Any all-time XI will spark controversy among diehard fans. For US Men’s Soccer fans, given our stature in the game has only improved since the mid-90s, there seems to be less controversy than other national teams. Most people have seen a lot of the players in contention for such an XI play. However, when I thought about “what is the US Men’s National Team all-time XI?”, there were a few positions that were difficult to pick.
Before we dig into the players, we have to define a formation and the criteria used to pick the team.
Criteria for the all-time XI
I’m going with a 4-2-3-1, as I think it gets the best team from the players the US has produced. For each position I pick the best player based on the following criteria, ordered by importance.
- Eye test (most important) – how good do I think this player was, based more on my watching them play and less on stats, accomplishments, trophies, etc…
- Stats, accomplishments, trophies, etc…
- How good they were at their peak
- The highest level they consistently played
- Fit with other players in the XI if they were to play an actual game (i.e. a ball-playing center-back and a ball-winning center-back would be a preferable pair if there was a question in either specific position)
- Signature national team moments
- Longevity
- Suitability for the modern game (least important, but not insignificant)
On to the players.
GK: Tim Howard
Off the bat you have the toughest choice. You could easily go with Brad Friedel, and Kasey Keller has a strong argument.
Howard and Friedel were both a bit more consistent than Keller. All three have their signature games with the USMNT (Howard vs. Belgium, Friedel vs. South Korea, Keller vs. Brazil), and all three played at a very high level in Europe for an extended period of time. They were all excellent shot stoppers and brought calmness, leadership, and confidence to their teams. On their day, they could all be in the “world class” category, although probably not over the course of a career.
Howard edges it over Friedel for me. His peak was as good or better than the other two, and his longevity is in the same ballpark. He has slightly better foot skills and distribution, and I think he dominates his area better than Friedel (who liked to stay on his line, which suited his strengths). Both of these traits would fit the modern game better if you had to put them out there today.
RB: Steve Cherundolo
The definition of a reliable, consistent right back, Cherundolo had a solid career with the national team and in Europe. He spent all 15 of his professional seasons with Hanover 96 (most of which came in the 1. Bundesliga), making 370 appearances and achieving the rare feat of captaining a European side as an American.
For the national team, I can’t remember a bad game. He was ever-present in the 2006-2010 World Cup cycles, and always brought a steady leadership and consistency to the squad. Every team needs a player who can give you that 7/10 performance every single game, and Cherundolo was that guy for the US. An underrated player to this day.
All that being said, the exciting attacking endeavor of Sergino Dest will probably see him surpass Cherundolo in this spot in the near future.
Other honorable mentions to Frankie Hejduk, Fabian Johnson, and Tony Sanneh.
LB: DaMarcus Beasley
Just beats out Antonee Robinson (for now), even though his best position for the US was further up the field.
I’m putting DaMarcus Beasley in the LB spot because he is one of the best players we’ve ever produced, and he did spend some time in the LB role later in his career. This lets me get an additional attacking player in the team. Plus, the attacking instincts of Beasley will balance well with the more defensive inclinations of Cherundolo on the other side, giving this XI good balance.
Boasting elite speed, great skill on the ball, tenacity, and an excellent left foot, Beasley’s long and illustrious career included multiple successful stints with big European clubs (Rangers, PSV, Man City), a feat not many Americans had achieved at the time. He also played in a Champions League semi-final and never looked out of place at the highest level, playing until the age of 37.
He earned 126 caps and appeared in 4 World Cups, none more memorable than when he and Landon Donovan burst on the scene in 2002 playing key roles in our progression to the quarterfinals.
CB: Eddie Pope
A no-nonsense center back who spent his whole career in the MLS (making the all-time XI), Eddie Pope gets in this XI for his national team performances and dominance in the MLS. Some of the more recent fans to the game may not have heard of this guy, as he didn’t have a flashy European career. His consistency, calmness, and athleticism made him a great defender, one who could have had a successful European career had he decided to go that route.
He was the key defender of the successful 2002 World Cup quarterfinal run. He earned 82 caps and had a knack for scoring goals, racking up 8 for the national team (a high number for a defender).
CB: Carlos Bocanegra
The other center back in this XI earns his spot due to a strong European career and long history with the national team. A left-footed defender capable of playing both center back and left back, Bocanegra found success with numerous teams due to his passing ability from the back, athleticism, leadership, and defensive instincts.
He captained the side that famously beat Spain (their only loss in three years) and narrowly lost to Brazil in the 2009 Confederations Cup.
Honorable mentions for center backs go to Tim Ream, Marcelo Balboa, and Chris Richards (who will likely be in this XI within the next few years).
CM: Claudio Reyna
The first US player to really “make it” in Europe, Claudio Reyna is one of the best players this country has produced. His mix of technical ability, intelligence, creativity, vision, and versatility made him great in the 8 or 10 roles. In this team, he would play as a roaming 8, dictating play from deep and supporting the attack with late runs and quality final passes (his biggest strengths).
