Top 10 Best US Soccer Players Ever (Ranked)

The USA has a rich sporting history, competing across multiple sports and winning medals as well as tournaments. Unfortunately, soccer is one of the sports they cannot dominate like they used to in other sports. Yet, they have a rich history, producing some of the best players in the world who contributed to the growth of the popularity of the sport in the country, but also earned global recognition for their extraordinary performances regularly. This ranking explores the best US soccer players ever, looking back at their careers and celebrating their achievements.

The ranking table of the best US soccer players ever was compiled after considering several ranking parameters like longevity, consistency, impact during key matches, and trophies won throughout their professional careers. From Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey to Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, we’ve done our best to come up with a list featuring past legends alongside the younger generation who stepped up in recent years.

List of Best American Soccer Players of All Time

Here are the best US soccer players ever, ranked by their overall impact, longevity, and consistency. We’ve ranked them through 4 major factors mentioned after the table, which made things easier for us to filter out the best US soccer players of all time.

Rank	Player	Position	Notable Clubs Represented
10	Carlos Bocanegra	Center-back/Left-back	Chicago Fire, Fulham, Rennes, Rangers, Racing Santander
9	DaMarcus Beasley	Left-back/Winger	PSV Eindhoven, Rangers, Puebla, Chicago Fire
8	Tyler Adams	Defensive Midfielder	RB Leipzig, Leeds United, AFC Bournemouth
7	Weston McKennie	Central Midfielder	Juventus, Schalke, Leeds United
6	Brian McBride	Forward	Fulham, VfL Wolfsburg, Columbus Crew
5	Claudio Reyna	Central Midfielder	Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City, Rangers, Sunderland
4	Christian Pulisic	Winger/Attacking Midfielder	Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, AC Milan
3	Tim Howard	Goalkeeper	Man United, Everton, MetroStars, Colorado Rapids
2	Clint Dempsey	Attacking Midfielder/Forward	Fulham, Tottenham, Seattle Sounders, New England Revolution
1	Landon Donovan	Attacking Midfielder/Winger	LA Galaxy, Bayer Leverkusen, Everton

How We Ranked the Best US Soccer Players Ever?

Longevity: The first and primary factor considered while crafting the list of the best US soccer players of all time was longevity. If the list is about best ever or all time, then we’ve got to look at the players’ career length, how long they’ve played at the highest level. This factor helped in identifying the best US soccer players ever

Consistency: The second parameter that was considered while ranking the best US soccer players ever was their consistency. How consistent these players were during their time and how well they performed for the clubs they played for.

Impact in Key Matches: The third ranking factor we considered while compiling this list of the ten best US soccer players ever was their impact during key fixtures, rivalries, derbies, or the knockout stage of tournaments. Their impact to create a spark, fighting spirit back into the dressing room during key matches, helped us in filtering out the best from the rest.

Trophies/Achievements: The last parameter that we considered while ranking the best US soccer players ever was the number of trophies or achievements won during their professional footballing career.

Who are the Best US Soccer Players of All Time?

Now we’ll take a look at the top 10 best US soccer players ever, based on the ranking factors mentioned. From iconic Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan to young stars Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, let’s find out who else made it to our list of the ten best American soccer players of all time.

10. Carlos Bocanegra

Carlos Bocanegra was the rock upon which American soccer built its foundation. Standing six feet tall with exceptional tackling timing, he commanded the back line for over a decade with unshakeable composure. The American soccer player’s leadership at Fulham made him a Premier League regular and one of the most respected defenders in England.

Bocanegra captained the USMNT for years. His ability to play across multiple positions in defense, like center-back and left-back, gave coaches tactical flexibility.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
450	23	14	4

9. DaMarcus Beasley

DaMarcus Beasley was poetry in motion down the left flank. Lightning quick with a cross that could thread a needle, he became the first American to play in four World Cups. That’s not luck – that’s greatness spanning generations.

From wreaking havoc as a winger at PSV to mastering left-back later in his career, Beasley showed tactical intelligence beyond his years. His 126 caps tell the story of a player who simply wouldn’t quit representing his country. European fans learned to fear that burst of pace, while American kids learned they could dream of playing at the highest level.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
509	61	64	17

8. Tyler Adams

A destroyer in midfield, Tyler Adams is one of the best American soccer players and defensive midfielders to come from the States. He is a Red Bull academy product and came through the New York Red Bulls and then joined RB Leipzig. His most successful stint came at Leeds United, where he was adored by the fans for his passionate and hard-working performances every week.

