So you’ve decided to follow a few American soccer players on Twitter. You made a fine choice, because the U.S. produces some of the most social media-savvy athletes in the world. From Dax McCarty’s emojis to the camaraderie of the USWNT, below you’ll find a list of our favorite American soccer players and ex-players to follow on Twitter.
1. Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17)
For Fans Of: USMNT, Ligue 1
The USMNT midfielder shares his experiences as a Yank playing abroad, but perhaps the most entertaining aspect of his Twitter is the way he engages with fans… and his haters. Bedoya is unafraid to call out tweeters that talk smack to him — snarky but never truly mean-spirited, he serves as a reminder, that as fans, if we dish it out, we must also be able to take it.
2. Alex Morgan (@AlexMorgan13)
For Fans Of: Portland Thorns, USWNT
Alex Morgan is one of the WNT’s highest profile and most prolific tweeters. With the NWSL season and Women’s World Cup fever starting up, she’s one of your best bets for a player’s view of it all.
3. Bobby Boswell (@BobbyBoswell)
For Fans Of: DC United, Houston Dynamo
Like all the best athlete Twitter accounts, DCU’s Bobby Boswell has fun with his, whether it’s participating in some MLS “Vine Challenge” with Maurice Edu or posting some solid road photos of his teammates. But the best revelation from Boswell’s Twitter was finding out that his kid refers to Geoff Cameron as “Uncle Geoff.” D’awwww.
4. Bobby Warshaw (@bwarshaw14)
For Fans Of: FC Dallas, USMNT, most MLS clubs, the Tippeligaen
For some of the smartest commentary on the state of American soccer, you have to travel to Scandinavia. Baerum SK midfielder Bobby Warshaw, who spent several seasons with MLS’ FC Dallas before going abroad, writes on the game from a player’s perspective at The Athlete Story, Deadspin and a blog on his own club’s website.
Follow for a player’s take on key issues like the MLS labor negotiations, expansion and future of the league and tweets like this: “Im in Austria at an Irish bar drinkin German beer with a French guy from my Norwegian team watching EPL. Someone tell Klinsi how abroad I am.”
5. Brek Shea (@BrekShea)
For Fans Of: Orlando City, USMNT
Brek Shea’s trajectory this season—one of the stars of one of Major League Soccer’s new expansion clubs, returning to Klinsmann’s favor and even scoring an impressive goal in the MNT’s last friendly—is fascinating, and it’s worth following him to watch it unfold. Be prepared also for a lot of posts about food, and the largest-ever collection of people making the #BrekFace.
6. Dax McCarty (@DaxMcCarty11)
For Fans Of: New York Red Bulls
Drawing mustaches on Benny Feilhaber, sticking up for his teammates and calling out Don Garber, using emoji with a deft hand. But the highlight of the new NYRB captain’s recent Twitter exploits was his 140-character tour diary from the NYRB/Toronto FC road trip to the MLS Players’ Union meeting, where he manned a Twitter Q&A for Luis Robles.
7. Geoff Cameron (@GeoffCameron)
For Fans Of: USMNT, Houston Dynamo, Americans playing in the EPL
Beause Victor Moses said we should follow him.
8. Jeb Brovsky (@JebBrovsky)
For Fans Of: Montreal Impact, New York City FC, Dick Dastardly
If you’re the kind of person who needs a little inspiration, preferably given by a professional athlete with a cartoon villain mustache, then follow NYCFC’s Jeb Brovsky. Brovsky regularly tweets nuggets of motivation and good-vibery to his fans, like “The world can be better because of you” and “Work your ass off and be nice to people” and “Don’t shave tonight because tomorrow your face needs to be warm and toasty.”
9. Jozy Altidore (@JozyAltidore)
For Fans Of: Toronto FC, USMNT, people with their own hashtag
You’re probably already following one of the USMNT’s biggest stars, but this season will be a decisive one for #DareToJozy — after years of ups and downs in the Dutch Eredivisie and Premier League, he’s back in MLS with Toronto and a core fixture of an ever-changing national team. Follow to watch the narratives unfold. There will be many, and they will be captivating.
