Cover photo Maor Alexelsi.
After over 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. Chris Brady
Admittedly, it’s hard to put any goalkeeper at the number one slot for the US at the moment as the goalkeeping department has dipped to its lowest point since the 1980’s. Brady is awarded top billing largely for a combination of his big-time save ability and, unfortunately, every other goalkeeper continuing to have nervy moments or struggle to simply keep the ball out of the net. Considering that the US will be the underdog to any top soccer nation, they need 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 Belgians of the world (see 2014).
Long after being in Slonina’s shadow, Brady’s decision to carve his pathway in MLS is paying off as 2025 saw Brady surpass 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 hard 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 the 2026 opener for the Fire with an odd rebound and awkward attempt on the second save.
Understandably Brady’s window to prove himself as the number one will likely be after this World Cup, leaving fans to likely grind their teeth and tense their shoulders through the summer tournament, hoping whoever the number one for the USMNT can simply limit mistakes and not cost the team the game.
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 90’s 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 behind his name. However, Horvath isn’t known for flawless play himself, as the inconsistent minutes led to inconsistent play overseas over the past couple years. If he can keep the Red Bulls atop the standings and they can keep their starting goalkeeper confident, look to see Horvath make a strong run at the number one position for the US.
3. Gabriel Slonina
Following on the heels of Steffen’s move to Manchester City and Turner’s move to Arsenal, Slonina transferred to Chelsea in 2022. Fast forward almost four years and Slonina is averaging about one match per month since penning the transfer. Slonina was once expected to be the can’t miss prospect but similar to Steffen and Turner, he’s found himself in Premier League purgatory and the expectations to become the Blues’ future starter have hit an all-time low. A move back to MLS would be a disappointing backward step for the young goalkeeper, still just 21 years old, but his move forward seems difficult to chart out. He played good, but not great, on his loan to Eupen for the 2023-24 season, the former Belgian Premier League team that Slonina was present for in the failed relegation battle.
Prestige aside, if Slonina can finally gain some traction overseas, whether it be in Italy or France or Belgium, he could make a run at the national team. The window to start at the 2026 World Cup seemingly has closed for the former Chicago Fire product but that’s not to say his future with the national team is closed as well. The eventual move out of Chelsea can bring good fortune to Slonina, as long as he’s not kicked around to another English club whose efforts will amount to just a random EPL2 game here and there.
4. Roman Celentano
With Brady’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. 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 side. If Celentano wants to continue his upward trajectory, leaving MLS needs to happen sooner than later and 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 20’s
5. Zack Steffen
There aren’t many goalkeepers whose career has been more of a rollercoaster ride than Zack Steffen’s. Steffen’s journey to Manchester City back in 2019 seemed like a resurgence of the olden days for American goalkeeping, one that couldn’t possibly go wrong. However, the back 20’s prove to be a crucial time to maintain momentum for aspiring goalkeepers and Steffen is a great example of how a clear number one for the national team - one who’s amassed 30 caps - can easily tumble down the pecking order, only receiving one game with the USMNT since the spring of 2022.
Steffen’s game can best be summed up as erratic. One moment, he’s making the big-time save we all grew to expect, while the next moment, a bad rebound makes Steffen look like a goalkeeper playing above his level. xG proponents will point to Steffen’s low numbers but in spite of xG being far from a repeatable stat, there’s a reason why Tim Howard and Landon Donovan touted the journeyman. If Steffen can limit the bad goals and return to form, the goalkeeper with the seventh most wins of all-time for the USMNT can finally start a World Cup match.
6. 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. Opening weekend back with the Revs saw a 4-1 loss for Turner, clearly trying to regain the 2021 form he had before leaving for Arsenal. 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.
7. 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 13 caps but it’s a different beast at the international level. Shortcomings like misplaying a through ball, retreating to his line on a collectable slotted ball, sitting too deep on his line, struggling to handle a backpass on his weak foot, spilling rebounds in front of goal, and simply not diving on shots - ones you’d see the likes of Tim Howard or Kasey Keller sprawl out for with every inch of their body - have led to Freese struggling to maintain shutouts when his prodecessors did.
Although there have been positives in Freese’s past twelve months, most recently his performance against his former MLS team, USMNT fans expect to see game-saving saves from the starter, not just reliable play in covering the middle third shots on the goal. If the former Crimson goalkeeper can continue to play at his peak, expect him to maintain the number one jersey through the summer. Otherwise, look for the USMNT number one to continually get passed around.
