The Most Famous

SOCCER PLAYERS from United States

This page contains a list of the greatest American Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 21,273 Soccer Players, 204 of which were born in United States. This makes United States the birth place of the 15th most number of Soccer Players behind Belgium, and Serbia.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary American Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous American Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of American Soccer Players.

1. Bert Patenaude (1909 - 1974)

With an HPI of 53.28, Bert Patenaude is the most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 31 different languages on wikipedia.

Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude (; November 4, 1909 – November 4, 1974) was an American soccer player who played as a forward. Although it was formerly disputed, he is officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup history. He is a member of the United States Soccer Hall of Fame.

2. Mia Hamm (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 50.66, Mia Hamm is the 2nd most famous American Soccer Player. Her biography has been translated into 47 different languages.

Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm (born March 17, 1972) is an American former professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the United States national team from 1987 to 2004. Hamm was the face of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, where she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels and helped the team win four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship titles. Hamm competed in four FIFA Women's World Cups: the inaugural 1991 tournament in China, 1995 in Sweden, 1999 and 2003 in the United States. She led the team at three Olympic Games — 1996 in Atlanta (the first time women's soccer was played), 2000 in Sydney, and 2004 in Athens. At these seven international tournaments she played in 42 matches and scored 14 goals. Hamm held the record for most international goals scored until 2013 and remains in third place as of 2023. She ranks fourth in the history of the U.S. team for international caps (276) and first for career assists (144). Hamm was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002. She was chosen by Pelé as one of FIFA's 125 greatest living players in the FIFA 100, to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary. Hamm was named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year five years in a row, and won three ESPY awards including Soccer Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year. The Women's Sports Foundation named her Sportswoman of the Year in 1997 and 1999. She was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame, and was the first woman inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame. A co-owner of Los Angeles FC and Angel City FC, Hamm is also a global ambassador for FC Barcelona and is on the board of directors of Serie A club A.S. Roma. Author of Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life, Hamm has been featured in several films and television shows, including the HBO documentary, Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.

3. Michelle Akers (b. 1966)

With an HPI of 48.25, Michelle Akers is the 3rd most famous American Soccer Player. Her biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Michelle Anne Akers (formerly Akers-Stahl; born February 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who starred in the 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup and 1996 Olympics victories by the United States. At the 1991 World Cup, she won the Golden Shoe as the top scorer, with ten goals. Akers is regarded as one of the greatest female soccer players in history. She was named FIFA Female Player of the Century in 2002, an award she shared with China's Sun Wen. In 2004, Akers and Mia Hamm were the only two women named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living soccer players selected by Pelé and commissioned by FIFA for that organization's 100th anniversary. Akers is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, inducted in 2004.

4. Landon Donovan (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 48.14, Landon Donovan is the 4th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 54 different languages.

Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional soccer player and coach who was most recently the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Widely regarded as one of the greatest U.S. players of all time, Donovan holds the world record for the man with the most international assists (58), and is tied with Clint Dempsey for the most international goals scored by a male U.S. player (57). An early soccer product of IMG Academy, Donovan signed for Bayer Leverkusen in 1999. In 2005, after six years with Leverkusen, the majority of which were spent on loan with the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS, Donovan moved back to the United States permanently to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He later returned to Germany for a loan with Bayern Munich, and twice went on short loans to English Premier League club Everton in 2010 and 2012. He retired as a player in 2014, but made a brief comeback with LA Galaxy late in the 2016 season and then in 2018 to play for León. He further played one season with the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League. Overall Donovan won a record six MLS Cups and is the league's all-time assists leader with 136. The Major League Soccer MVP Award has been renamed the Landon Donovan MVP Award in his honor. Donovan made his senior debut for the United States men's national team in 2000. He is the all-time leader in assists, tied with Clint Dempsey as the all-time leader in scoring, and is the second-most-capped player of his country. Donovan is the only American player to reach the 50 goals/50 assists mark. He is tied with Christian Pulisic for the record of four U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year awards (the first man to win in consecutive years), as well as the only seven-time winner of the Player of the Year award. Donovan starred in the U.S. team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup where he received the Best Young Player Award. His three goals in the 2010 World Cup made Donovan the highest-scoring male American player in World Cup history.

5. Megan Rapinoe (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 47.04, Megan Rapinoe is the 5th most famous American Soccer Player. Her biography has been translated into 56 different languages.

