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Who Are the Best Sporting Kansas City Soccer Players of All Time?

Sporting Kansas City joined the MLS in 1996 and was formerly known as the Kansas City Wizards. The club has achieved success during its history as they have claimed four US Open Cups, two MLS Cups, and the 2000 Supporters’ Shield. Who are some of the best players to represent Sporting Kansas City, and what are some of their accomplishments with the club? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 Best Sporting Kansas City Players of All Time

Graham Zusi
Matt Besler
Preki
Tony Meola
Nick Garcia
Chris Klein
Dom Dwyer
Davy Arnoud
Tim Melia
Johnny Russell

1. Graham Zusi

2013 MLS champion
Three-time US Open Cup winner
Most games in Kansas City history

Graham Zusi was a second-round selection in the 2009 MLS Draft by Sporting Kansas City. Zusi has played more games than any other player for the club and has won four trophies with Kansas City. The right-back won his first of three US Open Cups in 2012. The other times were in 2014 and 2017. Zusi also helped Kansas City win the MLS Cup in 2013. The defender became a main part of the starting lineup in 2011 when he played in 32 games and had five goals and five assists.

Zusi had the third most assists in the MLS with 11 in 2012. He had 12 goal contributions in each of the following two seasons as well. Although the defender’s offensive output slowed down over time, he remained a force on the defensive side of the ball for Kansas City, leading the MLS in touches and minutes in 2018. Zusi is still a member of the club in 2023. The right-back has appeared in 407 matches across all competitions for the club, which is the most in its history. His 35 goals are the ninth most for Kansas City, and his 60 assists are the second most for the club.

2. Matt Besler

2013 MLS champion
Three-time US Open Cup winner
Third-most games in Kansas City history

Matt Besler was taken as the eighth pick in the 2009 MLS Draft by Sporting Kansas City. Besler was a defensive anchor for the club and won four trophies during his 12-year tenure. The center-back won three US Open Cups with Kansas City as well as the 2013 MLS Cup. Although he made his debut for the club in 2009, Besler did not get his first goal contribution until 2011, when he scored two goals and had an assist.

His highest offensive output for the club came in 2017 when he had four goal contributions. Besler played in 12 seasons with Kansas City before joining Austin F.C. for the 2021 campaign. The center-back retired after that. Besler’s 345 appearances across all competitions for Sporting Kansas City are the third most in the club’s history. The defender had three goals and 16 assists during his tenure.

3. Preki

Two-time MLS MVP
2000 MLS champion
Most goals and assists in Kansas City history

Preki played professionally in Serbia and England before joining Sporting Kansas City in 1996. Preki was a two-time MVP and holds many records with the club. The attacking midfielder scored 18 goals and had nine assists in his first season in the MLS. The Serbian player won the MVP Award in his second season while having 12 goals and 12 assists. Preki scored another ten goals in 1998. The midfielder helped Kansas City win the 2000 MLS Cup. 2001 saw an uptick in production as Preki had 18 goal contributions for the first time since 1998.

The midfielder won his second MVP in 2003 after having another 12-goal and 12-assist season. He had double-digit goal contributions in his first eight seasons with the club and retired after the 2005 season. Across 241 competitions, Preki finished with the most goals and assists in Kansas City’s history with 78 and 67, respectively.

4. Tony Meola

2000 MLS MVP
2000 MLS champion
Tied for the Second-most games by a goalie in Kansas City history

Tony Meola joined Sporting Kansas City in 1999 after playing his first three MLS seasons with the MetroStars. Meola was an MVP and MLS champion during his six-year tenure with the club. The goaltender did not fare well in his first season in Kansas City, as he sported a 1-8 record. Meola flipped the switch in 2000, as he led the MLS with 16 clean sheets, an 82.1 save percentage, and 0.92 goals allowed per 90 minutes.

The goalie won the 2000 MLS MVP Award and helped the club win its first MLS Cup that year. After four more seasons and over 80 starts in net, Meola left the club and played two more seasons in the MLS before retiring. Meola appeared in 142 matches across all competitions for Kansas City which is tied for the second most by a goalie in club history.

5. Nick Garcia

2000 MLS champion
248 games for Kansas City

Nick Garcia was the second overall selection in the 2000 MLS Draft by Sporting Kansas City. Garcia was a defensive staple for the team for nearly a decade and helped the club win an MLS Cup. The center-back played in 32 games during his rookie season in the MLS and helped Kansas City hoist its first-ever MLS Cup. Garcia started every single league game that he played in for the club during his eight seasons in Kansas City.