10. Justin Meram (@JustinMeram)
For Fans Of: Columbus Crew
He’s been called “the most famous Justin in Iraq; The Michigan native realized his dream of playing for the Iraqi national team in part with the help of Twitter, most notably the #WeWantJustinMeram campaign from Iraqi supporters. Now, he tweets about his experiences playing for the national team (most recently in the AFC Asia Cup) and in the States for Columbus.
11. Kei Kamara (@KeiKamara)
For Fans Of: Columbus Crew, Sporting Kansas City
Kamara has used his fame — and his social media presence — for good, working to build schools in his native Sierra Leone and, more recently, participated in We Are Africa United, a campaign of footballers, celebrities and business and health partners looking to raise awareness and funds to stop the spread of Ebola in West Africa. And if that’s not enough, sometimes he gives away matchday tickets via Twitter. What a guy.
12. Liam Ridgewell (@Liam_Ridgewell)
For Fans Of: Portland Timbers, Engerland
The Timbers’ most prolific tweeter (no, really!) loves to share his experiences in the Rose City and on the road, retweet good-natured banter directed his way and share some pretty amazing fan art, often involving his iconic ponytail.
13. Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe)
For Fans Of: Seattle Reign, USWNT, team bromances
One thing that social media has done, especially in North American soccer, is given us an insight into the players’ relationships and friendships with their teammates. It’s not uncommon to, say, be leafing through a player’s Instagram and find teammates ribbing them or responding with a well-placed emoji. (Stars… they’re just like us!) This phenomenon plays out wonderfully on ‘Pinoe’s Twitter — she’s regularly shouting out, encouraging or joking with teammates past and present to joyous results. Plus, her tweets, soccer-related or otherwise, are quite entertaining, whether she’s skewering Vladimir Putin or the chaos of South by Southwest, or live tweeting other matches.
Also, this. Thanks, Heather O’Reilly.
14. Mike Magee (@magee9)
For Fans Of: Chicago Fire, Los Angeles Galaxy
A season-ending hip injury and impending surgery would put most players in a funk. And then there’s Mike Magee, who before going under the knife, posted a pic of himself with a goofy grin, a thumbs-up, and a 140-character will: “If I don’t wake up bury me under section 8 with goalie gloves on.” Whether he’s taking potshots at his own team (“We could tie a pair of velcro shoes”), critiquing Mix Diskerud’s poetry, posting adorable Vines of his kid or shutting down homophobic trolls, Magee may have been the MLS MVP in 2013, but he’s the Twitter MVP all the time.
15. Mix Diskerud (@MixDiskerud)
For Fans Of: New York City FC, USMNT
Poring over transfer gossip is a pretty pervasive and inevitable pastime for many soccer fans, but when there’s cryptic Twitter poetry involved, things get way more interesting. Prior to his arrival at NYCFC, USMNT upstart and hair champion Mix Diskerud fueled the rumor fire by playing with the 140-character restraint, responding in rhyme and free verse alike. Now, Mix seems quite happy at his new club, and continues to drop gems celebrating his teammates, such as this one from February 10th:
“I am here.
Like what I saw.
I see guys willing to create for each other.
The apple will grow now!”
16. Nick Rimando (@NickRimando)
For Fans Of: Real Salt Lake, USMNT, good-ass beer
The RSL and USMNT goalkeeper gets bonus points with us for maybe being the only player we saw to offer beer and watch-party bar recommendations on his Twitter. Paste approves. And would love to maybe have a beer next time we’re in SLC.
17. Obafemi Martins (@ObafemiMartins)
For Fans Of: Seattle Sounders, serious acrobatics
For geeking out on the golazo footage and backflips alone, the Emerald City star is worth a follow. Like many players, Martins also tweets fan-made art and other works, but few have admirers that have made an acrostic poem, or a cake.
