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It takes a lot to be recognized as one of the best. In the MLS, the top players each year get selected to be a part of an American all-star soccer team; the MLS Best XI. Over the years, we’ve seen competition and skill skyrocket in the MLS, leading to the creation of a very talented player pool.
While not all of the top players receive the title of being one of the “best 11 players in the league”, some consistently prove they’re the best. In this article, we’ll be discussing the MLS All Stars and the best MLS XI of all time, including the 11 different players from goalkeeper(s), defenders, midfielders, forwards, and substitutes who barely didn’t make the starting cut.
Hartman will forever be remembered as one of the best goalkeepers to come through the American soccer league at this time. After playing 17 seasons, Hartman retired with the most victories (179) and most clean sheets (112) in all the MLS, making the MLS Best XI team back in 1999.
Chad Marshall competed in the MLS for 16 years as a defender, making the MLS All-Star team on four separate occasions, the first being in 2008. Marshall has three separate MLS Defender of the Year Awards to show for.
As part of the “top 25 best players of all time” the longtime D.C United defender is widely considered to be one of the best center backs of all time. On four separate occasions, Pope made the MLS Best XI.
The 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year took the league by storm at the beginning of his career in 2010, winning four MLS Best XI awards and MLS Defender of the Year in 2011.
Zimmerman is one of the few modern MLS center-backs to win back-back Defender of the Year awards in 2020 and 2021. He’d also make the MLS All-Star XI for 5 years straight while his career is still ongoing.
A longtime legend of both English and American soccer, David Beckham goes down as one of the best MLS midfielders of his time and one of the best assists to date. He made the MLS Best XI only one time for the LA Galaxy back in 2011 but left the league with a stunning 42 assists.
Arguably the most deserved midfielder on this list and the player with the most MLS Best XI inductions is Dwayne De Rosario, making the All-Star team a whopping seven years in a row, more than any other player. He finished his career with 103 MLS goals and 77 assists.
While Donovan played as both a forward and a midfielder, his role at LA Galaxy was mainly as a central midfielder. Donovan overall would make the Best MLS XI team on seven separate occasions, scoring a total of 144 goals and 136 assists throughout his career.
The current all-time MLS top goalscorer, Chris Wondolowski, easily makes it into the MLS All-Stars Best XI of All Time. In his 410 MLS career games, he’d score 169 total goals, more than anyone else to date.
Kei Kamara is one of the few players on this list still playing in the MLS and has joined over 11+ teams in the process. While only making the 2011 MLS Best XI, Kei still managed to score an outrageous 144 goals over his 418 matches.
Jeff Cunningham deserves a spot as one of the forwards on the MLS All-Stars Best XI of all time, making the Best XI on three separate occasions starting in 2002. Throughout 425 games, he’d score 147 goals with 57 assists, only to rival that of Kei Kamara.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.