After more than a decade of updates, the top 100 returns once again with this spring’s lineup. Each goalkeeper is ranked by a number of factors: historical individual results, current individual level of play, and projected on-field performance. The Everybody Soccer top 100 removes exterior noise from various media outlets, past accolades, and team statistics to isolate the goalkeeper’s current level of play in ranking the goalkeepers in order of who would give the US the best chance to win a hypothetical knockout game tomorrow. To see how the top 100 rankings have evolved since July 2013, click here.
1. Diego Kochen
Although the Fall 2026 international window featured four goalkeepers, the past decade had conditioned fans to expect the bulk of the minutes to go to one or two goalkeepers while others would return to their club scene without minutes to their name. However, the four game series not only broke that mold, but it marked the arrival of the heralded Barca product, Diego Kochen. Kochen earned his first caps with the senior team during this window and was even rewarded with a full 90 minutes against Mexico, easily the most important match in the four game stretch. The positive play has positioned the Florida native as the starting goalkeeper going forward, despite being only 20 years old.
Kochen’s developmental track raises the question about the US’s goalkeeper development. On one hand, the platform the US provided was good enough to have a kid go to Barca at 12. On the other hand, most of his development happened in Spain, not the US. The end product? A game manager who’s fantastic in complex situations, especially 1v1s. Kochen wants to be involved in the play, whether in starting the attack or stopping one. And despite the average athleticism, he’s smart enough to know how to cover the goalmouth and final third to deny chances on goal.
Not every young Florida goalkeeper can end up at Barcelona, but American fans are glad they got at least one. Kochen brings an air of confidence and excitement to the position that we haven’t seen in some time. And Pochettino naming him the starter against Mexico in a friendly at just 20 years old is a sign of more to come.
2. Ethan Horvath
Prior to joining the Red Bulls, minutes have been hard to come by for Horvath, as English clubs’ hyper-competitive environment makes every goalkeeper earn their spot week in, week out. However, Horvath has proven himself to be a fair replica of 90s goaltenders: good shot stoppers who can control the 18. Although he isn’t the goalkeeper to ping around 40 passes on a dime, his ability to cover the box and goal frame is hard to come by, especially in the USMNT goalkeeping pool.
After ten caps already under his belt, it’s not unheard of to see Horvath back in net for the USMNT, and his strong start to the MLS season gives weight to his name. However, Horvath isn’t known for flawless play himself, as the inconsistent minutes led to inconsistent play overseas over the past couple of years. As of Mid-October, the Red Bulls sit almost dead last in goals scored yet are still in playoff contention for having a (relatively) low goals against record. If Horvath can shoulder some responsibility and help the Red Bulls in a playoff run through strong performances, look to see Horvath re-enter the national team picture. Otherwise, RBNY may end up being a disappointing landing spot for the former USMNT goalkeeper.
3. Matt Turner
Advanced stat darling Matt Turner bounced out of MLS in 2022 to the English Premier League after the once-undrafted goalkeeper produced a +.38 prevented goals per 96 minutes from 2019-2021, a stat that was twice that of second place Steve Clark and essentially lapped every other starter in the league. Unfortunately, Turner finding the cheat code that an ultimate line sitter in MLS can do well in the xG column didn’t translate overseas, and the tumultuous time bouncing around Europe - including a situation that saw Nottingham Forrest and Lyon fight to not have him on their roster - seems to have taken a hit to Turner’s confidence and run of form.
Towards the back part of the season, Turner had once again jumped to the top of the xG standings for goalkeepers, yet his standing in the national team is a bit of a question mark going forward. Turner isn’t terribly off the mark but still not looking like the goalkeeper with 50+ caps to his name. At 31, it’d be a shame to see Turner start declining so early but Turner’s supporters don’t have many successes to point to in warrant a return to the USMNT starting spot. If Turner can turn around the Revs winless season, he might be able to make a case for a spot on the 2026 roster.
4. Brian Schwake
Similar to Kochen, Schwake entered the Fall international window without much expectation, yet he was rewarded with two caps to his name. The 2026 season had already given the youngster some positive buzz, positioning him in the conversation for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year with his no-nonsense goalkeeping, yet his ceiling felt a little too close, and his future progression was hard to envision. However, Schwake took advantage of every opportunity, just like the DePaul alum had done prior to this moment.
Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Schwake spent his high school years with Sockers FC before committing to DePaul as a two-star recruit. DePaul saw the young goalkeeper as a backup for their starter and an untimely broken wrist left Schwake with zero minutes after his freshman year. But Schwake wasn’t deterred and signed with a second divsion Scottish side at the start of 2020. Over the next six years, Schwake climbed steadily year-by-year, until he circled back to Nashville and became their starter in 2026.
Schwake is a good example of a non-MLS academy product who was counted out but kept moving through open doors and, when given the chance to showcase his abilities, exceeded everyone’s expectations.
5. Roman Celentano
With Marcinkowski’s free-flowing approach to goalkeeping, Celentano’s meticulous approach is the complete opposite side of the coin. The Midwesterner approaches goalkeeping with a clear black-and-white, right-and-wrong mindset for what works inside his game. There are very few moments we see Celentano look out of sorts, although his ultra-passive mindset helps sort out most of his decision-making.
Despite an impressive career 1.82 PPG in MLS league play, Celentano and Cincinnati have struggled to connect the pieces in the playoffs, compiling a meager 7-6 record in postseason play, and 2026 has seemingly been a bit of a backwards step, with just a 57% save percentage through mid-October. Admittedly, it’s tough to be critical of a goalkeeper who plays for a team that’s near the top of the charts in shots conceded, but fans are still waiting for Celentano to break the ceiling he’s been sitting at since 2022. He’s a steady MLS shot-stopper, but when is his big breakout year coming?
Although it’d be nice to see Celentano stick around until Cincinnati can finally lift the Cup, there are several cases of young goalkeepers who stayed in MLS too long and the efforts to push the boulder up the hill only amounted to it rolling down the same side. If Celentano wants to continue his upward trajectory, leaving MLS needs to happen sooner rather than later to challenge himself in a league where he must take more responsibility on the field, lest he become one of the many goalkeepers who stayed comfortable in MLS as a 10 year starter and plateaued in their mid-20s.
6. JT Marcinkowski
A good way to sum up Marcinowski’s current situation entering 2026 is the fact that his Wikipedia page hadn’t been updated since May of 2023. (It still could use a bit of a refresher, to be honest.) However, Marcinkowski is a modern day Rocky Balboa: knocked down but always coming back swinging. In the middle of the Earthquakes’ decade-long game of musical chairs, Marcinkowski went from a competing MLS starter to missing almost all of 2023 and 2024 due to an ACL repair. But Marcinkowski quickly took the number one spot this year, despite being slotted as a backup, and isn’t looking to give it up any time soon.
Perhaps the best news for Marcinkowski comes with Schwake’s inclusion with the USMNT. Even assuming Marcinkowski got back to good form, not many would have ever expected him to make a run at the national team. But with the lack of consistency for the top three spots going into 2030, it’s not hard to see Marcinkowski, who is playing the best he’s ever played, enter the picture. The complex, front-footed style paired with a decent ball out of the back isn’t too different from Kochen’s approach, although it can get a little chaotic at times. When Marcinkowski is on, it’s a lot of fun, but when things go against him, the unique playstyle can put a bit of a target on his back.
All that said, the Galaxy signed the Georgetown alum through 2029 for a reason, locking him down with the team until he’s 32. If Marcinkowski can stay healthy and continue his positive momentum, don’t be surprised if the former USYNT returns to the national team fold.
7. Chris Brady
Considering that the US will be the underdog to any top soccer nation for the foreseeable future, the US needs a reliable goalkeeper to limit mistakes while making the big-time save in the knockout rounds that past American goalkeepers are known for. Simply having a goalkeeper that’s good in possession won’t be enough to beat the Belgiums of the world (see 2014, 2026). Brady theoretically fits the bill as he originally raised eyebrows with big-time save ability.
Brady spent most of his career sitting in Slonina’s shadow but he eventually stepped out, surpassing Slonina in career shutouts and games played. Chicago Fire’s goalkeeper coach, Zach Thornton, seemingly has given Brady a massive green light to play how he wants, not instilling rigid guidelines on how he has to play every situation. The upside allows Brady to lean on his intuition and showcase his ability to make saves that few Americans can pull off. The downside is that some odd approaches can arise in Brady’s game, as shown in both of Brady’s first two caps.
When a goalkeeper gets so much attention early on, it can end up feeling like forever until they finally “arrive” and Brady is no exception. If Brady can clean up the awkward moments that end up stitching his momentum up the depth chart, he should be a significant challenge for the number one spot. However, if Brady’s skillset is going to be limited to shot-stopping, expect a handful of caps but nothing more, as USMNT goalkeepers need to be dimensional in the modern era.