18. Robbie Rogers (@RobbieRogers)
For Fans Of: Los Angeles Galaxy, visibility
Since his coming out, Rogers has fought for visibility for and against discrimination of LGBTQ athletes and served as an example for the next generation. And, occasionally he reveals very important opinions he holds on Twitter, among them that A League of Their Own is the best sports movie ever. I mean, he’s not wrong.
19. Stephanie Roche (@StephanieRoche9)
For Fans Of: Houston Dash, go-f***in’-lazos
Hey so remember that time Stephanie Roche scored the golazo of the year while playing for Peamount United in Ireland and was nominated for the Puskas Award for said golazo and then did another one pretty recently? Well, she plays in America now, for the Houston Dash, so if you are hungering for more Vine-worthy wonderstrikes, here you go.
20. Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@SydneyLeroux)
For Fans Of: Western New York Flash, USWNT, power couples
If you read nothing else that the USWNT forward has shared on her social media feeds, make it this beautiful post about empowering young women of color as an athlete. In addition to updates from the pitch and the road (especially during the Cup this summer!), expect to also find some live-tweeting (of European matches and Empire), banter with her fellow footballer husband, Sporting KC’s Dom Dwyer, and the best damn soccer-related proposal we’ve ever seen.
THE FORMER PLAYERS
21. Alecko Eskandarian (@alecko11)
For Fans Of: New York Cosmos
The Cosmos assistant coach and Cosmos B head coach is very good at Twitter. He is maybe not as good at table tennis, but he’s a good sport about it.
22. Brian Dunseth (@OriginalWinger)
For Fans Of: Real Salt Lake, USMNT, fashionable Instagrams
Although Brian Dunseth became the first player to appear with six different MLS clubs (and sign with seven), he’s best known now as the voice of the Claret and Cobalt. His Twitter is a reflection of his passion for the game and a variety of projects, including the Original Winger website and Bumpy Pitch, a soccer-centric fashion line.
23. Briana Scurry (@BriScurry)
For Fans Of: USWNT
At long last, the iconic USWNT goalkeeper is getting her due in the National Soccer Hall of Fame. The days of big gloves and acrobatic saves may be over, but Scurry has stayed busy as an advocate for America SCORES, an organization that uses sports and the arts to empower youth in America’s cities, and as an advocate for awareness about sports-related concussions. In addition to links and advocacy, Scurry has also shared stories about her own struggles following a sports-related concussion.
24. Jimmy Conrad (@JimmyConrad)
For Fans Of: San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City, goofiness
The funny, affable former all-star defender now makes videos for the soccer YouTube powerhouse that is KICKTV, and occasionally uses his Twitter to make silly bets with Mexican pop stars on high-stakes international games. And if Twitter isn’t enough for you, the guy is also apparently a trip on SnapChat.
25. Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy)
For Fans Of: USMNT, USWNT
The Men in Blazers call her “Super Julie,” and for good reason. The former USWNT star, current ESPN analyst, has become a great advocate and amplifier not just of women’s soccer in America, but women in sports in general. Come for the matchday commentary and analysis on the national teams, stay for more stories about women kicking ass on and off the pitch.
26. Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman)
For Fans Of: New England Revolution, USMNT, most MLS clubs, real talk
Maybe you already love him. Maybe you already hate him. Maybe it changes from day to day. Regardless of how you feel, the MLS star-turned-ESPN lead soccer analyst is a fount of information and, even if it sometimes hurts, real talk.
27. Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas)
For Fans Of: USMNT, MLS, TV, rock music
Lalas offers plenty of behind the scenes moments from his TV work (now with Fox Sports) as well as plenty of opinions about the game. He also answers questions from all-comers with his regular #AskAlexi sessions, and is a Zen master when it comes to politely batting away insults from would-be hecklers.