As Reyna was coming up, the US did not have players like him (except maybe Tab Ramos). He played as if he was developed in Europe or South America, given his instinctive feel for the game and technical ability. He made the game look easy. At the time, the US mostly produced players who were good athletes who were coachable and able to fill specific roles within a team. Reyna had the ability to be central to a team’s success.
And this showed during his long career in Europe, as he was the first American to captain a European team. For the US, his iconic moments came in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinal run, as he showcased his versatility by filling the surprise role as a right wing-back in a tactical switch up against Mexico in the round of 16 (helping to set up our first goal).
CM: Michael Bradley
Filling the number 6 role in this team next to Reyna would be Michael Bradley. While not a pure destroyer throughout his career (he tended to play more as a box-to-box 8), Bradley’s tactical acumen, work rate, defensive ability, and intelligent decision-making give him this spot in the team.
Bradley saw great success in a few countries in Europe, earning high praise from fans of his teams due to his work rate and energy. He also contributed to two memorable tournament runs for the national team – the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup. Plus this stunner against Mexico.
Honorable mentions for the CM spots: John O’Brien, Weston McKennie (will probably take one of these spots soon enough), Tyler Adams, John Harkes, and Jermaine Jones.
AM: Clint Dempsey
Getting to the attacking midfield positions, we’ll consider all three of these positions as interchangeable. The three players we have here have all played effectively across all three positions. They were also the easiest positions to select on this team.
We’ll start with who I think is the current GOAT (for now) of the US National Team, Clint Dempsey.
What a great story considering where he came from and what he was ultimately able to accomplish. His technical ability, strength, quickness, creativity, and nose for goal were all great, but what truly made him stand out was his determination and borderline arrogance on the field (having played against him, I believe it was this confidence that made him great).
A successful European career, multiple clutch goals and signature moments for the USMNT, and a legacy as one of the greatest players we’ve ever produced. And to think, we almost missed this guy in our youth programs (says a lot about our soccer culture).
AM: Landon Donovan
The best player ever in a US Men’s National team shirt, Landon Donovan was the face of US soccer for over a decade. This pressure took its toll on him, as his career outside of the national team had its critics (many think he should have tried to stick it out in Europe to reach his potential).
Either way, Donovan’s greatness for our national team is not in doubt. He had a rare combination of speed, vision, technical ability, and pinpoint passing that made him an especially dangerous attacker. He could play any attacking position effectively and was an equal threat scoring or setting up others (he currently is number 2 in the all-time assists charts for national team players for ANY country).
He definitely has the most signature moments for any USMNT player. He burst on the scene in the 2002 World Cup and was named the best young player of the tournament. His goal against Algeria in 2010 is another great moment, as well as his performance in the 2009 Confederations Cup.
Although many fans would have wanted him to test himself at a higher level, he was dominant in the MLS and performed well during his brief stints in Europe. He always did things his way and wanted to have a life outside of soccer, so while this criticism of him is valid, he probably isn’t the same player for the national team if he tried to trudge along in Europe over the years.
AM: Christian Pulisic
The future GOAT of the national team (maybe as early as this year, if he keeps up his form for AC Milan), Pulisic is the most talented player the US has produced. He has also made the most impact at the highest levels of the game, winning a Champions League title with Chelsea and producing some of the best soccer of his career at AC Milan.
At only 26 years old, Pulisic is already one of the most accomplished players for the national team. His combination of speed, one vs. one dribbling ability, passing, and goalscoring instincts are easy to see, while his recognition and use of space make all of these other abilities click (and having watched him play in person, this use of space and timing makes him great).
While he has a few standout moments with the national team, he doesn’t quite have the signature moments that some of the other players do – hopefully he can provide those in the summer of 2026. Until then, if he keeps up his current form, I think he could quite possibly become our first “world class” field player.
Honorable mention for the three attacking midfield roles: Tab Ramos, Clint Mathis, and Stuart Holden
ST: Brian McBride
He may or may not be the best striker we’ve ever produced, but he’s easily in that conversation. And on this team, he is the best fit in front of the three speedy, technical attacking midfielders.
His workrate, physical presence, ability to occupy defenders, hold-up play, and knack for getting in positions to score would complement this attack perfectly.
He had a good career with the national team, scoring 30 goals in 96 appearances. Not amazing for a striker, but like I said, his other attributes contribute more to the overall team than just his goalscoring.
He did have a very solid career in England, with a successful stint at Fulham, where he became a fan favorite due to his hard-nosed style of play.
He had quite a few signature moments for the national team, highlighted by his overall performance in the 2002 World Cup.
Honorable mention: Eric Wynalda
There you have it, our US all-time XI.
McBride
Pulisic — Dempsey — Donovan
Reyna — Bradley
Beasley — Bocanegra — Pope — Cherundolo
Howard