Chris Richards
Crystal Palace and USMNT centre-back; 2025 US Soccer Player of the Year, World Cup starter.
Last refreshed: 5 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can Chris Richards stay fit long enough to anchor the USMNT defence at the World Cup?
Latest on Chris Richards
- Is Chris Richards fit for the 2026 World Cup?
- Richards missed the Belgium friendly with a knee injury but returned to start against Portugal in March 2026, allaying immediate fitness concerns.Source: US Soccer / FOX Sports
- What club does Chris Richards play for?
- Crystal Palace in the Premier League. He joined from Bayern Munich's system and has made over 30 appearances per season for the club.Source: Crystal Palace FC / Transfermarkt
- Why did Chris Richards win US Soccer Player of the Year?
- Richards won the 2025 award after his best-ever year in an international shirt: 12 games, 1,004 minutes, two goals, and a place on the Gold Cup Best XI.Source: US Soccer
Background
Chris Richards is the 2025 US Soccer Male Player of the Year and the USMNT's most reliable centre-back heading into the 2026 World Cup. The Crystal Palace defender missed the March friendly against Belgium with a knee injury sustained in a club match, but declared himself fit and returned to start against Portugal — reassuring USMNT coaching staff with fewer than 12 weeks until the tournament. He has started 11 of 12 available USMNT matches in 2025, accumulating more games and minutes (1,004) for the national team than in any previous calendar year.
Richards plays for Crystal Palace in the Premier League, where he has made over 30 appearances per season across 2024-25 and contributed a goal and assist in the 2024-25 campaign, helping Palace win the FA Cup. In the 2025-26 Premier League season he is averaging a 7.0 FotMob rating across more than 2,300 minutes. His development under various Crystal Palace managers has established him as one of the better Premier League centre-backs from his generation. Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 2000, Richards came through the Houston Dynamo academy before joining Bayern Munich's reserve system in 2018.
Richards's injury absence for Belgium — alongside Miles Robinson — exposed the USMNT's centre-back depth, with Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie stepping in. His swift return for Portugal underlined why he is considered the first-choice partner for the USMNT back line. A fit Richards is seen as a prerequisite for the US's defensive stability in the knockout Rounds, and his form at Crystal Palace in the weeks before the squad announcement will be closely monitored.