Chris Richards (soccer)
American soccer player (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Jeffrey Richards (born March 28, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for Premier League club Crystal Palace and the United States national team.
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Richards with the United States in 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Christopher Jeffrey Richards[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | March 28, 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Center-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Crystal Palace | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Texans SC Houston | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | FC Dallas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | → Bayern Munich (loan) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Bayern Munich II | 38 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Bayern Munich | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | → TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | → TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Crystal Palace | 90 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | United States U20 | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | United States U23 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | United States | 36 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 10, 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of March 31, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A youth player for FC Dallas in his home country, Richards began his professional career with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, initially playing for the club's reserve team. After loan spells at 1899 Hoffenheim, he was signed by Premier League club Crystal Palace in 2022, where he won the FA Cup in 2025.
A former youth player for his country, Richards received his first senior call-up for the United States in 2020. He won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2023; scoring in the final, and 2024. He won the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year award for 2025.[3]
Club career
FC Dallas
Richards was raised in Hoover, Alabama, and played youth soccer for Hoover SC. In 2016, he was cut from a trial with FC Dallas Academy and instead joined Texans SC in Houston.[4] He then joined FC Dallas Academy in 2017.[5]
On April 12, 2018, Richards signed a professional contract with FC Dallas.[6]
Bayern Munich
In May 2018, Richards, with his FC Dallas colleague Thomas Roberts, went to a 10-day trial at FC Bayern Munich as part of an agreement between the two clubs.[7] As a result of his performance during the trial, in July he was offered a one-year loan with the German club.[8]
On July 21, 2018, Richards debuted for the Bayern senior team at the 2018 International Champions Cup, replacing Sandro Wagner in the 62nd minute of the 3–1 win against Paris Saint-Germain F.C.[9] During the 2018–19 season, he spent time with Bayern München U19s, becoming a team regular starter and being praised for his aerial abilities and his passing skills.[10] On January 19, 2019, Richards signed a $1.5 million permanent contract with FC Bayern Munich.[10][11] On August 19, 2019, he made his professional debut when he started for FC Bayern Munich II at the 3. Liga in a 2–1 away win against Hallescher FC.[12] He made 30 appearances and scoring 4 goals for Bayern II in a team that won the 3. Liga.[13]
On June 20, 2020, Richards made his Bundesliga debut in a 3–1 victory over Freiburg.[14] On September 18, he made his first appearance of the 2020–21 Bundesliga season in Bayern's opening match against Schalke 04.[15] He made his first start for Bayern against Hertha BSC on October 4, in which he assisted a Robert Lewandowski goal in the 51st minute of a 4–3 win.[16]
On November 25, 2020, Richards made his UEFA Champions League debut for Bayern in a 3–1 victory over Red Bull Salzburg. He left the game in the 79th minute when he was replaced by Javi Martínez.[17]
Loan to Hoffenheim
On February 1, 2021, Richards joined Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim on loan for the remainder of the season.[18] On August 30, he returned to Hoffenheim on a season-long loan deal.[19]
Crystal Palace
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Richards signed a five-year contract with Premier League club Crystal Palace on July 27, 2022, after being transferred from Bayern Munich for a €12 million fee.[20]
After making sporadic appearances in his first season, the 2022–23 campaign, he began to appear more prominently in the following season, 2023–24, initially out of position as a defensive midfielder under Roy Hodgson before shifting to his preferred centre-back position under new manager Oliver Glasner's back three system.[21] He scored his first goal for the club on February 24, opening the scoring in a 3–0 home win over Burnley, with his goal being Palace's first under Glasner in his first match in charge.[22]
At the start of the 2024–25 season, Richards lost his place in the starting line-up to new loan signing Trevoh Chalobah, and was restricted to just six league starts in the first half of the season. However, his playing time increased following Chalobah's recall to Chelsea in January 2025. Richards went on to form an essential part of the back line alongside Marc Guéhi and Maxence Lacroix.[23] He scored his second goal for the club in a 5–2 defeat to Manchester City on April 12.[24] Palace went on to win the FA Cup, their first ever major trophy, and qualify for European competition for the first time; Richards received praise for his defensive shut-out performance in the 1–0 victory against City in the 2025 FA Cup final.[25][26] He was the only Crystal Palace player to have played every minute of every tie in the competition.[27] He also became just the second American to play in and win an FA Cup final, after Tim Howard in 2004.[28][29]
International career
In January 2018, Richards was called for the MNT Youth National Team Summit Camp, which gathered 153 players from U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 Youth National Teams.[30][31] In May 2018, he made his debut for the United States U20 team in a match against Honduras. On November 12, 2018, Richards was called for the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship as one of the three replacements allowed before the beginning of the "Qualification Stage".[30][32] He, then, started in two of the tournament's three remaining matches, including the final, a 2–0 win, against Mexico.[33][30] On May 10, 2019, he was included by the coach Tab Ramos in the 21-man squad called to represent the United States at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[30][34] Richards started all of the five matches that the Americans played in the tournament, including the 3–2 win against the heavy favorites, France. Richards played the entire game in all but one of the matches (that against Nigeria).[35]
He received his first call up to the senior United States squad for matches against Wales and Panama in November 2020.[36] He made his national team debut as a late substitute against Panama.[37] Richards scored his first goal for his country on June 18, 2023, scoring the first goal of United States' 2–0 win against Canada in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final.[38]
Personal life
Richards' father, Ken Richards, played college basketball at Birmingham–Southern College and later professionally in Australia, Bolivia and Iceland.[39]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played May 10, 2026[40]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bayern Munich II | 2019–20 | 3. Liga | 30 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 4 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 3. Liga | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 38 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 4 | ||||||
| Bayern Munich | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||
| TSG Hoffenheim (loan)[e] | 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | — | — | 2[f] | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||||
| Crystal Palace | 2022–23 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 1 | |||
| 2025–26 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 13[g] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 48 | 2 | |
| Total | 90 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 163 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 202 | 9 | ||
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearance in DFL-Supercup
- Represents two separate loans for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 respective seasons
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
- Appearance in FA Community Shield
International
- As of match played March 31, 2026[41]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 36 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Richards goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 18, 2023 | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, United States | 10 |  Canada | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final |
| 2 | June 19, 2025 | Q2 Stadium, Austin, United States | 27 |  Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3 | July 6, 2025 | NRG Stadium, Houston, United States | 31 |  Mexico | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup final |
Honors
Bayern Munich
Crystal Palace
United States U20
United States
Individual
- IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2020[51]
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2023[52]
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2025[53]
- U.S. Soccer Player of the Year: 2025[3]
