Who Will Claim USMNT's Top Honor? Meet the 2025 Player of the Year Contenders

U.S. Soccer has revealed the five contenders for the 2025 male player of the year award, featuring emerging talents such as Malik Tillman and Alex Freeman.

The U.S. men's national team regained momentum in the latter part of the year under manager Mauricio Pochettino following an underwhelming beginning. A strategic shift in formation has yielded positive results across multiple areas. The Stars and Stripes remain unbeaten in their most recent five international matches—highlighted by a commanding 5–1 victory over Uruguay in late November—while several players have established themselves as genuine contributors looking ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Multiple player absences during the Concacaf Gold Cup created opportunities for competition, and five individuals seized their chances.

These same five players have earned nominations for male player of the year recognition.

USMNT Player of the Year 2025 Nominees

Leading the nominee roster is Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards. The central defender anchored the defensive line during the Concacaf Gold Cup, finding the net in both group play and the final. Despite the USMNT's ultimate disappointment, Richards appears destined to serve as a defensive leader next summer.

Following him is attacking midfielder Malik Tillman. The German-American transferred to Bayer Leverkusen during the summer window as he sought increased playing time under Pochettino's guidance.

With key players like Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun and others unavailable during the summer period, Tillman elevated his performance in the attacking third. The playmaker recorded five goal contributions throughout the competition and appears positioned to feature in the World Cup despite the tactical adjustments.

Completing the nominee list are three Major League Soccer standouts: Matt Freese, Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman. These are three players Pochettino acknowledged before the November training camp for reaching a standard comparable to their European-based counterparts.

Freese appears to have secured his position as the primary USMNT goalkeeper, earning 13 starts since replacing Matt Turner. Provided the New York City FC keeper maintains his excellent form entering 2026, he should occupy the goal when World Cup action commences.

Arfsten gained significant playing time following Antonee Robinson's injury setbacks. The Columbus Crew defender faced challenges at times in a four-man backline, but the transition to a 3-4-3 system showcased his offensive capabilities.

Lastly, there's Alex Freeman. The MLS Young Player of the Year distinguished himself during the Gold Cup as a legitimate candidate for the starting right-back position next summer. He concluded his campaign with a two-goal performance against Uruguay, even gaining his manager's confidence to operate as a right-sided center-back alongside Sergiño Dest.

Notable Snubs

Two players were conspicuously missing from the nominee list: Balogun and Diego Luna.

Balogun established himself as the primary striker for World Cup consideration after overcoming shoulder and ankle ailments earlier in the campaign. Balogun finished 2025 with three goals across five international friendlies, though his restricted availability from January through October likely diminished his nomination prospects.

Luna represents a more surprising exclusion considering his ascent to near folk-hero status under Pochettino. Luna received his inaugural call-up in January, featuring against Venezuela and Costa Rica. The Real Salt Lake midfielder suffered a broken nose against the latter opponent but demanded to remain in the match. Soon after, he recorded an assist and his trajectory soared from that point.

Luna appeared in 15 consecutive matches from the Concacaf Nations League third-place fixture through the conclusion of November. His absence from the nominee roster won't impact his 2026 prospects, though it represents a surprising oversight given his substantial contributions.