Christian Pulisic surprisingly overlooked for major 2025 US award despite career-best form: USMNT teammate and Premier League star named U.S. Soccer’s Male Player of the Year

When one of the most prestigious individual honors in American soccer was announced, the outcome sent a ripple of surprise through the USMNT landscape.

 Christian Pulisic entered 2025 carrying familiar expectations, but few could have predicted just how central he would become to everything around him. For Christian Pulisic, the calendar year evolved into a statement of maturity, influence, and elite consistency—one in which both the club and the nation increasingly revolved around his presence. And yet, when one of the most prestigious individual honors in American soccer was announced, the outcome sent a ripple of surprise through the USMNT landscape.

At the peak of his powers, after a year that felt tailor-made for recognition, Pulisic found himself edged out—not by decline, but by circumstance. At club level, Milan did not simply benefit from Pulisic last year—it depended on him. No longer just a high-profile signing, the American became the reference point of the attack. Operating from the right, drifting centrally, and dropping deep when needed, he provided balance to a side chasing domestic and European ambitions.

His influence went beyond goals and assists. The 27-year-old dictated tempo in difficult moments, stretched compact defenses with direct carries, and consistently delivered in high-pressure fixtures. Milan’s long unbeaten runs across the year coincided with his best soccer in Europe, and his tactical discipline—tracking back, pressing intelligently, and making selfless runs—earned him the trust of every coach he worked under.

By the end of the year, there was little debate inside Italy: Pulisic had become one of Serie A’s most reliable big-game performers, a player who shaped matches even when he wasn’t on the scoresheet. Perhaps the most telling transformation in 2025 was not statistical, but psychological. Pulisic’s authority grew visibly. He simplified play when Milan needed control, took risks when the game demanded courage, and absorbed pressure without shrinking.

This evolution redefined how he was viewed across Europe. He was no longer described as a winger with flashes of brilliance, but as a complete attacking player in his prime—one capable of carrying responsibility across competitions without sacrificing consistency. 2025 was not a hot streak; it was the arrival of a fully formed leader.

Carrying the nation forward

That leadership carried seamlessly into international duty. With the United States men’s national soccer team, Pulisic remained the emotional and tactical focal point whenever he stepped onto the pitch.

As captain, he delivered in qualifiers and marquee fixtures, scoring, assisting, and—just as importantly—setting standards. Younger players looked to him for cues; opponents built defensive plans around stopping him. In multiple matches, the U.S. attacking identity was shaped almost entirely by his movement and creativity.

By the end of the calendar year, Pulisic stood firmly as the most decisive American player of his generation, combining elite European form with international authority.

The award twist nobody expected and why Pulisic missed out

Despite his outstanding year, Pulisic did not take home the 2025 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year award—an honor he had already won four times in his career. Instead, the trophy went to Chris Richards, a center-back whose 2025 was defined by availability, consistency, and impact across club and country. Richards received 48.6% of the vote, starting 11 of 12 matches for the USMNT during the year and playing every game on the road to the Gold Cup final.

“It means a lot to me to join a very prestigious list of players,” Richards 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.”

His résumé was compelling: two goals at the Gold Cup, inclusion in the tournament’s Best XI, and a starring role in a historic FA Cup triumph with Crystal Palace. In total, the 25-year-old defender made 32 club appearances across competitions, anchoring one of the strongest defensive years by an American abroad.

The decision was less about performance than eligibility. Pulisic made only six international appearances during the 2025 calendar year, a factor that weighed heavily in voting. In contrast, Richards’ availability and continuity with the national side proved decisive. The result also marked a broader trend: defenders have now won the award in consecutive years for the first time since the mid-1990s, underlining how U.S. Soccer values collective impact as much as attacking stardom.