8. Jonathan Klinsmann
If you haven’t tracked Klinsmann’s career over the past few years, well no one can blame you for not following his move to Serie C with enthusiasm. After a completely unremarkable 2023 season with the Galaxy, Klinsmann wisely opted for Italy instead of spinning his wheels in mud in England. Klinsmann watched Cesena promote to Serie B from the bench and then, seemingly out of nowhere, Klinsmann found a form we’d never seen from Berkley Bear. In the fall of 2024, Klinsmann took over the starting spot and conceded just 30 goals in 27 matches, narrowly missing out on back-to-back promotions. This season Klinsmann and Cesena once again sit in the promotion playoffs and eye a jump to Serie A.
Klinsmann’s game has cleaned up mightily since starting for the U20s. He’s more mobile, which allows him to tap into his power more easily, and his game sense has skyrocketed. The awkward plays that break down in front of net no longer leave him looking unsure. That’s not to say he’s unbeatable, but we’re seeing fewer moments where he’s struggling to find solutions to implement. In true American fashion, he is simply “betting on himself” and playing without hesitation, which is wonderful to see. Jumping to Serie A would certainly get Klinsmann back on people’s radars and raise the question of what his ceiling actually is.
9. CJ dos Santos
2026 hasn’t gotten off to quite the start that the Benfica product was hoping for. Not only is dos Santos still waiting to fully recover from his fractured cheekbone that he sustained in November of 2025, but his backup is now catching headlines as the next big thing. This stings all the more as dos Santos had finally found his footing after a tumultuous time in Miami and 2026 should have been his big break out year. The clock hasn’t ticked down all the way yet so there’s still plenty of time but it’s a rough start to the season nonetheless.
As for chances with the USMNT, it’ll be interesting to see if dos Santos’ style would match what the national team is looking for. Dos Santos loves playing off his line and wants the ball at his feet but American sides (both MLS and the USMNT) are reluctant to embrace the pitfalls of true liberos. Because of this, we’ve seen a bit of a hybrid come out in dos Santos’ play. It can be tough trying to marry the two styles but some goalkeepers have found success in the past - Dan Kennedy being a standout here - although most suffer from indecision and hesitation with two drastically different styles being smooshed into one. So far, getting out of Miami seems to have rejuvenated dos Santos a good bit, allowing him to play with confidence, but American sides are typically going to err on the side of pragmaticness instead of an artistic philosophy. As to how much confidence dos Santos can play with moving forward with higher and higher stakes, it has yet to be seen.
10. 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.
Outside Looking In
11. Gavin Beavers, 20 - Brondby (Denmark.1)
12. Andrew Thomas, 27 - Seattle Sounders
13. JT Marcinkowski, 28 - Los Angeles Galaxy
14. Joe Willis, 37 - Nashville SC
15. Brad Stuver, 34 - Austin FC
16. John McCarthy, 33 - New York Red Bulls
17. Josh Cohen, 33 - Chicago Fire
18. Tyler Miller, 33 - Charlotte FC
19. Patrick Schulte, 25 - Columbus Crew
20. John Pulskamp, 24 - Sporting Kansas City
Bill says: Gavin Beavers. Beavers is finally starting to see some minutes from Brondby - two starts in February - but the Danish SuperLiga table is incredibly tight at the moment so distributing minutes to a 20 year old isn’t likely high on the manager’s priorities. In his two starts, Beavers displayed a real sense of urgency to not let his chance to shine go by. (For MLS fans, think Tim Melia when he finally got a chance at SKC.) 2026 is likely to still be pretty quiet for the young RSL product but so far he’s checking the right boxes. Brondby’s willingness to give him any minutes at all is encouraging but if there’s one thing to take away from Americans’ past attempts at making it abroad, it’s that one shouldn’t stick around if the club doesn’t want you. Hopefully Brondby will give Beavers a longer and longer leash as time goes on, otherwise he needs to get out of dodge quick and find a side that will.
