Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Hoover native Chris Richards becomes first Alabamian to captain USMNT
Reading time: 3 minutes
For the first time ever, an Alabama native was named captain for the USA men’s soccer team.
The Americans took the field Tuesday night in Cincinnati to play an exhibition match against New Zealand and Hoover native Chris Richards led the team out of the tunnel. It was a night where the team announced a new manager but Richards got to steal a bit of the spotlight for himself.
Keep reading to find out more about the big night, Richards’ career + other Alabamians who have played for the national team.
First-team defender
In recent years, Chris Richards has moved his way into a starting spot on the USMNT’s backline and is one of the favorites to start in defense for the team during the 2026 World Cup. He did not make the roster in 2022 due to an injury but has played in every competition for the team since then.
Tuesday night, Richards played the full match with the captain’s armband for the first time. The US drew 1-1 after an unfortunate bounce led to a late goal by New Zealand.
Richards has 23 total caps under his belt for the senior men’s national team including the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final where he scored his lone international goal in a 2-0 win over Canada.
The international break is now over so Richards will return to England to play for his club, Crystal Palace.
Alabama representation for US Soccer
While Richards is the first person from Alabama to wear the captain’s armband for the men’s national team, there have been others who have taken on that role for other US teams.
Mia Hamm, who was born in Selma, scored 158 goals and assisted on 147 others in 276 games for the US Women’s National Team. She wore the captain’s armband several times while playing for her nation. During her career, Hamm won:
- 4 NCAA Championships
- 2 World Cups
- 2 Olympic gold medals
Earlier this summer, Birmingham native Tanner Tessman wore the captain’s armband during the Olympics for what is officially under the U.S. Youth National Team.
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