Christian Pulisic named US male soccer player of the year, tying record
Christian Pulisic was voted the US Soccer’s Male Player of the Year for the fourth time Thursday, matching Landon Donovan for the most times receiving an award that began in 1998.
Pulisic received 53% of the vote, followed by Yunus Musah (21.5%) and Ricardo Pepi (12.9%). Pulisic, a 25-year-old winger from Hershey, Pennsylvania, in his first season with Milan, also won in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Pulisic scored six international goals in 2023, including two in the Concacaf Nations League semi-final win over Mexico, and had three assists. He scored six Serie A goals over the first half of the season for Milan and one in the Champions League, his eighth career goal in Europe’s top club competition.
Donovan won in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010, earning the award for the final time at age 28.
Kevin Paredes, a 20-year-old left back from South Riding, Virginia, who plays for Wolfsburg, was voted Young Male Player of the Year. He had eight appearances for the under-20 team in the 2022-23 cycle, made his national team debut in September against Oman and became a frequent substitute and occasional starter in the Bundesliga.
Paredes got 59% of the vote, followed by Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi (12%) and Venezia’s Gianluca Busio (10.8%).
Votes were cast by US coaches and players who had a 2023 appearance, the US Soccer board of directors and athletes council, professional league head coaches and sporting directors, media members and former players and administrators. There is no set definition of eligibility for the youth award but it typically is open to players under the age of 23 who appeared in a youth national team camp during the year.