Best of the Rest
21. Stefan Cleveland, 31 - Sporting Kansas City
22. Brian Schwake, 24 - Nashville SC
23. Earl Edwards, 34 - San Jose Earthquakes
24. Luis Barraza, 29 - Inter Miami
25. Antonio Carrera, 22 - Tigres UANL (Mexico.1)
26. Stefan Frei, 39 - Seattle Sounders
27. Pablo Sisniega, 30 - San Diego FC
28. Evan Louro, 30 - FC Cincinnati
29. Julian Eyestone, 19 - Brentford B (England.1)
30. Diego Kochen, 20 - Barcelona (Spain.1)
31. Danny Vitiello, 30 - Sacramento Republic
32. Bill Hamid, 35 - Free Agent
33. Logan Ketterer, 32 - Lexington SC
34. Mike Lansing, 31 - Kristiansund (Norway.1)
35. Alex Bono, 31 - DC United
36. George Marks, 26 - Philadelphia Union
37. Sean Johnson, 36 - DC United
38. Kendall McIntosh, 32 - Oakland Roots
39. Mason Stajduhar, 28 - Real Salt Lake
40. David Bingham, 36 - Free Agent
41. Vicente Reyes, 22 - Norwich (England.2)
42. William Yarbrough, 37 - Toronto FC
43. Sean Lewis, 33 - Tormenta FC
44. Eric Dick, 31 - Indy Eleven
45. Edward Delgado, 28 - FC Naples
46. Jimmy Maurer, 37 - Houston Dynamo
47. Hunter Sulte, 23 - Portland Timbers
48. Jeff Gal, 32 - Chicago Fire
49. Rashid Nuhu, 30 - Union Omaha
50. Luke Dennison, 29 - Drogheda United (Ireland.1)
51. Danny Rogers, 32 - St. Patrick's Athletic (Ireland.1)
52. Nicolas Hansen, 24 - Colorado Rapids
53. Colin Shutler, 27 - Colorado Springs Switchbacks
54. Paul Walters, 21 - FC Cincinnati
55. Jordan Farr, 31 - DC United
56. Antony Siaha, 27 - Hartford Athletic
57. Luis Zamudio, 27 - Charleston Battery
58. Carlos Saldaña, 29 - Detroit City
59. Rocco Rios Novo, 23 - Inter Miami
60. Michael Collodi, 24 - FC Dallas
61. Andrew Rick, 20 - Philadelphia Union
62. Jake McGuire, 31 - Sporting JAX
63. Adam Beaudry, 19 - Colorado Rapids
64. Jacob Jackson, 25 - Free Agent
65. Carlos Merancio, 27 - Spokane Velocity
66. Ethan Bandre, 27 - Loudon United
67. Johan Penaranda, 26 - Lexington SC
68. Seth Torman, 27 - Greenville Triumph
69. Duran Ferree, 19 - San Diego FC
70. Adrian Zendejas, 30 - Vancouver Whitecaps
71. George Tasouris, 30 - Charlotte Independence
72. Abraham Romero, 28 - El Paso Locomotive
73. Alec Smir, 26 - Minnesota United FC
74. Chituru Odunze, 23 - Charlotte FC
75. Max Weinstein, 21 - New England Revolution II
76. Alex Borto, 22 - Fulham U21s (England.1R)
77. Andrew Pannenberg, 27 - Carolina Core
78. Brady Scott, 26 - Los Angeles Galaxy
79. Hunter Morse, 27 - Hearts of Pine
80. Jacob Castro, 26 - Rhode Island FC
81. Jared Mazzola, 27 - Las Vegas Lights FC
82. John Berner, 35 - Charleston Battery
83. Richard Sanchez, 31 - San Antonio FC
84. Carlos Herrera, 28 - Detroit City
85. James Sneddon, 20 - Richmond Kickers
86. Trey Muse, 26 - Portland Timbers
87. Benjamin Machini, 29 - Hapoel Haifa (Israel.1)
88. Jonathan Burke, 28 - Knoxville
89. Benny Diaz, 27 - FC Juarez (Mexico.1)
90. Michael Stone, 27 - Akademisk BK (Denmark.3)
91. Sebastian Mora-Mora, 27 - El Paso Locomotive
92. Ryan Troutman, 25 - Louisville City FC
93. Santiago Perez, 21 - Monterrey U21 (Mexico.1Y)
94. Brooks Thompson, 23 - Lexington SC %
95. William Popp, 31 - Shonan Bellmare (Belgium.2) #
96. Aidan Stokes, 18 - New York Red Bulls
97. Kris Shakes, 24 - New Mexico United
98. Derrek Chan, 27 - New York Cosmos
99. Cabral Carter, 21 - LAFC
100. Nicholas Holliday, 20 - Charlotte FC
