Get ready for the 2026 World Cup by voting for US soccer's GOAT
Get ready for the 2026 World Cup by voting for US soccer's GOAT
Eric Larsen, USA TODAYThu, June 4, 2026 at 10:07 AM UTC
0
Let's get this out of the way: United States history with "the beautiful game" was pretty ugly until American soccer's surge in the 1990s.
The U.S. Men's National Team has never won an Olympic medal in soccer, and you have to look all the way back to the first World Cup – in 1930 – for the men's best finish of third.
Fast forward 61 years, to when women's soccer finally got its international stage with the first Women's World Cup. A U.S. victory behind Michelle Akers' 10 goals was the first of four Women's World Cup victories for America.
The U.S. women would have to wait five more years for their Olympic moment, but they again made good with a gold-medal finish in 1996. It was the first of five gold medals for the U.S. women, who have medaled in seven of eight Olympic tournaments.
With that context, you'll notice a recency bias in our list of the top soccer players in U.S. history. From recent Olympians and MLS pioneers, to the trailblazing women who have defined excellence in American soccer, you'll probably recognize a lot of these names.
Advertisement
Visit USA TODAY on June 10 to see what our experts have to say about the top U.S. soccer stars of all time. Until then, weigh in on your GOAT picks below, add your sleeper suggestion for the list, or shout about the most obvious omission you see.
2026 World Cup: Odds on which team could win the championship
With this celebration of America's top sports figures, we're featuring these athletes and the high schools they graduated from – or hometowns for those who took an alternate path to sports stardom.
Vote for your favorite all-time U.S. soccer star in USA TODAY's '250 for 250' list
The poll is below. Please refresh or click this link if it doesn't load.
Best American athletes of all time: USA TODAY '250 for 250' release schedule
Starting the week of April 20, USA TODAY will produce weekly lists of the top American athletes, followed by a poll for readers to vote on nominees for the next week's list. Here's a look at the full schedule, leading up to a special interactive experience surrounding the top 250 athletes in American history:
Week of April 20: Men's basketball
Week of April 27: Women's basketball
Week of May 4: Baseball
Week of May 11: Golf and tennis
Week of May 18: Motorsports and combat sports
Week of May 25: Football
Week of June 1: Track and field
Week of June 8: Soccer
Week of June 15: Winter sports
Week of June 22: Swimming, diving and gymnastics
Week of June 29: Pioneers, leaders and innovators
July 4: Full "250 for 250" reveal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who's the greatest American soccer player of all time? Vote in our poll
Source: “AOL Sports”
