2025 was filled with many positive moments for the U.S. men’s and women’s national team’s and their players.
From Chris Richards’ pair of trophy lifts with Crystal Palace to Catarina Macario’s constant production for Chelsea and the USWNT, to Lily Yohannes’ rise into one of the world’s top young talents, there was little for U.S. Soccer fans to be disappointed about this year.
Alex Freeman impressed for club and country, boosting his chances of potentially being part of the USMNT’s World Cup roster next summer. Alyssa Thompson has continued to be an impactful player for WSL giants Chelsea, something that USWNT head coach Emma Hayes will hope translates to an impactful 2026 for the national team.
In similar fashion to U.S. Soccer’s annual awards, here are SBI’s award winners for 2025:
Men’s Player of the Year – Chris Richards
This selection didn’t take too much time to narrow down.
Chris Richards excelled for both Crystal Palace and the USMNT, taking further steps in his development as a professional and international player.
He made 61 appearances for club and country over the past year, helping Crystal Palace lift its first two trophies in club history (FA Cup and FA Community Shield). In addition, Richards has played a large part of Palace’s UEFA Conference League schedule this fall/winter, helping them advance to the knockout stage.
For the USMNT, Richards made 12 appearances for his country, quickly becoming one of the first names on the team sheet. Teaming alongside Tim Ream, Richards helped the U.S. rebound from a tough spring to ending the year on a five-match unbeaten run.
He made be injured at this moment in time, but expect Richards to get back to fitness in early 2026.
Women’s Player of the Year – Catarina Macario
This selection was a bit tougher to narrow down, but Catarina Macario got the edge over other deserving candidates.
Macario made 42 appearances for club and country in 2025, leading the USWNT with eight goals in 10 appearances. She scored against several of the top nations in the world, including Brazil, Colombia, China, and Italy.
At club level, Macario completed a domestic treble last spring, helping Chelsea win the WSL title, FA Cup, and Women’s League Cup. Despite scoring just two club goals this season, Macario has remained a key part of the Blues squad, teaming up with fellow USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma this campaign.
With Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith missing ample time with the USWNT this year, Macario has risen to the occasion as the team’s top attacking threat.
Men’s Breakout Player of the Year – Max Arfsten
Max Arfsten may have completed his third MLS season with the Columbus Crew, but it didn’t stop him from impressing along the way.
Arfsten made 53 appearances between the Crew and the USMNT, taking a major jump in production on both fronts. The 24-year-old scored seven goals and added six assists for the Crew under Wilfried Nancy, becoming one of the better left backs in the league.
After debuting for the USMNT in January, Arfsten quickly grabbed the starting job in Mauricio Pochettino’s backline. He registered a program-high five assists in 16 caps, while also scoring one goal in the process.
Antonee Robinson is back and playing regularly at EPL side Fulham, but I would easily pencil Arfsten in as the USMNT’s No. 2 on the depth chart.
Women’s Breakout Player of the Year – Lily Yohannes
18-year-old Lily Yohannes is quickly becoming one of the USWNT’s faces for the future.
Yohannes made 35 appearances for club and country this year, making the jump from Dutch club Ajax to European giants Lyon in the summer. After scoring three goals and adding two assists during the second half of Ajax’s season, Yohannes made the move to Lyon and has since totaled three goals and four assists for the French club.
She made 11 appearances for the USWNT this year, delivering two assists.
Yohannes should have the opportunity to lift silverware with Lyon this spring, which would cap off a productive first year in France
Men’s Moment of the Year – USMNT beatdown of Uruguay
The USMNT’s 2025 schedule concluded with a statement win against one of South America’s best.
A 5-1 beatdown of Uruguay in Tampa, Florida saw three players score their first senior international goals including Alex Freeman scoring twice. Sebastian Berhalter delivered one of the goals of the year with a missile free kick off of the right post while Tanner Tessmann and Diego Luna also found the back of the net.
Although Uruguay played with 10 men for the final 25+ minutes, the USMNT were up 4-1 at halftime and later added an insurance goal late in the second half.
It was an all-around dominant win for the program, who finished the year with 11 victories in total (10 regulation, 1 shootout).
Women’s Moment of the Year – USWNT victory over Brazil
One of the USWNT’s 12 victories in 2025 came against one of the world’s best.
A 2-0 home friendly win over Brazil in April saw Trinity Rodman and Lindsey Heaps both find the back of the net. It marked Rodman’s only cap for the USWNT in the calendar year as she continued to deal with injury problems along the way.
The result also marked a stellar debut for goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who delivered a six-save clean sheet at SoFi Stadium.
Although Brazil would rebound with a 2-1 victory three days later in San Jose, the USWNT would eventually rattle off a five-match winning streak in the summer months.
Men’s 2025 Transfer to Watch in 2026 – Malik Tillman
Malik Tillman’s productive two seasons with Dutch giants PSV earned him the largest move of his club career to date.
Tillman joined German club Bayer Leverkusen last summer in a deal worth approximately $41 million. The talented midfielder had a tough time getting going due to fitness issues, but since has delivered three goals in 17 appearances for the club.
Erik Ten Hag’s early-season firing led to Kasper Hjulmand taking over as club manager.
Bayer Leverkusen are 12 points back of Bayern Munich for first place in the Bundesliga, but do remain in the DFB Pokal and UEFA Champions League competitions.
Tillman will be one to watch this winter/spring, especially given his status with the USMNT as well.
Women’s 2025 Transfer to Watch in 2026 – Alyssa Thompson
Alyssa Thompson became the newest face at WSL side Chelsea this past summer and has quickly adjusted to life in England’s top-flight.
Thompson has made 16 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring four goals and two assists. She scored in draws with Arsenal and Liverpool while also finding the back of the net against Paris FC in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The 21-year-old’s durability and versatility has been on display, teaming up with the aforementioned Macario and Girma in multiple competitions.
If Chelsea wants to repeat as WSL champions, as well as potentially become European winners, having Thompson in the mix will help majorly.
A shout for Luna or Freeman for breakout mens player, but that’s probably personal preference.
good read, good picks
for Yohannes, the future is already now, she’s that good, same with Thompson. Another missing this year was Swanson who also had a child along with Wilson (her last name is not Smith anymore), so if/when all are back and healthy, the attacking bunch is top shelf with Macario in there too, Rodman, Wilson, Thompson, Swanson and so many of the new faces and talent unleashed by Coach Emma, there are many and the depth up there is incredible