Megan Anna Rapinoe ( ; born July 5, 1985) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a winger. She spent most of her career playing for OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. Winner of the Ballon d'Or Féminin and named The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2019, Rapinoe won gold with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and played at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the U.S. finished second. Rapinoe co-captained the national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan from 2018 to 2020. She previously played for the Chicago Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence, and magicJack in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), as well as Lyon Women in France's Division 1 Féminine. Rapinoe is internationally known for her crafty style of play and her activism off the pitch. Her precise cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil resulted in an equalizer and eventual win for the Americans after a penalty shootout. The last-minute goal received ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year. During the 2012 London Olympics, she scored three goals and tallied a team-high four assists to lead the United States to a gold medal. She is the first player, male or female, to score a goal directly from a corner at the 2012 Olympic Games, having done so twice. She won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. Rapinoe is an advocate for numerous LGBTQIA+ organizations, including GLSEN and Athlete Ally. In 2013, she received the Board of Directors Award from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Rapinoe was included in Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. In July 2022, Rapinoe received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden.

6. DeAndre Yedlin (b. 1993)

With an HPI of 47.02, DeAndre Yedlin is the 6th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

DeAndre Roselle Yedlin (born July 9, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati. Primarily a right-back, Yedlin has also featured as a right wing-back and wide midfielder.

7. Al Harker (1910 - 2006)

With an HPI of 46.89, Al Harker is the 7th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Albert Harker (April 11, 1910 – April 3, 2006) was a U.S. soccer player who was a member of the U.S. team at the 1934 FIFA World Cup. During his Hall of Fame career, he won three American Soccer League championships, two league cups, a National Amateur Cup title and the 1935 National Challenge Cup.

8. Bruce Arena (b. 1951)

With an HPI of 46.86, Bruce Arena is the 8th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Bruce Arena (born September 21, 1951) is an American soccer coach who currently serves as the head coach and sporting director of the San Jose Earthquakes. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Arena has had a long and distinguished coaching career and is considered to be one of the most successful coaches in North American soccer history, having won five College Cup titles and five MLS Cup titles. He was the United States national team head coach at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, head coach of the New York Red Bulls, D.C. United, LA Galaxy, and the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer, and coached Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer to several college soccer championships. He is the U.S. soccer team's longest-serving head coach with the highest number of wins, and the only coach to lead the team to two World Cups. Before beginning his coaching career, Arena was a goalkeeper for Cornell University, and earned one cap with the United States men's national soccer team.

9. Christian Pulisic (b. 1998)

With an HPI of 45.50, Christian Pulisic is the 9th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 53 different languages.

Christian Mate Pulisic (; Croatian: Pulišić, pronounced [krǐstijan mǎːte pǔliʃitɕ]; born September 18, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Serie A club AC Milan and captains the United States national team. Widely regarded as one of the best North American players of all time, he is nicknamed "Captain America" for his dribbling, speed, and finishing. An alumnus of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, Pulisic began his professional career at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, where he progressed quickly through the team's youth academy, featuring in only 15 youth games. He was then promoted to the senior team in January 2016, at age 17. He featured sparingly in his first season at the club, but his involvement began increasing dramatically in the following season, where he was a mainstay in the Dortmund team that won the 2016–17 DFB-Pokal. His performances made him a finalist for the 2017 Golden Boy award and runner-up of the 2018 Kopa Trophy. In January 2019, Pulisic moved to Premier League club Chelsea in a transfer worth $73 million (£57.6 million), making him the most expensive North American player of all time, and began playing for the club in the 2019–20 season. During the following season, he was an integral part of the team that won the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, and became the first American to play in a Champions League final. In the 2021–22 season, he won the 2021 UEFA Super Cup and 2021 FIFA Club World Cup. He moved to Serie A club AC Milan in June 2023 and became the league's all-time American top scorer within his first season. Pulisic played for the United States at under-15 and under-17 levels, before making his senior national team debut in March 2016 at age 17. He is the youngest player ever to captain the United States national team in the modern era. He reached the final of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he was named best young player of the tournament. He won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, 2023 and 2024, winning the best player award of the 2023 tournament. Individually, he has won a U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year award and is tied with Landon Donovan for the record of four U.S. Soccer Player of the Year awards. He has been called the "face" of American soccer.

10. Tom Florie (1897 - 1966)

With an HPI of 45.41, Tom Florie is the 10th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Thomas Florie (September 6, 1897 – April 26, 1966) was an American soccer forward. He played in both the first and second American Soccer Leagues, winning two National Challenge Cup titles. Florie was also a member of the United States men's national soccer team at the 1930 and 1934 FIFA World Cup. He was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1986.

People

Pantheon has 280 people classified as American soccer players born between 1897 and 2004. Of these 280, 264 (94.29%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living American soccer players include Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, and Landon Donovan. The most famous deceased American soccer players include Bert Patenaude, Al Harker, and Tom Florie. As of April 2024, 77 new American soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Al Harker, Ed Czerkiewicz, and Gino Pariani.