8. Matt Freese
After turning down Manchester United to start his degree at Harvard University, Freese eventually made a name for himself as a “steady Eddy” type of goalkeeper. Freese would rarely concede poor goals in MLS play and always gave his team, New York City, a chance to stay in the match. Freese did this so well that when Matt Turner’s form plummeted while navigating England’s lower divisions, Freese was given a chance last summer as the number one for the US. Since June of 2025, Freese amassed 20 caps, but it’s a different beast at the international level. The USMNT’s exit in the 2026 World Cup was highlighted by Freese’s error after struggling to find correct positioning on the first two goals, ultimately resetting the depth chart for the goalkeeping position completely.
Although there have been positives in Freese’s past twelve months, including his performance against his former MLS team, USMNT fans have an expectation for the next generation of goalkeepers. At just 28 years old, it’s odd to think of a goalkeeper who started in a World Cup having his time wind down with the national team, but with so many youngsters knocking on the door, Freese has his work cut out for him.
9. Drake Callender
It’s never a good look to bounce from team to team so quickly but greener and snowier pastures seem to be working out for the former Inter Miami starter. With Messi’s arrival in Miami, American starters quickly became a thing of the past and it didn’t take long for Callender to be relocated out of Miami completely. Callender thrives on being allowed to play with his gut and embrace chaos. Harnessing his inner Steve Clark, Callender doesn’t shy away from the gritty plays, but his success in those moments can waver severely. In 2023, Callender was rewarded with a national team call-up, while in the following seasons he looked like someone who might put his gloves on the wrong hands, playing beyond poorly and not shocking fans when he finally was told to pack his things. It’s a high ceiling, low floor situation with Callender but so far 2026 has gotten off to a good start for the California native. Here’s hoping Callender can continue to advocate for himself with strong “do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the net” play for the rest of the season.
10. Andrew Thomas
The Great American Goalkeeping Logjam is the real deal as Thomas, a once-heralded top recruit coming out of the college ranks, still has yet to reach 50 MLS starts by the time he turned 28. Of course, Thomas’ career isn’t over by any stretch as the Stanford alum has notched down the starting spot for the (seemingly) playoff-bound Seattle Sounders.
Thomas’ 2026 has been difficult to gauge as he’s basically had three very distinct parts of the season. From February to March, he only lost once in eleven matches, then followed that with an eight-game losing streak, and then returned to a twelve-game stretch with only one loss. He’s not the league’s top shot-stopper or best distributor, but he does seem to do a lot of the little things right, in essentially his rookie year. The jury’s out on his top-end potential, as he shows flashes of being able to play beyond MLS, but not at a consistent level (yet?). Keep an eye on Thomas for how he handles the playoff pressure, but also in year two. Most signs are pointing to him being a respectable MLS veteran, but with the triple citizenship, don’t be surprised if he ends up in Europe in 2027 or 2028.
Outside Looking In
11. Patrick Schulte, 25 - Columbus Crew
12. Brad Stuver, 35 - Austin FC
13. John Pulskamp, 25 - Sporting Kansas City
14. Josh Cohen, 34 - Chicago Fire
15. John McCarthy, 34 - New York Red Bulls
16. Pablo Sisniega, 31 - San Diego FC
17. Evan Louro, 30 - FC Cincinnati
18. Joe Willis, 38 - Nashville SC
19. Gabriel Slonina, 22 - Chelsea FC (England.1)
20. Tyler Miller, 33 - Charlotte FC
Bill says: Old guard, new guard. As the veterans start fading off into the sunset, there are a number of young bucks still largely unproven. Julian Eyestone joins Slonina in England and although Eyestone is cutting his teeth in England’s fourth division, at least he’s playing. Slonina continues the waiting game with Chelsea, not unlike MLS goalkeepers trying to prolong their careers. Cohen, McCarthy, Louro and Sisniega all seem like they have gas left but their chances to showcase their abilities have been limited. Lastly, question marks hang over Schulte's and Pulskamp’s future. Will they be good or great goalkeepers? At 25, there’s still plenty of time ahead of them but their peers seem to be breaking away from the pack. Can they keep pace, or have they reached their level and don’t have anything left to climb?
