The USMNT star might be the best talent in his federation, but there are plenty of other names waiting to burst onto the scene
We all just assumed that Christian Pulisic is the best player in CONCACAF. That is, of course, the natural order of things – especially if you are of the USMNT persuasion. After all, he is the go-to guy for Milan, a constant threat for the national team, and a top performer in pretty much every notable big game he has featured in of late.
But is that really the case? Pulisic missed two months of football this summer after electing to sit out of the Gold Cup, and watched from home as the rest of CONCACAF staked their claim. In short, there's a sense that others could have caught up.
U.S. teammate Tyler Adams has been excellent of late, while Canada's Jonathan David has shown that he is good enough to earn a true step up for Juventus, who have dreams of European glory.
GOAL ranks the best players in CONCACAF ahead of the September international break.
Getty Images7Alphonso Davies: Canada
Even with half a working knee, Davies is still one of the best left backs out there. Sure, he was caught up in a significant amount of controversy after sustaining an ACL tear in a Canada national team game when he was arguably not fit to play. But "Phonzie" remains an immense talent, and there is no indication that he won't be back to his scintillating best when he returns.
There is good news on that front, too. Davies is back in training for Bayern, and the word is that he could play for Canada by the November break – a timely boost for .
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport6Chris Richards: USMNT
Give it a couple months, and Richards might be higher up this list. It would not be an overstatement to suggest that the center back's rise has been meteoric. A year ago, he was still a bit of a misfit at Crystal Palace, the weak link in manager Oliver Glasner's back three. But after impressing, he's now a key player for the manager.
A series of stellar individual performances has only reinforced that notion. Most notably, he clamped Erling Haaland in the FA Cup final in May – despite Man City's obvious attempts at targeting the Birmingham, Alabama native. He was a standout for the U.S. at the Gold Cup, too, and a stalwart at the back as Pochettino's side went on a run to the final. And at 25, he will only get better.
Getty5Raul Jimenez: Mexico
Jimenez looked like he might have been out of soccer 18 months ago. The goals had dried up at a club level, while he was still recovering from a serious head injury suffered in a Premier League fixture. But every time he put the Mexican national team shirt on, he came alive. That trend has continued in style, with Jimenez consistently bagging for .
He has endured something of a quiet start to the Premier League campaign – he is scoreless in his side's first three – but Jimenez remains an icon for Mexico. He's 10 goals away from being El-Tri's all-time top goalscorer, a consistent threat, and still the No.1 choice to lead the line for a national team that just might have turned a corner.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
AFP4Antonee Robinson: USMNT
It's a bit dramatic to dub Antonee Robinson a "tragic hero", but he does have the misfortune of getting very good at football at the wrong time in his career. Robinson, remember, really could be playing for Milan now, but after a failed transfer nearly five years ago, finds himself running up and down the left at Fulham. That is no disrespect to the Premier League club, of course, who have offered the perfect forum for Robinson, 28, to be his versatile best.
Adept going forward and remarkably scrappy defensively, Robinson relies on an excellent engine as well as a lethal killer ball to serve as the archetypal modern touchline full-back. Injuries have rather hampered him of late, and he has missed out on the most recent U.S. squad as he recovers from a series of knocks. But when he's fit, he's among the best in the world at his position.