Less than two years away from a groundbreaking, sport-altering, nation-rejoicing World Cup arriving on U.S. soil, the American game is clearly on the rise. On both the men's and women's side, 2024 was a genuine turning point, a year in which everything - well, eventually - pointed toward growth.

And in that spirit, GOAL - the world’s largest soccer-dedicated media platform - is celebrating the end of the year and the culmination of the MLS, NWSL, USL and U.S. National Team seasons with its inaugural GOAL Champions Awards.

GOAL Champions is a first-of-its-kind celebration of soccer culture in the United States. With an emphasis on the men, women, clubs, moments, vibes and everything else that matters to the American fan, Goal Champions encapsulates the passion for the beautiful game in North America.

GOAL Champions isn’t focused on a single league, competition or gender; rather it defies traditions, celebrates diversity, commemorates the best of soccer and celebrates everyone - including the fans - fueling the meteoric rise of the game in the U.S.

And there’s ample evidence. Consider for a moment Emma Hayes and Mauricio Pochettino, new coaches for the U.S. women’s and men’s national teams, respectively. Not only did both bring massive resumes to the U.S. in 2024, they bring something more valuable: hope.

Both are legitimate top-level managers, and both have approaches and methods to push the American game forward - with Hayes already unbeaten in 15 matches with an Olympic gold medal in hand. The country's soccer fans are fortunate to have coaches with that type of vision. 

Factor in world-class players - from Christian Pulisic to the Triple Espresso threat of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson, and dozens of others - and the impact that American players are having both domestically and globally is astonishing.

And it goes beyond the national teams. Lionel Messi-mania took over MLS last season, and that hype carried over. His arrival at Inter Miami made a global talking point of American soccer but, even beyond Messi, the domestic leagues in the U.S. continue to thrive.

Messi remains a massive draw, but MLS continues to expand and raise the level of excitement in the game overall. The playoffs proved that defining an era doesn't always mean winning, as Inter Miami fell in the first round - and the LA Galaxy eventually won their sixth MLS Cup. And MLS once again had record attendance - the league's 12.1 million attendees was second among all global soccer leagues in 2024, bettered by only the English Premier League and more than 1 million ahead of La Liga.

The NWSL, meanwhile, wrapped a highly successful season - with the championship claimed by Orlando City - a campaign in which the league spent more than ever before on international signings. Like MLS, NWSL set an attendance record in 2024 - surpassing two million fans in regular season for the first time in league history - and enjoyed escalating ratings. Women's soccer is growing worldwide, and the American game is leading the way.

And the USL is making waves on both the men's and women's side, offering more opportunities than ever before. The U.S. is vast and the USL is filling its role perfectly as a strong talent developer for both young rising stars and late bloomers.

The American game feels healthy, which wasn't always the case a decade or so ago, particularly outside of MLS. The foundations have been put in place, domestic leagues are building, and ambitions have never been greater.

And that’s what GOAL Champions represents - the most unique and most compelling players, coaches, fans and moments in U.S. soccer - with award winners voted for by GOAL’s roster of journalists and content creators, in both the US and abroad, recognizing the impact soccer has in the U.S. and on the global stage.

- GOAL Staff