Jozy Altidore

Early life and education

Josmer Volmy Altidore was born in Livingston, New Jersey, the youngest of four children to Haitian immigrants, and was raised mostly in Boca Raton, Florida. He played for South Florida youth teams including Boca Raton Juniors Soccer Club, Schulz Academy, and Sunrise S.C., and trained with the under-17 national team at the IMG Academy. Raised a Jehovah's Witness, he was named the 2006 Parade All American Boys Player of the Year.

Club career

Altidore was selected 17th overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by the MetroStars (later New York Red Bulls). He debuted on August 23, 2006, as a substitute in a U.S. Open Cup loss, and scored his first professional goal on September 16, 2006, a 28-yard shot to beat Columbus Crew 1–0. In the 2006 playoffs, he became the youngest player to score in MLS playoff history at 16 years, 337 days. On June 4, 2008, Villarreal agreed to sign him for roughly $10 million, then the largest fee for an MLS player.

He made his La Liga debut on September 14, 2008, and on November 1, 2008, became the first American to score in La Liga. After loans to Xerez, Hull City, and Bursaspor, he joined AZ in summer 2011. On March 3, 2013, he surpassed Clint Dempsey for most goals by an American in a European club season with his 24th goal of 2012–13. Sunderland signed him in summer 2013; after one and a half seasons with a poor scoring record, he returned to MLS with Toronto FC.

International career

Altidore debuted for the senior national team on November 17, 2007, in a friendly against South Africa, and scored his first international goal on February 7, 2008, against Mexico. On April 1, 2009, he scored a hat-trick against Trinidad and Tobago, becoming the youngest American to do so. At the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, he scored in the semi-final against Spain. He started all four U.S. games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup without scoring. After a hamstring injury at the 2011 Gold Cup, he ended a nearly two-year drought on June 2, 2013, against Germany, then scored in four consecutive matches, tying the U.S. record. On August 14, 2013, he scored a hat-trick against Bosnia and Herzegovina, extending his streak to five games. He scored twice against Nigeria on June 7, 2014, but injured a hamstring in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup against Ghana.

Personal life

In 2007, Altidore was a candidate for ESPN's Next Award and appeared on the cover of FIFA 08. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, he joined relief efforts and appeared on CNN to encourage donations. In December 2012, he wrote the names of the 26 Sandy Hook victims on his boots for a match against FC Twente. He proposed to tennis player Sloane Stephens in April 2019, and they married on January 1, 2022. In December 2024, he joined a consortium that purchased a 20% stake in the Buffalo Bills. He is also an investor in USL Championship club OKC Energy.