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, 280 of which were born in United States. This makes United States the birth place of the 12th most number of Soccer Players behind Sweden, and Uruguay.

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 61.00, 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. Jimmy Douglas (1898 - 1972)

With an HPI of 58.73, Jimmy Douglas is the 2nd most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Jimmy Douglas (January 12, 1898 – March 5, 1972) was a U.S. soccer goalkeeper who spent his career in the first American Soccer League (ASL). He earned nine caps with the U.S. national team, making his first appearance for the "Stars and Stripes" at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Notably, he finished his international career at the 1930 FIFA World Cup, where he posted the first "clean sheet" in World Cup history. Douglas was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1953.

3. Mia Hamm (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 56.27, Mia Hamm is the 3rd most famous American Soccer Player. Her biography has been translated into 48 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.

4. Michelle Akers (b. 1966)

With an HPI of 55.62, Michelle Akers is the 4th most famous American Soccer Player. Her biography has been translated into 36 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.

5. Brad Friedel (b. 1971)

With an HPI of 55.46, Brad Friedel is the 5th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Bradley Howard Friedel (born May 18, 1971) is an American professional soccer coach and former player who played as a goalkeeper. Friedel played 84 games for the United States national team between 1992 and 2005, and represented his country at three FIFA World Cup tournaments. He is the current holder of the Premier League record for most consecutive appearances with 310, a feat he achieved during spells at Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Until he was left out of the Tottenham team on October 7, 2012, the last Premier League games Friedel missed were Blackburn's final two fixtures of the 2003–04 season against Tottenham and Birmingham City, on May 10 and 15, 2004, respectively. Friedel is also officially Aston Villa's oldest-ever player, a record he set on February 1, 2011, by playing in the club's Premier League fixture away at Manchester United. Friedel's age of 39 years and 259 days surpassed the previous record held by Ernie Callaghan, who last played for Villa against Grimsby Town in April 1947, aged 39 years and 257 days. Friedel's last appearance for Villa was on May 22, 2011, in a 1–0 home win against Liverpool, aged 40 years and four days. On May 6, 2012, Friedel also became the oldest player to appear in a competitive match for Tottenham when he played in the club's Premier League fixture at Aston Villa, beating Jimmy Cantrell's near-80-year-old record. He ended his Premier League career after a total of 450 appearances, which remains a record for any North or South American player.

6. Tim Howard (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 55.39, Tim Howard is the 6th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 55 different languages.

Timothy Matthew Howard (born March 6, 1979) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He is the part-owner of National League South club Dagenham & Redbridge as well as an international ambassador in the United States for Premier League club Everton. Nicknamed the "Secretary of Defense", Howard is regarded as one of the greatest American players of all time. Howard began his career with the North Jersey Imperials, before making a move to the MetroStars. He was signed by English club Manchester United in 2003, replacing Fabian Barthez as the team's first-choice keeper. In his second season at the club, Howard competed for the first-choice spot with Roy Carroll. Howard enjoyed relative success with the club, as they won the 2003 FA Community Shield, the 2003–04 FA Cup and the 2005–06 League Cup. He was listed on the PFA Team of the Year for the 2003–04 season. After United signed goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in 2005, Howard would only play once more for United before going on loan to Everton in 2006 and eventually signing permanently with them in February 2007. On January 4, 2012, Howard scored against Bolton Wanderers, making him only the fourth goalkeeper to score a goal in the Premier League. In 2016, Howard made his return to MLS, signing for the Colorado Rapids. He played for three years for the Rapids before hanging up his gloves in October 2019. He became the sporting director of USL Championship side Memphis 901 in January 2020, and came out of retirement to play briefly for them in March 2020. Howard is the most capped goalkeeper of all-time for the United States men's national team, with 121 appearances from 2002 until his international retirement in 2017. He was an unused substitute for the 2006 FIFA World Cup but later established himself as first-choice keeper of the United States' international tournament games beginning with the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which the U.S. ended as runner-up against Brazil and he was awarded the Golden Glove. He started all of the team's 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup games. The team reached the Round of 16 on both occasions, and during the latter Howard set a World Cup record for most saves in a match, with 16 against Belgium.

7. Landon Donovan (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 55.32, Landon Donovan is the 7th 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). Often considered the greatest U.S. mens player of all time, Donovan is tied for the world record for the male 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). 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. 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 giants Bayern Munich, and twice went on short loans to 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 Mexican club León. He further played one season with the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League. 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 him the highest-scoring male American player in World Cup history.

8. Tom Florie (1897 - 1966)

With an HPI of 54.27, Tom Florie is the 8th 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 iterations of the American Soccer League, winning two National Challenge Cup titles. Florie was also a member of the United States men's national soccer team and represented the U.S. at the 1930 and 1934 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1986.

9. Bruce Arena (b. 1951)

With an HPI of 54.05, Bruce Arena is the 9th 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.

10. Timothy Weah (b. 2000)

With an HPI of 52.92, Timothy Weah is the 10th most famous American Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 41 different languages.

Timothy Tarpeh Weah (born February 22, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger or right-back for Serie A club Juventus and the United States national team. Weah made his professional debut for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, winning Ligue 1 twice and the Trophée des Champions once. He won a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double on loan at Celtic in 2019. He then joined Lille, winning another Ligue 1 title and Trophée des Champions in 2021. In July 2023 he joined Serie A club Juventus and won the 2023–24 Coppa Italia. In March 2018, Weah earned his first senior international cap for the United States. He was part of the squad that won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, 2023, and 2024. Weah is the son of George Weah, the former President of Liberia, who was previously also a professional soccer player, having won the Ballon d'Or in 1995.

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 Brad Friedel. The most famous deceased American soccer players include Bert Patenaude, Jimmy Douglas, and Tom Florie. As of April 2024, 280 new American soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Bert Patenaude, Jimmy Douglas, and Mia Hamm.