Who is the most expensive American player of all time?

United States are co-hosting the next FIFA World Cup in 2026 and Stateside football (or soccer) has come along way since the last time they hosted. Back then, in 1994 – the same year a certain football magazine launched, the game lagged way behind other American sports, in both participation and spectator numbers.

Everything since has changed. The MLS has become home to some of the biggest stars the game has produced, while soccer participation numbers are only second to Basketball in team sports.

America now also produce top quality players – they have ruled women’s football for decades and the men’s team has improved slowly – bar a difficult last few years. Many of the top USA internationals now ply their trade in the best and biggest leagues throughout Europe. But which Americans have moved for the highest transfer fees? Let’s find out.

Who is the most expensive American player of all time?

Cristian Pulisic is the current holder for the record transfer fee spent on an American player.

Pulisic’s move from Borussia Dortmund to fellow European heavyweights Chelsea back in 2019 cost $65million – £58million in English money.

Overall, Chelsea fans might not feel they got huge value for the money they spent. But the forward provided a crucial contribution in their 2021 Champions League win, scoring in the away leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid – in doing so becoming the first American to score at that stage of the competition.

He left Chelsea for AC Milan in 2023 for the more modest – but still sizeable – sum of £20million.

Who held the all-time record transfer fee for an American prior to Cristian Pulisic?

Prior to Pulisic bursting onto the scene, the most expensive transfer involving an American international was defender John Brooks.

Brooks moved from Hertha Berlin to Wolfsburg in 2017 for close to £16million ($20million). Brooks was born in Germany and has never lived in the States but won 45 caps for the national side, the defender eligible through his father.

This broke the previous record which involved a Premier League club, Sunderland paying AZ £10million for Jozy Altidore back in 2013.