.jpg) Richards with theUnited States in 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Jeffrey Richards[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2000-03-28)March 28, 2000 (age 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Center-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Crystal Palace | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Texans SC Houston | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | FC Dallas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | →Bayern Munich (loan) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Bayern Munich II | 38 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Bayern Munich | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | →TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | →TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Crystal Palace | 71 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | United States U20 | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | United States U23 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | United States | 35 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of November 22, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of October 14, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher Jeffrey Richards (born March 28, 2000) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as acenter-back forPremier League clubCrystal Palace and theUnited States national team.
A youth player forFC Dallas in his home country, Richards began his professional career withBundesliga clubBayern Munich, initially playing for the club'sreserve team. After loan spells at1899 Hoffenheim, he was signed by Premier League club Crystal Palace in 2022, where he won theFA Cup in2025.
A former youth player for his country, Richards received his first senior call-up for the United States in 2020. He won theCONCACAF Nations League in2023; scoring inthe final, and2024.
Richards was raised inHoover, Alabama, and played youth soccer for Hoover SC. In 2016, he was cut from a trial with FC Dallas Academy and instead joined Texans SC in Houston.[3] He then joined FC Dallas Academy in 2017.[4]
On April 12, 2018, Richards signed a professional contract withFC Dallas.[5]
In May 2018, Richards, with his FC Dallas colleagueThomas Roberts, went to a 10-day trial atFC Bayern Munich as part of an agreement between the two clubs.[6] As a result of his performance during the trial, in July he was offered a one-year loan with the German club.[7]
On July 21, 2018, Richards debuted for the Bayern senior team at the2018 International Champions Cup, replacingSandro Wagner in the 62nd minute of the 3–1 win againstParis Saint-Germain F.C.[8] During the 2018–19 season, he spent time withBayern München U19s, becoming a team regular starter and being praised for his aerial abilities and his passing skills.[9] On January 19, 2019, Richards signed a $1.5 million permanent contract with FC Bayern Munich.[9][10] On August 19, 2019, he made his professional debut when he started forFC Bayern Munich II at the3. Liga in a 2–1 away win againstHallescher FC.[11] He made 30 appearances and scoring 4 goals for Bayern II in a team that won the 3. Liga.[12]
On June 20, 2020, Richards made his Bundesliga debut in a 3–1 victory overFreiburg.[13] On September 18, he made his first appearance of the2020–21 Bundesliga season in Bayern's opening match againstSchalke 04.[14] He made his first start for Bayern againstHertha BSC on October 4, in which he assisted aRobert Lewandowski goal in the 51st minute of a 4–3 win.[15]
On November 25, 2020, Richards made hisUEFA Champions League debut for Bayern in a 3–1 victory over Red Bull Salzburg. He left the game in the 79th minute when he was replaced byJavi Martínez.[16]
On February 1, 2021, Richards joined Bundesliga sideTSG Hoffenheim on loan for the remainder of the season.[17] On August 30, he returned to Hoffenheim on a season-long loan deal.[18]
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Richards signed a five-year contract withPremier League clubCrystal Palace on July 27, 2022, after being transferred from Bayern Munich for a €12 million fee.[19]
After making sporadic appearances in his first season, the2022–23 campaign, he began to appear more prominently in the following season,2023–24, initially out of position as a defensive midfielder underRoy Hodgson before shifting to his preferred centre-back position under new managerOliver Glasner's back three system.[20] He scored his first goal for the club on 24 February, opening the scoring in a 3–0 home win overBurnley, with his goal being Palace's first under Glasner in his first match in charge.[21]
At the start of the2024–25 season, Richards lost his place in the starting line-up to new loan signingTrevoh Chalobah, and was restricted to just six league starts in the first half of the season. However, his playing time increased following Chalobah's recall toChelsea in January 2025. Richards went on to form an essential part of the back line alongsideMarc Guéhi andMaxence Lacroix.[22] He scored his second goal for the club in a 5–2 defeat toManchester City on 12 April.[23] Palace went on to win theFA Cup, their first ever major trophy, and qualify for European competition for the first time; Richards received praise for his defensive shut-out performance in the 1–0 victory against City in the2025 FA Cup final.[24][25] He was the only Crystal Palace player to have played every minute of every tie in the competition.[26] He also became just the second American to play in and win an FA Cup final, afterTim Howard in2004.[27][28]
In January 2018, Richards was called for the MNT Youth National Team Summit Camp, which gathered 153 players from U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 Youth National Teams.[29][30] In May 2018, he made his debut for theUnited States U20 team in a match againstHonduras. On November 12, 2018, Richards was called for the2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship as one of the three replacements allowed before the beginning of the "Qualification Stage".[29][31] He, then, started in two of the tournament's three remaining matches, including the final, a 2–0 win, againstMexico.[32][29] On May 10, 2019, he was included by the coachTab Ramos in the 21-man squad called to represent the United States at the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[29][33] Richards started all of the five matches that the Americans played in the tournament, including the 3–2 win against the heavy favorites,France. Richards played the entire game in all but one of the matches (that againstNigeria).[34]
He received his first call up to the seniorUnited States squad for matches againstWales andPanama in November 2020.[35] He made his national team debut as a late substitute against Panama.[36] Richards scored his first goal for his country on 18 June 2023, scoring the first goal of United States' 2–0 win againstCanada in the2023 CONCACAF Nations League final.[37]
Richards' father, Ken Richards, playedcollege basketball atBirmingham–Southern College and later professionally inAustralia,Bolivia andIceland.[38]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bayern Munich II | 2019–20 | 3. Liga | 30 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 4 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 3. Liga | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 38 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 4 | ||||||
| Bayern Munich | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||
| TSG Hoffenheim (loan)[e] | 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | — | — | 2[f] | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||||
| Crystal Palace | 2022–23 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 1 | |||
| 2025–26 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3[g] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| Total | 71 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 144 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 171 | 8 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | |
| Total | 35 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 18, 2023 | Allegiant Stadium,Paradise, United States | 10 |  Canada | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final |
| 2 | June 19, 2025 | Q2 Stadium,Austin, United States | 27 |  Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3 | July 6, 2025 | NRG Stadium,Houston, United States | 31 |  Mexico | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup final |
Bayern Munich
Crystal Palace
United States U20
United States
Individual
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