Born March 9, 1983 in Nacogdoches, Texas, Dempsey is widely regarded as one of the greatest American soccer players of all time. “Deuce” brought swagger and creativity to his 141 international appearances for the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and was the first American to score in three different World Cups (2006, 2010 & 2014). He is tied with Landon Donovan as the joint all-time leading scorer for the USMNT with 57 goals. Dempsey’s worldwide travels began with his parents driving 6 hours roundtrip from Nacogdoches three times a week so he could play youth soccer with the Dallas Texans. A dynamic forward and midfielder, he played college soccer for Furman in South Carolina where he scored 17 goals, had 19 assists and led the school to a pair of NCAA D1 tournament appearances. Dempsey was the 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year with the New England Revolution before making a significant impact over seven seasons at Fulham FC (2006-2013) in the English Premier League. He scored 50 goals for Fulham and was named Fulham Player of the Season two times. Dempsey became the 1st American to play in a major European Final when Fulham lost to Athletico Madrid in the 2010 Europa League. He later joined Tottenham Hotspur FC from 2012-2014 and then returned to MLS in 2025 to star for the Seattle Sounders for four seasons. He scored 47 goals in 115 matches before retiring in 2018. Dempsey was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2022. Dempsey is a member of the TSHOF Class of 2026.
