Jozy Altidore
Former member, U.S. Men's National Team
![kids happy and playing on a mini-pitch](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/bert.jpg")
Donate so kids have a place to belong.
A little soccer can make a big difference in kids' futures. With only a few dollars, you can be the difference maker in millions of kids' lives.
![Jozy Altidore headshot](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/altidore.png")
Jozy Altidore is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Toronto FC and the United States national team.
Altidore made his professional debut in 2006 at the age of 16 with the New York Red Bulls. In the middle of his third season with New York, in 2008, he made a transfer to Villarreal for a fee of $10 million. During his time with Villarreal, he left on three loan stints – with Spanish Segunda División club Xerez in February–May 2009, English Premier League club Hull City for the entire 2009–10 season, and Turkish club Bursaspor where he went on a six-month loan. In the summer of 2011, he made a switch to AZ in the Netherlands. On March 3, 2013, Altidore surpassed Clint Dempsey for most goals by an American in a European club season with his 24th goal of the 2012–13 campaign. During the 2013 Summer transfer window, Sunderland signed Altidore. He spent one-and-a-half seasons there then returned to MLS with Toronto.
Altidore has represented the United States on various levels of international competition, featuring for the United States U-17 team at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship,U-20 team at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the U-23 team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2007 and has earned over 100 caps, representing them at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2011, 2015 and 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cups, and the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.
Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Altidore joined the relief effort by asking people to donate to Yéle Haiti. He appeared on CNN to discuss his family members still living in Haiti and to encourage people to give money.
In honor of the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a week earlier, Altidore wrote their names on the boots he wore in the game against FC Twente on December 21, 2012.