Robinson named U.S. men’s player of the year

United States men’s national team and Fulham defender Antonee Robinson has been voted the 2024 U.S. Soccer male player of the year.

Robinson, 27, won with 55% of the weighted votes submitted by fans, national team coaches, USMNT players who earned a cap in 2024, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council, professional league head coaches and sporting directors, select media members and former players and administrators. The fan portion amounted to 15% of the overall tally.

Robinson beat out AS Monaco forward Folarin Balogun, PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi, AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream.

Robinson had previously been a finalist in 2022.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Robinson said. “Representing our country isn’t something you do for individual accolades.

“It’s always about putting the team first and trying to do my best for the boys and for the country, so to be rewarded for that is an amazing feeling.”

The award caps a stellar year for Robinson, in which he started all 11 matches for which he was available, started in all four of the USMNT’s shutouts in 2024 and recorded the game-winning assist against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.

Robinson has become one of the top outside backs in the English Premier League with Fulham, winning the club’s 2023-24 Player of the Year award.

He recorded 10 assists in 37 matches across the calendar year, four more than any other defender in the league. The mark also put him in the top 10 of all players.

Robinson is the first defender to win the award since Oguchi Onyewu in 2006. He’s also the third player with ties to Fulham to earn the honor, joining Clint Dempsey (2007, 2011, 2012) and Kasey Keller (1997, 1999, 2005).