Top Goal Scorers For United States Football Team All-Time: When it comes to soccer, the United States doesn’t have as much soccer history as European or South American countries. But in the last 30 years, they’ve been slowly getting better at it.
In 1994, they even hosted the World Cup, and they started their own soccer league The Major League Soccer (MLS) at the same time. While MLS isn’t as good as the top European leagues, it’s important to know that other countries had a 100-year head start in developing soccer players.
Top Goal Scorers For United States Football Team All-Time
Even though they’ve had some exciting moments. Here are the top 10 players who have scored the most goals for the United States national team.
1. Clint Dempsey
- Career Span: 2004–2017
- Matches: 141
- Goals: 57
- Average: 0.404
Clint Dempsey is the top goal scorer for the United States national soccer team. He shares the record with Landon Donovan. Dempsey has played in three World Cups and scored in each of them, a feat no other American player has achieved. He also played a key role in the United States winning two Gold Cup titles in 2005 and 2007.
In his club career, Dempsey is a legend at Fulham, where he scored 50 goals in 184 matches from 2007 to 2012. He then moved to Tottenham, but the experience wasn’t as successful. Later, he returned to Major League Soccer (MLS) and played for the Seattle Sounders.
There, he made a big impact, scoring 36 goals in 76 games and helping the team win several trophies, including the Supporters’ Shield in 2014, the U.S. Open Cup in 2014, and the MLS Cup in 2016.
2. Landon Donovan
- Career Span: 2000–2014
- Matches: 157
- Goals: 57
- Average: 0.363
Landon Donovan was a major figure in the U.S. men’s national soccer team for 15 years. He’s second in all-time appearances (157) and the leader in goals (57) and assists. Donovan won the US Soccer’s Athlete of the Year award four times and clinched the Gold Cup four times. He played in three World Cups, although controversially he was left out of the 2014 World Cup roster by coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Most of Donovan’s career was in Major League Soccer (MLS), playing for the San Jose Earthquakes and later the LA Galaxy. Together, they won six MLS Cups (in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2014), two Supporters’ Shields (2010, 2011), and other honors like the US Open Cup in 2005. He was named MLS MVP in 2009 and won the MLS Cup MVP twice (in 2001 and 2014). In 2008, he also won the MLS Golden Boot.
When Donovan retired in 2016, he was the all-time leading scorer in MLS history, both in goals and assists. The league even renamed its regular-season MVP award to the “Landon Donovan MVP Award” in his honor. Combining his achievements in both club and national team soccer, Donovan is widely considered the best American soccer player ever.
3. Jozy Altidore
- Career Span: 2007–2019
- Matches: 115
- Goals: 42
- Average: 0.365
Jozy Altidore is the third-highest goal scorer in the history of the United States national soccer team. He made a name for himself at just 16 years old, playing for the New York Bulls in the first season of Major League Soccer (MLS). He then moved to Europe, joining Spanish club Villareal for $10 million. Although he struggled in Spain and spent time on loan, he found success with Dutch team AZ, scoring 39 goals in 67 matches over two seasons.
After a notable period with Sunderland in England, Altidore returned to North America, playing for Toronto FC in the MLS. There, he formed a strong attacking duo with Sebastian Giovinco and helped Toronto FC reach the 2016 MLS Cup, although they lost in the championship game on penalties.
Altidore’s success in Toronto also boosted his performance for the national team. Since 2015, he has scored 12 goals in 26 appearances for the United States. Despite his achievements, some soccer fans in the U.S. have mixed opinions about him.
4. Eric Wynalda
- Career Span: 1990–2000
- Matches: 106
- Goals: 34
- Average: 0.321
Eric Wynalda was a trailblazer for American soccer players. He began his career before Major League Soccer (MLS) even existed. Later, he returned to the league and scored his first-ever MLS goal while playing for the San Jose Clash in 1996.
At one point, he held the record for the most goals scored for the U.S. national team until it was surpassed by some of the country’s best players, as we’ll discuss. Wynalda scored 34 goals in 106 matches for the USA.
Wynalda was known for his speed and agility as a forward. He was great at making clever runs without the ball and dribbling past defenders. In 1996, he had a remarkable year, winning several awards, including MLS Goal of the Year, US Soccer Athlete of the Year, and the Gold Cup Golden Boot.
5. Brian McBride
- Career Span: 1993–2006
- Matches: 95
- Goals: 30
- Average: 0.316
Brian McBride is ranked fifth in the all-time goals scored list for the United States national soccer team. He played in three World Cups for the U.S. and was named the Gold Cup MVP when the team won the tournament in 2002.
McBride ended his international career just shy of 100 caps, with 95 appearances and 30 goals.
