U.S. men’s national team defender Chris Richards got the surprise of a lifetime on Wednesday afternoon when he was named the 2025 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year on The Pat McAfee Show.
The 25-year-old, who put together a spectacular year for the Stars and Stripes under new boss Mauricio Pochettino, took home the award for the first time in his career. Richards now joins a long list of American stars, including Christian Pulisic, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, to receive the honor.
The Crystal Palace standout started 11 games for the USMNT in 2025, and played nearly every second of the team’s Gold Cup campaign last summer. In addition to his defensive duties, Richards found the back of the net twice in the competition, scoring against Saudi Arabia and then against Mexico in the final, a game El Tri ultimately won 2–1.
Six months after the disappointing runners-up finish, Richards appeared on The Pat McAfee Show for what he believed to be a standard interview. The center back then learned he beat out the likes of Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, Matt Freese and Malik Tillman to be crowned the 2025 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year.
CHRIS RICHARDS...
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 14, 2026
YOU HAVE BEEN NAMED THE @USMNT PLAYER OF THE YEAR 👏
"This means the world to me and I couldn't be more excited for the World Cup" ~ @eastmamba #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/vqvJv2YGje
After expressing his gratitude on the show, Richards further expanded on his feelings and his excitement for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, unfolding largely on home soil.
“It means a lot to me to join a very prestigious list of players,” Richards said, via U.S. Soccer. “This has been a big year, and we have an even bigger year coming up. This shows how well we’ve done as a team and the momentum we are building towards the World Cup.
"It was cool for [McAfee] to announce this on his show and to give a shoutout,” Richards added. “It just shows how much the game is growing in the U.S., how much respect there is for the sport and how much the excitement is building for the World Cup this summer.”
U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year: Every Winner This Century
| Year | Male Player of the Year |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Chris Richards |
| 2024 | Antonee Robinson |
| 2023 | Christian Pulisic |
| 2022 | Tyler Adams |
| 2021 | Christian Pulisic |
| 2020 | Weston McKennie |
| 2019 | Christian Pulisic |
| 2018 | Zack Steffen |
| 2017 | Christian Pulisic |
| 2016 | Jozy Altidore |
| 2015 | Michael Bradley |
| 2014 | Tim Howard |
| 2013 | Jozy Altidore |
| 2012 | Clint Dempsey |
| 2011 | Clint Dempsey |
| 2010 | Landon Donovan |
| 2009 | Landon Donovan |
| 2008 | Tim Howard |
| 2007 | Clint Dempsey |
| 2006 | Oguchi Onyewu |
| 2005 | Kasey Keller |
| 2004 | Landon Donovan |
| 2003 | Landon Donovan |
| 2002 | Brad Friedel |
| 2001 | Earnie Stewart |
| 2000 | Chris Armas |
Christian Pulisic and Landon Donovan have each been named the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year four times, holding the joint-record. USMNT legend Clint Dempsey is right behind them with three honors of his own.
Richards might only be a first-time winner, but he made some history off the back of Antonee Robinson’s win last year. Defenders have now won the award in back-to-back years for the first time since Marcelo Balboa and Alexi Lalas did so in 1994 and 1995.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pat McAfee Surprises USMNT Star With U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year Award.