Best of the Rest
21. Vicente Reyes, 22 - Norwich (England.2)
22. Luis Barraza, 29 - Inter Miami
23. George Marks, 26 - Philadelphia Union
24. Paul Walters, 22 - FC Cincinnati
25. Kendall McIntosh, 32 - Oakland Roots
26. Mike Lansing, 32 - Kristiansund (Norway.1)
27. Mason Stajduhar, 28 - Real Salt Lake
28. Earl Edwards, 34 - San Jose Earthquakes
29. Sean Johnson, 37 - DC United
30. Julian Eyestone 20 - Brentford (England.1)
31. Stefan Frei, 40 - Seattle Sounders
32. Alex Bono, 32 - DC United
33. Jacob Jackson, 26 - San Diego FC
34. Eric Dick, 32 - Indy Eleven
35. Gavin Beavers, 21 - Brondby (Denmark.1)
36. Sean Lewis, 34 - Spokane Velocity
37. Stefan Cleveland, 32 - Sporting Kansas City
38. Danny Vitiello, 30 - Sacramento Republic
39. Edward Delgado, 28 - FC Naples
40. Kayne Rizvanovich, 19 - Minnesota
41. Hunter Sulte, 24 - Portland Timbers
42. Nicolas Hansen, 25 - Colorado Rapids
43. Michael Collodi, 25 - FC Dallas
44. William Yarbrough, 37 - Toronto FC
45. Rashid Nuhu, 30 - Union Omaha
46. Luke Dennison, 30 - Drogheda United (Ireland.1)
47. Danny Rogers, 32 - St. Patrick's Athletic (Ireland.1)
48. Jeff Gal, 33 - Chicago Fire
49. Logan Ketterer, 32 - Lexington SC
50. Jordan Farr, 32 - DC United
51. Colin Shutler, 28 - Colorado Springs Switchbacks
52. Ethan Bandré, 28 - Loudon United
53. Antonio Carrera, 22 - Tigres UANL (Mexico.1)
54. Antony Siaha, 28 - Hartford Athletic
55. Luis Zamudio, 28 - Charleston Battery
56. Hunter Morse, 28 - Hearts of Pine
57. Adrian Hrvojevic, 19 - Hajduk Split (Croatia.1)
58. Carlos Herrera, 29 - Detroit City
59. Carlos Merancio, 28 - Spokane Velocity
60. Jake McGuire, 32 - Sporting JAX
61. Alec Smir, 27 - Minnesota United FC
62. Christian Olivares, 24 - St. Louis City SC
63. Jonathan Kliewer, 25 - AC Boise
64. Adrian Zendejas, 31 - Vancouver Whitecaps
65. John Berner, 35 - Charleston Battery
66. Seth Torman, 27 - Greenville Triumph
67. Carlos Saldaña, 30 - Detroit City
68. Johan Penaranda, 26 - Lexington SC
69. Brady Scott, 27 - Los Angeles Galaxy
70. Rocco Rios Novo, 24 - Inter Miami
71. Artemio Olvera, 19 - Atlético de San Luis U21 (Mexico.1)
72. Andrew Pannenberg, 28 - New Mexico United
73. Andrew Rick, 20 - Philadelphia Union
74. Trey Muse, 27 - Portland Timbers
75. Duran Ferree, 20 - San Diego FC
76. Jared Mazzola, 27 - Las Vegas Lights FC
77. Ryan Troutman, 26 - Louisville City FC
78. Abraham Romero, 28 - El Paso Locomotive
79. Jacob Castro, 26 - Rhode Island FC
80. Richard Sanchez, 32 - San Antonio FC
81. George Tasouris, 30 - Charlotte Independence
82. Jonathan Burke, 28 - Knoxville
83. Benny Diaz, 27 - FC Juarez (Mexico.1)
84. Adam Beaudry, 20 - Colorado Rapids
85. Emmanuel Ochoa, 21 - CD Cruz Azul (Mexico.1)
86. JD Gunn, 26 - New England Revolution
87. Dane Jacomen, 25 - FC Tulsa
88. William Popp, 32 - Shonan Bellmare (Belgium.2)
89. Benjamin Machini, 30 - Hapoel Kfar Saba (Israel.2)
90. Daniel Kuzemka, 28 - Charleston Battery
91. Nicholas Holliday, 20 - Charlotte FC
92. Max Weinstein, 22 - New England Revolution II
93. Michael Stone, 27 - Akademisk BK (Denmark.2)
94. Francesco Montali, 26 - San Jose Earthquakes
95. Kris Shakes, 25 - New Mexico United
96. Zackory Campagnolo, 19 - Colorado Rapids
97. Mike Sheridan, 25 - Pittsburgh Riverhounds
98. Cabral Carter, 22 - LAFC
99. Nicolas Montoya, 19 - North Texas SC
100. Bryan Dowd, 24 - Colorado Rapids