His club career was equally remarkable, spanning almost two decades. He had five notable seasons with Fulham in the English Premier League, where he scored 33 goals in 140 appearances. Additionally, McBride played for MLS teams Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire, contributing significantly to the league during its crucial growth period.
6. Joe-Max Moore
- Career Span: 1992–2002
- Matches: 100
- Goals: 24
- Average: 0.24
Joe-Max Moore is the sixth-highest goal scorer for the United States national soccer team. He made his debut on September 3, 1992, against Canada, and scored his first goal on January 30, 1993, against Denmark.
Moore participated in the World Cup in 1994, 1998, and 2002, and was also a member of the US Olympic team in 1992.
During his 100 international appearances, Moore scored 24 goals, a record surpassed only by Brian McBride, Eric Wynalda, Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey in the history of U.S. soccer.
7. Christian Pulisic
- Career Span: 2016–present
- Matches: 58
- Goals: 23
- Average: 0.393
Christian Pulisic is ranked seventh in the list of top goal scorers for the United States national soccer team. He made his debut for the senior national team on March 29, 2016, during a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala. In his third international match on May 28, 2016, he scored his first goal for the USA.
Pulisic was nominated by national coach Jürgen Klinsmann for the USA squad in the 2016 Copa América Centenario. He played as a substitute in the first-group game against Colombia and in the semi-final against Argentina. In his eighth international match, he made his first start for the USA, becoming the youngest American to do so at the age of 17 years, six months, and 13 days.
He was named USA Footballer of the Year on two occasions, in 2017 and 2019. In a friendly match against Italy on November 20, 2018, Pulisic became the youngest captain in the history of the US national team at the age of 20 years, two months, and two days.
During the 2022 World Cup, Pulisic scored the game-winning goal against Iran in the final group game. Unfortunately, he also got injured in a collision with the Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. Nevertheless, the victory secured the USA’s spot in the round of 16 as the second-place team in their group.
8. Bruce Murray
- Career Span: 1985–1993
- Matches: 85
- Goals: 21
- Average: 0.247
Bruce Murray, born on January 25, 1966, in Germantown, Maryland, is a former striker and ranks eighth among the top goal scorers for the United States national soccer team.
Murray played soccer at university and joined the national team in 1985. He had stints playing abroad, including a year at FC Luzern in Switzerland during 1988/89 and from 1993 to 1995 at Millwall in England.
He was a part of the USA’s starting eleven in the 1990 World Cup and scored a goal against Austria. Between 1985 and 1993, Murray played 86 times for the US national team, scoring 21 goals. He also represented the US futsal team, securing third place at the inaugural Futsal World Cup in 1989.
9. Eddie Johnson
- Career Span: 2004–2014
- Matches: 63
- Goals: 19
- Average: 0.302
Eddie Johnson is one of the top goal scorers for the United States men’s national soccer team, having scored 19 goals in 63 appearances from 2004 to 2014. He was born in Dallas, Texas, and began his professional career with FC Dallas in 2001. Johnson quickly became known as one of the most dangerous strikers in Major League Soccer, scoring 42 goals in 101 appearances for the club.
In 2008, he moved to Fulham in the English Premier League but struggled to find regular playing time and was loaned to Cardiff City and Aris. He returned to MLS in 2012 with Seattle Sounders FC, where he continued to score goals prolifically. Johnson helped the Sounders win the Supporters’ Shield in 2014 and was named to the MLS Best XI team.
He made his international debut for the USMNT in 2004 and was part of the US squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Johnson’s career faced challenges due to injuries, but he remained a valuable member of the USMNT. He scored his first international goal in a World Cup qualifier against El Salvador and went on to score seven goals in his first six qualifiers.
Known for his speed, finishing ability, and aerial prowess, Johnson retired from international soccer in 2014 and from club soccer in 2018. He was a key player for the USMNT during a period of success for the team and was a feared striker in MLS throughout his career.
10. Earnie Stewart
- Career Span: 1990–2004
- Matches: 101
- Goals: 17
- Average: 0.168
Earnie Stewart holds the tenth place in the list of top goal scorers for the United States national soccer team. Born to an African-American soldier and a Dutch mother, Stewart grew up in the Netherlands. He started his professional career in 1988 with VVV Venlo and later moved to Willem II Tilburg in 1990. Stewart played his first game for the USA national soccer team against Portugal in 1990.
Stewart is one of eight U.S. players who reached their 100th international appearance during the 2004 World Cup qualifier against Grenada. His 111 goals in professional games in the Netherlands make him the top American goal scorer in international club games. He was honored as the US Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2001.
After his playing career, Stewart became the technical director at NAC Breda on May 14, 2006. He has held the position of Technical Director at AZ Alkmaar since June 2010.
