Who are the 50 best players in the USL Championship? There isn’t a perfect answer. For one, you have to weigh individual talent against actual on-field performances. A player’s team context and role make a difference, and there’s a happy medium to be found between statistics and the eye test.
That’s a roundabout way of saying that dozens and dozens of USL players deserve their flowers – even if a handful are a little bit more deserving than others. Between high-scoring forwards, muscular defenders, and tempo-setting center mids, I’ve tried to find the 50 players that are making the biggest mark in 2026.
Naturally, there were hard decisions to be made. Of the eight defenders that made the all-USL teams in 2025, only two appear on this list. Injuries and outgoing transfers – Clay Holstad would’ve ranked highly, only to join FC Dallas this week – eliminated some candidates back. More than anything else, the list captures a specific point in time.
The players that made the cut came in various shapes and sizes. One new addition to the list is an up-and-coming 19-year-old; another, amidst a career renaissance, is about to turn 35. Of the Championship’s 25 clubs, 21 are represented, and the list is almost equally divided between players from the Eastern and Western Conferences.
With all that said, let’s rank the USL Championship's top 50 players for 2026.
50. Miguel Berry, FW, Charleston Battery & Colton Swan, FW, Charleston Battery
Berry and Swan are both new to the Lowcountry in 2026, and it’s impossible to separate their impact from one another. Swan, 19, wouldn’t have scored seven league goals on 0.73 xG+xA per 90 without Berry’s set-up play; Berry, 29, has room to challenge defenses because of Swan’s growing gravity. That ascendant partnership has Charleston in the Players’ Shield race yet again, and it’s the perfect example of how two great players can elevate each other to a higher level.
49. Cam Lindley, CM, Indy Eleven
In an Indy side that’s all about pace and power, Cam Lindley brings something different to the table. The rest of the Eleven midfield is full of hard-charging ferocity, whereas Lindley offers composure, efficiency, and intelligence at the No. 6 spot. That the 29-year-old is winning 65% of his ground duels – a 95th percentile mark – speaks to the quality of his decision-making and positioning. On the ball, Lindley combines metronomic passing with a sharp edge closer to goal. He’s created 10 set piece chances this year and posted 0.2 xA per 90 minutes, marks that any holding mid would be jealous of.
