In a place where Friday night lights equate to high school football, Chris Richards took a different route. Richards was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and played youth soccer for local club Birmingham United Soccer Club and nearby Hoover SC, where soccer was not a sport that saw the light of day. Two decades on, he is the backbone of the U.S. defense at the World Cup in his own country, though he was turned down in Munich and visited London en route.
The Rejection That Ignited a Rise
It seemed like Richards’ career was about to come to an end before it even started. At age 16, he tried out for the FC Dallas academy and was cut. But he did not back down and instead signed with Texans SC Houston, leading to FC Dallas seeing him again for his performances. Joined the club’s academy in 2017 and signed a first professional contract in April 2018, shortly after his 18th birthday.
It took two months to make the breakthrough. Richards and fellow FC Dallas teammate Thomas Roberts spent May 2018 in Munich, Germany, and have been given a second chance to play for the Bavarian giants. Roberts headed back to Texas, while the Germans caught the eye of Richards. He was able to get a 1-year loan by July. Bayern exercised an option to make it a permanent deal for $1.5 million in January 2019.
From Munich to London
Richards’ rise inaffected to Bayern was systematic. In July 2018, he made his senior debut for Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly, in August 2019, his senior debut was in Bayern Munich II in the Bundesliga league, and in June 2020, he made his full debut for Bayern Munich. He made his debut on October 4, 2020, when he played against Hertha BSC. A Champions League debut was next when facing Red Bull Salzburg on November 25, 2020.
As the divide was still too wide with world-class players at the club, Richards looked for first-team game time on two occasions in 2021 and 2022 in the Bundesliga, spending a total of 30 appearances on loan at TSG Hoffenheim. It was reported that Crystal Palace paid him €12 million in July 2022 to sign him in England’s Premier League.
The campaign of 2023-24 saw stability first under Roy Hodgson and then Oliver Glasner, who was given the centre-back position in a back three, with Richards preferring that role. He scored his first Palace goal on February 24, 2024, opening a 3-0 win over Burnley.
In the 2024-25 Season, Richards emerged as an asset on the defense and cemented his role as a crucial part of the squad. He was cut from the starting line-up early in the season, before returning to the starting XI in January 2025 and leading the team to their first major trophy in 120 years when they overtook Manchester City 1-0 in the Emirates FA Cup final. He appeared in every minute of the FA Cup campaign, won the Community Shield in August 2025, and was the second American to claim the title following Tim Howard.
The National Team Ascends
Richards made his USMNT debut in November 2020 versus Panama. He missed a shot at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 due to a hamstring ailment and will make his true debut on the sport’s grandest stage in 2026.
2025 started a few new trends. Richards made 12 appearances for the national team, playing a combined 1004 minutes, and scored two goals, one of which was against Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final. He was selected to the Gold Cup Best XI and was the top pick of 48.6 percent of the weighted vote on Jan. 14, 2026, for the 2025 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year.
Richards has been brought out of the squad and, in the hands of current manager Mauricio Pochettino, has become an undisputed leader. He led the team on March 31st against Portugal. I know that I am a leader and I want to be one,” he said to GOAL. So, whatever happens at the World Cup next year, I want to be that guy.
The World Cup at Home
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, hosting the expanded tournament for the first time as a joint association. Richards will be expected to lead the way in a back three for Pochettino in Group D against Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey.
The tournament is significant to Richards both personally and culturally. He has poured his money into his home-ground USL side, Birmingham Legion FC. After being named Player of the Year, he told FOX Sports that he didn’t think many people saw Birmingham as a football mecca. It’s really hard to be the first person from Birmingham to have won this award.
Germany’s defender, who was cut at 16 and acquired in Munich, who played his entire tournament injured and in a new position in London, is 100 days away from commanding Germany’s defense at home. It’s almost time for the improbable feat of moving from Birmingham to a World Cup at home.
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