Wikipedia

Jose took lemons and made some sweet, sweet lemonade (courtesy of his Jewish chutzpah).

After Argentinian-born Pekerman's career as a player ended at age 28 due to a serious knee injury, he was forced to support his family with various odd jobs, including a stint as a taxi driver.

But Jose did not give up. He achieved fame as a youth level coach for Argentina, winning the FIFA World Youth Championship three times.

He then coached the Argentina national football team in the 2006 World Cup and was coach of the Colombian national football team in 2012.

8. David Beckham

Via Wikipedia

What, you didn't know David Beckham was Jewish? Well, he sort of is, depending on how you "bend" the rules.

The object of many young girls' affections, this English stud sometimes refers to himself as "half Jewish" (his maternal grandfather was Jewish). In fact, Beckham wrote in his autobiography, "I've probably had more contact with Judaism than with any religion."

He also reportedly sends at least one of his kids to Jewish day school in California.

Beckham, now retired, was consistently one of soccer's highest earners, pulling in an estimated $50 million in 2013.

You may see him around South Florida these days. He and his investment group are working tirelessly to convince Miami city officials to approve the construction of a soccer stadium for Beckham's proposed MLS team.

9. Daniel de Ridder

Via Wikipedia

This star followed in the footsteps of #4 on our list, Eddy Hamel, to bring some Jewish spirit to fans favorite country for good football and Heineken .

Born in Amsterdam to a Dutch father and Israeli mother, de Ridder is now a forward/midfield player for RKC Waalwijk in the Netherlands.

He moved to Israel in 2010 and played for Hapoel Tel Aviv, winning the Israeli Cup and Israeli Championship in the same year.

10. Jonathan Bornstein

Via Wikipedia

Some people's Judaism is not as clear to them as it is for others. This California native has a lot to say about finding an understanding of who you are.

Jonathan was born to a Jewish father and Mexican Catholic mother.

On the topic of what religion he considers himself, he once told ESPN, "It's still a soul-searching kind of thing, trying to figure out exactly where you come from or which heritage you relate to. I still kind of feel lost even to this day, but it's something that I just deal with, and it makes me a stronger person having both of those heritages."

Bornstein played for the U.S. in the 2005 Maccabiah Games in Israel, leading the squad to silver.

11. Benny Feilhaber

Via Wikipedia

Remember this guy? He played midfield for the US Men's Team in the 2010 World Cup South Africa.

Benny played in two key games in that World Cup, earning praise for his ability to generate plays and make precise passes to set up chances to score.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Feilhaber was raised in his father's Jewish religion. His paternal grandfather emigrated from Belgium to Brazil in 1938 to escape the Nazi regime.

Feilhaber didn't make team in this year's World Cup, but you can still see him playing for MLS' Sporting Kansas City.

12. Bonus: Mario Balotelli

Via Wikipedia

Okay, so Mario Balotelli isn't technically Jewish – but did you know he was raised by a Jewish couple?

Born Mario Barwuah in Sicily to immigrants from Ghana, at the age of three his parents sent him to foster care at the suggestion of authorities.

He was taken in by Silvia (the daughter of a Holocaust survivor) and Francesco Balotelli, Italian Jews who lived in Northern Italy.

Nicknamed "Super Mario", Balotelli is currently one of the biggest stars of the soccer world.

He is also well known for dedicating his many goals to Silvia. In 2012, after scoring a key goal for Italy, he famously rushed over to embrace her as she wept after the win.

Mario may not be Jewish by birth, but he definitely knows how to make a Jewish mother swell with pride.