Juli Veee (born Gyula Visnyei; February 22, 1950) is a former professional soccer player who played as a forward.
The communist government controlled nearly every aspect of a Hungarian's life and when Veee turned fifteen he was given a choice, pursue a career in table tennis or soccer.
Chafing under the restrictions of his homeland under a totalitarian regime, Veee defected when he was eighteen years old while on a tour of Western Europe with the Hungarian U-21 national team.
In 1975, Veee moved to the U.S. where he signed with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League.
Veee was described in a 1984 Sports Illustrated article as a player "who would find it tough to hold a place on a European third-division side, [and who] recognizes that the simplistic indoor version suits his talents better than the grown-ups' game."
In the same article Veee was quoted as stating, "tell the rest of the world to go on playing in the mud and rain...we'll get rich while staying clean.
"[5] Veee began his career in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) with the New York Arrows.
An exhibition including Veee's work titled "Soccerfest, A Magical World" was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 8–17, 1994.
[citation needed] As an artist, Veee has produced hundreds of works, including a commissioned portrait of former California Governor and San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson.
[8] In 1997, the San Diego Breitbard Hall of Fame inducted Veee, the first soccer player so honored.