The defender was not known for his offensive skills, as he only accumulated one goal and one assist with the club. Garcia was a defensive mainstay for the team, though, and placed in the top ten in the MLS in minutes played on three different occasions. After the 2007 season, the defender played for San Jose and Toronto F.C. before retiring. Garcia played in 248 games as a member of Sporting Kansas City, which is the eighth most games by a player in club history.

6. Chris Klein

2000 MLS champion
Third-most assists in Kansas City history
Seventh-most goals in Kansas City history

Chris Klein was the fourth overall pick in the 1998 MLS Draft by Sporting Kansas City. Klein played in eight seasons with the club and is in the top ten for both goals and assists in the club’s history. The right midfielder received his first amount of major playing time in 1999 when he had six goals and three assists. Klein helped Kansas City claim its first MLS Cup in 2000 while scoring six goals and adding five assists.

The midfielder had double-digit goal contributions in two other seasons while with the club, coming in his final two seasons in Kansas City in 2004 and 2005. Klein played six more seasons in the MLS before retiring in 2010. The midfielder played 216 games across all competitions for the club. His 42 goals place seventh in Kansas City’s history, and his 38 assists are the third most ever for the club.

7. Dom Dwyer

2013 MLS champion
Two-time US Open Cup sinner
Second-most goals in Kansas City history

Dom Dwyer was drafted 16th in the 2012 MLS Draft by Sporting Kansas City. Dwyer was with the club for eight years and is one of the best goal-scorers in the team’s history. The center forward played in just one match in 2012 but burst onto the scene in 2013 with 15 goals in 13 league games. Dwyer won the MLS Cup with Kansas City that year. He scored just two goals in the following season but netted 23 goals in 2014. Dwyer won his first of two US Open Cups in 2015, with the other award coming in 2017.

The forward had 16 goals in 2015 and 12 goals in 2016. Dwyer played one more season for Kansas City before joining Orlando City for the 2017 campaign. Through 155 games for the club, Dwyer scored 68 goals which is the second most by a player in Sporting’s history.

8. Davy Arnaud

Fifth-most goals in Kansas City history
Fifth-most games in Kansas City history
Ninth-most assists in Kansas City history

Davy Arnaud was selected in the fifth round of the 2002 MLS Draft by Sporting Kansas City. Arnaud played for a decade for the club and statistically ranks among some of the best in the club’s history. The central midfielder became a main part of the starting lineup in 2004 when he contributed nine goals and four assists. Arnaud once again had double-digit goal contributions in 2005, with five goals and five assists.

The midfielder had four goals and nine assists in 2007 as well. Arnaud last played for Kansas City in 2011. He played four more seasons in the MLS before retiring. Arnaud played 259 games for the club across all competitions and scored 47 goals, both of which are the fifth most in club history. His 23 assists are also the ninth most for Kansas City.

9. Tim Melia

Two-time US Open Cup winner
Most games by a goalie in Kansas City history
Most clean sheets in Kansas City history

Tim Melia first played for Chivas in the MLS before joining Sporting Kansas City in 2015. Melia is still the starting goaltender for the club and has the most games played by a goalie in club history. The New York native won eleven games and had eight clean sheets during his first season in Kansas City. The goaltender also helped the club to win the US Open Cup that season, something that Sporting also did in 2017. Melia put up the same stats in the following season as well.

The goalie had double-digit winning seasons from 2016 to 2021, with a career-best 18 victories in 2018. He also had two seasons with double-digit clean sheets coming in 2016 and 2017. The goaltender is still with the club for the 2023 campaign. Melia has appeared in 252 games across all competitions and has 78 clean sheets for Kansas City, both of which are the most in club history.

10. Johnny Russell

Third-most goals in Kansas City history
Fifth-most assists in Kansas City history
Three-year Kansas City captain

Johnny Russell joined Sporting Kansas City after previously playing professionally in Scotland and England. Russell is one of the best offensive players in the history of the club, as he is in the club’s top five for both goals and assists. The right-winger scored ten goals and had seven assists in 2018 after joining Sporting. The Scottish player had 23 goal contributions over the following two seasons.

Russell was named the captain of the squad in 2021 and has held the title ever since. The winger had 15 goals and eight assists that season for Kansas City. Russell is still with the club and has two goals so far in 2023. In his 177 games for the club, the winger has 55 goals and 32 assists which are the third and fifth most, respectively, in Kansas City’s history.