With 25 players in the 2026 FIFA World Cup having played at least a season of American college soccer, it is clear that the platform remains an excellent developmental medium. Here is a deep dive into the collegiate careers of the 25 players representing six nations.

United States

Max Arfsten, UC Davis(m) (2019-21)

Despite one interruption after another, Arfsten enjoyed a standout three years with UC Davis, recording 17 goal contributions in 39 appearances before signing a homegrown deal with the San Jose Earthquakes. In those three years, he played only two college seasons, as his sophomore year was canceled due to COVID, before returning from a broken foot to win the 2021 Big West Offensive Player of the Year.

Sebastian Berhalter, North Carolina(m) (2019)

Berhalter played one collegiate season before signing a homegrown deal with the Columbus Crew. In that lone year, the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder started 9 of 17 matches.

Matt Freese, Harvard(m) (2017-18)

The 2018 Second Team All-Ivy League selection played two seasons with Harvard. Freese won just three of his 16 appearances with the Crimson, yet impressed enough for the Philadelphia Union to sign him to a homegrown deal after his sophomore campaign. 

Mark McKenzie, Wake Forest(m) (2017)

McKenzie played one college season, starting five of his 16 appearances for the Deacs before signing a homegrown deal with the Philadelphia Union. The New York native made the All-ACC Tournament team and would have had a greater impact had he not missed multiple games to compete with the U.S. U18 national team.

Tim Ream, Saint Louis(m) (2006-09)

It is fitting that Ream, a Saint Louis-born soccer legend, played for his hometown institution before embarking on a storied professional career. Before the New York Red Bulls selected him 18th in the 2010 draft, the USMNT captain enjoyed four collegiate seasons, starting 68 of his 82 appearances, and earning A10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-American honors as a conference tournament-winning senior.

Miles Robinson, Syracuse(m) (2015-16)

Robinson played two collegiate seasons before Atlanta United selected him with the second pick in the 2017 draft. Those two years were dominant as he started all 42 appearances, led the team to a College Cup semi-final as a freshman, earned All-American honors, and was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. 

Cristian Roldan, Washington(m) (2013-14)

Roldan has spent his entire career in Washington, beginning with signing for the university in 2013. He made an immediate impact with the Huskies, starting all 22 games as a freshman ranked No. 2 by TopDrawerSoccer and winning the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honor. An All-American sophomore season followed, resulting in a Generation Adidas contract, with the Seattle Sounders selecting him 16th in the 2015 draft.

Matt Turner, Fairfield(m) (2012-15)

It is well-documented how Turner went from a program walk-on and undrafted prospect to one of the best goalkeepers in American history. At Fairfield, the New Jersey-native earned 20 clean sheets in 39 appearances and received Second Team All-Conference honors as a senior before signing a professional contract with the New England Revolution after a preseason trial in 2016.

Canada

Moise Bombito, Iowa Western Community College & New Hampshire(m) (2020-22)

In perhaps the most unique prep background, Bombito played a season of college soccer in Canada, signed with Iowa Western, led the team to the 2021 NJCAA national title as an All-American, then dominated his lone season with New Hampshire and earned America East Defensive Player of the Year. That performance led the Colorado Rapids to pick him third in the 2023 draft. 

Tajon Buchanan, Syracuse(m) (2017-18)

Before becoming a La Liga hat-trick-scoring star, Buchanan spent two seasons at Syracuse before the New England Revolution drafted him 9th overall in 2019. He started 32 of 33 matches for the Orange, scored 12 goals to go along with six assists, and earned All-ACC honors both years.

Alistair Johnston, St. John's(m) & Wake Forest(m) (2016-19)

Johnston split his four years of college soccer evenly between St. John’s and Wake Forest before Nashville SC selected him 11th in the 2020 MLS Draft. He began as a center midfielder with the Red Storm, where he started all 36 appearances and scored ten goals in a box-to-box role. At Wake Forest, he moved to right back, initially playing 21 games off the bench in 2018 before becoming a starter and team captain on the 2019 team that reached the College Cup semi-final. 

Cyle Larin, Connecticut(m) (2013-14)

From an individual perspective, Larin has a case as the most successful collegiate player on this list, as the only one selected first overall in the MLS draft. Before beginning a professional career that has so far produced 159 goals, he showed signs of his finishing prowess with the Huskies, scoring 14 as a freshman and 9 as a sophomore. The Canadian striker earned AAC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year honors before signing a Generation Adidas deal that allowed Orlando City to draft him in 2015.

Richie Laryea, Akron(m) (2014-15)

Before Orlando City drafted Laryea with the 7th pick in 2016, the versatile veteran had a successful two-year stint with Akron. The 2015 All-American started all 42 appearances, capped by a sophomore year in which he scored 11 and assisted 7 to lead the Zips to the College Cup semifinal before signing a Generation Adidas deal to enter the MLS draft.