He is currently at AFC Bournemouth and has been suffering injuries, which took some momentum away from his initial success. His international career has been a huge success too. He was the youngest captain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He won the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year award in 2022 after leading the Americans to the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
273	8	17	5

7. Brian McBride

Brian McBride, a forward by trade, spent the majority of his career in the United States with stints in both Germany and England. When he was in the Premier League, he played for Fulham, where he became a fan favorite, as well as team captain. He was eventually voted “Player of the Season” two times.

He also represented his country in three FIFA World Cups, and he was the first American player to score at two FIFA World Cups. Brian has made over 450 club appearances, scoring 145 goals and 50 assists.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
451	145	50	2

Also Read: Top 10 Best English Players in Football – Currently Ranked

6. Weston McKennie

A versatile player with the ability to play as a box-to-box midfielder, deep-lying midfielder, or wingback. Weston McKennie has played a lot of football at a young age. He joined Schalke at the young age of 17 and quickly became one of the best young American soccer players for the club. His performances caught the attention of Italian super club Juventus and he became the first ever American to represent Juventus.

His Juventus career had a lot of fluctuations and he was also loaned out to Leeds United to partner with another American, Tyler Adams. Unfortunately, he was unable to succeed at the club, but he managed to prove to Juventus that he is still good enough. McKennie is one of the most important players for the USMNT, being one of the first names on the sheet. Still 26, he has already represented his country 58 times!

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
314	27	31	6

5. Claudio Reyna

The father of young American attacker Giovanni Reyna, Claudio Reyna, was a midfielder who spent the majority of his career in Europe, playing in the Bundesliga, Scottish Premier League and the Premier League.

His international career was also a huge success, representing the country in many international tournaments and was also in the Team of the Season of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He is currently a sporting executive, having worked for two MLS clubs so far.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
325	27	11	2

4. Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic was always a prodigy. He joined the German giants Borussia Dortmund and shone at a young age. He was one of the most expensive January transfers when he joined Chelsea. After a struggling period at Chelsea, he left the club to join Italian side AC Milan. He regained his form, scoring and assisting regularly.

He was rewarded with a place in the 2023-24 Serie A Team of the Season. He is now an integral part of the club and there is a big chance Milan could retain him. Captain America, as he is fondly called, is showing why he’s considered the best in the business.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
397	91	83	8

Also Read: Top 10 Best French Football Players in the World (Ranked)

3. Tim Howard

Regarded as the best American goalkeeper of all time, Howard started his European career at Manchester United but spent the majority of his time at Everton. He scored a fantastic goal from long range vs Bolton Wanderers when he was at Everton, his first and only goal in his career.

With more than 300 appearances under his belt for the Toffees, he is regarded as one of the best players to have ever represented them. In 688 appearances, he has conceded 829 goals and kept 207 clean sheets in his professional club career.

Appearances	Goals Conceded	Clean Sheets	Trophies Won
688	829	207	5

2. Clint Dempsey

Dempsey is known for his exploits outside the USA. He started out his career in the New England Revolution, caught the eyes of scouts, and moved to the Premier League, joining Fulham FC. He was a star at Craven Cottage, especially in their underdog journey to the final of the UEFA Europa League in the 2009/10 season.

After returning from his European journey, he represented Seattle Sounders for the major part of his MLS career, primarily playing as an attacking midfielder. His time at the club was marked by some of the most memorable moments of the league.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
493	155	66	6

1. Landon Donovan

Regarded as the best American soccer player ever, Donovan spent a huge chunk of his career in his home country, representing the giants LA Galaxy. A six-time MLS Cup winner and the second-most goals scored ever in the league, Donovan’s accolades are truly spectacular.

In honor of his achievements, the most valuable player in the league each season is awarded with Landon Donovan MVP Award. Donovan is the joint top scorer alongside Clint Dempsey for the USA men’s soccer team with 57 goals each.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
491	189	140	13

Also Read: Top 10 Best American Soccer Players Currently- Ranked

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