Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards has been named the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year for 2025, receiving the honor during a surprise appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
The 25-year-old Richards wins the award off the back of a stellar 2025 with club and country. Last May he helped Crystal Palace to a famous FA Cup triumph over Manchester City, lifting the famous trophy for the first time in club history.
With USMNT Richards played in all six games as the national team made a run to the Gold Cup final, scoring twice and being named in the competition’s Best XI. He was announced as the recipient of the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year during an appearance on The Pat McAfee show.
“It means a lot to me to join a very prestigious list of players,” Richards later said. “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.”
Richards added that he enjoyed getting the award from McAfee, who has one of the nation’s biggest sports shows. He said: “It was sick. I see Pat all the time on College Game Day. It was cool for him to announce this on his show and to give a shoutout.”
“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.”
Here’s a look at the previous winners of the award, including record winners Landon Donovan and Christian Pulisic with four awards each...