Tani Oluwaseyi, St. John's(m) (2018-21)

Despite injury and the COVID-19 pandemic affecting his collegiate tenure, Oluwaseyi still enjoyed a fruitful four years with St. John’s, scoring 20 in 49 appearances and earning Big East Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2019. Minnesota United selected the Nigerian-born striker 17th in the 2022 draft after injury limited him to just two senior appearances.

Jacen Russell-Rowe, Maryland(m) (2020-21)

Russell-Rowe had a solid two-year stint with the Terps and has risen rapidly since leaving college soccer. After scoring four in 26 college appearances, the Canadian forward signed a homegrown deal with Toronto, then was traded to the Columbus Crew, where he won the 2022 MLS Next Pro MVP after scoring 21 in 19 matches.

Dayne St. Clair, Maryland(m) (2015-18)

Another Canadian to go through Maryland, St. Clair was a backup his first two college seasons before starting as a redshirt sophomore in 2017, and then leading the team to the national title as an All-American and NCAA Tournament Defensive MVP in 2018. Minnesota United then selected the future MLS Goalkeeper of the Year with the 7th pick in the 2019 draft.

New Zealand

Joe Bell, Virginia(m) (2017-2019)

One could argue that Bell had the best college career of anyone on this list. To begin, he was named the TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Year in 2019, was the ACC Midfielder of the Year that season, and scored in the eventual College Cup final loss to Georgetown. He also made his New Zealand senior national team debut while still on the Virginia roster.

Michael Boxall, UC Santa Barbara(m) (2007-2010)

Santa Barbara has a history of New Zealand recruits going on to play for the national team, and Boxall is the most prominent example. After finishing his UC Santa Barbara career with a Big West title and fourth all-time in minutes played, the center back was drafted first by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2011 MLS supplemental draft.

Jesse Randall, Northern Kentucky(m) (2021)

The 2021 Horizon League Freshman of the Year played just one college soccer season before moving back to New Zealand to begin his professional career. In that award-winning campaign, Randall led Northern Kentucky in goals (10), assists (5), and points (25). 

Francis de Vries, St. Francis (Pa.)(m) (2013-16)

Although St. Francis is now an NCAA DIII school, when de Vries played there, it was still a burgeoning DI institution that he led to a regular-season NEC title in 2014. In four dominant seasons, the center back won NEC Defensive Player of the Year honors twice before the Vancouver Whitecaps selected him with the 29th pick in the 2017 draft. 

Haiti 

Derrick Etienne Jr., Virginia(m) (2015)

Although American-born, Etienne has long represented the Haitian national team, dating back to a U17 appearance in 2013, two years before he signed with Virginia. That one year saw him start 10 of 17 appearances as an ACC All-Freshman Team honoree, and the New York Red Bulls signed him to a homegrown contract.

Duke Lacroix, Penn(m) (2011-14)

The New Jersey-born Lacroix enjoyed four impressive Ivy League seasons with Penn before going undrafted and signing with Indy Eleven in the now-defunct NASL to begin his professional career in 2015. The 2011 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and 2013 Offensive POTY captained the team as a junior and senior, started 67 of 68 appearances, and finished as just the third player in program history to earn All-Conference honors in all four seasons.

Frantzdy Pierrot, Northeastern(m) & Coastal Carolina(m) (2014-2017)

Before becoming a Haitian national team legend and UEFA Champions League goal-scoring striker, Pierrot split his time between Northeastern and Coastal Carolina. With the Huskies, the towering striker scored ten goals in 34 appearances, receiving CAA Rookie of the Year honors in 2014. He hit another level with the Chanticleers, scoring 25 goals in 41 appearances, earning 2017 Sun Belt POTY honors, and leading the team to a Cinderella NCAA tournament run. Pierrot was then drafted 27th by the Colorado Rapids in the 2018 MLS draft, although he never signed with the club, opting instead to begin his professional career with Mouscron in Belgium.

Jordan

Mohammad Abu Al-Nadi, Notre Dame(m) & Pittsburgh(m) (2019-22)

Abulabadi's collegiate career, split evenly between two institutions, ended fairly recently, as there are current college players who played in his last season (2022). The Kansas-born center back had a solid prep career, starting 51 of his 59 appearances before signing an MLS Next Pro contract with Sporting KC in 2023.

Sweden

Hjalmar Ekdal, UNC Wilmington(m) (2017)

Few are aware that Ekdal, who just finished a Premier League season with Burnley, played a season of college soccer with UNC Wilmington. That lone campaign was incredibly dominant as the Swedish center back started all 20 matches, won CAA Rookie of the Year, and made the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI team, while helping the program to the NCAA tournament. Ekdal signed a professional contract with IK Frej in the Swedish second division shortly after that season concluded.