Richards Honored as Player of the Year for Stellar 2025 Season

The recent accolade underscores an outstanding 2025 for Chris Richards, as he made significant strides with both Crystal Palace and the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT).

With Crystal Palace, Richards played a pivotal role in what is likely to be remembered as the club’s most successful year. In May, the team secured its first major trophy by defeating Manchester City 1–0 in the FA Cup final, during which Richards played the full 90 minutes. He also excelled in the Community Shield, contributing to the team’s victory over Liverpool in a penalty shootout.

On the international stage, Richards continued to impress with the USMNT, starting in 11 matches under coach Mauricio Pochettino. He was instrumental in the Gold Cup this summer, scoring two goals and earning a spot on the Best XI list.

The 25-year-old defender expressed his surprise at receiving the news during an interview on ESPN’s Pat McAfee show.

This year’s award nominations were heavily influenced by performances in the Gold Cup, with all five finalists participating in the tournament. Players like Arfsten, Freeman, and Freese emerged as key contributors to the national team, while Tillman made considerable strides, becoming a primary creative asset for the USMNT with three goals and two assists over six games.

Richards stood out as the clear winner, garnering 48.6 percent of the weighted vote, which included input from fans, coaches, players, sporting directors, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, the Athletes’ Council, media representatives, and former USMNT players and officials. Tillman received 21.7 percent of the votes, while Freeman secured third place with 13 percent.

With this honor, Richards joins a distinguished group, becoming the 28th player to receive the award since its establishment in 1984. Recent recipients include notable names such as Antonee Robinson, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie, with Pulisic and Landon Donovan holding the record for the most wins at four each.

Robinson previously won the award in 2024, marking the first time since Alexi Lalas and Marcelo Balboa in 1994 and 1995 that defenders have received back-to-back Player of the Year honors.

After recovering from a serious injury sustained against Arsenal at the end of 2025, Richards has recently returned to the lineup for Crystal Palace. Currently positioned 13th in the Premier League, the club is set to face Sunderland next on Saturday.

Looking ahead, the USMNT will resume international play in March with friendly matches against Portugal and Belgium in Atlanta.