The United States' top three goalscorers of all-time

USA v Ghana: 2010 FIFA World Cup - Round of Sixteen
USA v Ghana: 2010 FIFA World Cup - Round of Sixteen

The United States of America will be traveling to Qatar in November to play in their 11th World Cup. They failed to qualify in 2018 and are back in the tournament after eight years. Their best finish at the World Cup came in 1930 when they reached the semi-finals of the tournament. In 2010 they got knocked out in the group stages.

The United States women's team is one of the best in the world and has won the World Cup four times. The men's team has failed to replicate that success because their campaigns have quite often centered around any one star player. The players mentioned in the article all had good individual careers but fell short on the global stage. Despite their shortcomings, they are record holders for their country.

Let's look at the three top goalscorers of the USA men's national team.


#3 Jozy Altidore - 42 goals

Jozy Altidore - United States
Jozy Altidore - United States

In 115 appearances for the national team, Jozy Altidore has scored 42 goals. Altidore began his club career with the New York Red Bulls before Villarreal signed him in 2008. He had different loan spells during his career and even played for Hull City and Sunderland in the Premier League. In 2015 he returned to the MLS and signed for Toronto FC, where he spent six years.

Altidore currently plays for Puebla in Liga MX in Mexico and is on loan from New England Revolution. He won several trophies with Toronto FC, and with the United States, he won the Gold Cup in 2017. A strong and physical striker with pace, he was good at linking up play and combined that with goal-scoring to become a useful striker for teams.


#2 Landon Donovan - 57 goals

Landon Donovan - United States
Landon Donovan - United States

Landon Donovan made 157 appearances for the United States and is regarded as one of the country's best-ever players. He began his career at Bayer Leverkusen but spent most of his time on loan at the San Jose Earthquakes. In 2005 he signed for LA Galaxy, and he spent nine years at the club. Due to different schedules, Donovan managed to play on loan for teams like Bayern Munich and Everton.

Donovan won several Gold Cups during his career and dominated the MLS with LA Galaxy playing alongside players like David Beckham. He was a versatile forward who could play across the front three and also in midfield. He was known for his work rate. Injuries took a toll on him during the latter stages of his career, and he retired in 2018.


#1 Clint Dempsey - 57 goals (United States top scorer)

Clint Dempsey - Tottenham Hotspur
Clint Dempsey - Tottenham Hotspur

Clint Dempsey has 141 appearances for the national team and has a better goal-per-game ratio than Donovan, which is why he ranks first on this list. Dempsey, along with Donovan, is idolized by fans in the United States. He began his career at New England Revolution before signing for Fulham in 2007. He spent five years in London and reached the Europa League final with the team in 2010.

He played for Tottenham Hotspur for a season before returning to the MLS to play for the Seattle Sounders, where he retired in 2018. Dempsey was used as a midfielder but could play as an attacker as well. Dempsey was known for scoring wonder goals, and his strike against Juventus is evidence of it. A hard-working player with a fiery character, he was loved by fans of the teams he played for.

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