US players in LaLiga – All American players have played in Spain

While no US player in LaLiga has yet reached the 100-cap mark, a number of players have crossed the Atlantic in recent years to play in Spain’s top flight.

Officially, there are only 10 players from the United States who have appeared in LaLiga. However, that does not include players such as Julian Araujo who chose to play international football for Mexico, or New Jersey-born Giuseppe Rossi, who made 171 appearances in the Primera Division for Villarreal, Celta Vigo and Levante, but represented Italy.

Former Espanyol player Luca Koleosho could also be added to this list, if he chooses to play for his country of birth at senior level, but he is currently progressing through Italy’s youth squad.

American Players in LaLiga – Ranked by total appearances

Player	Club	Appearance
Jonah Moses	Valencia	94
Luka de la Torre	Celta Vigo	59
Kasey Keller	Rayo Vallecano	51
Sergiño’s goal	Barcelona	51
Johnny Cardoso	Original Calf	26
Matt Miazga	Alaves	11
Jozy Altidore	Villareal	9
Shaq Moore	Levante	6
Matthew Hoppe	Mallorca	5
Oguchi Onyewu	Malaga	2

1. Jonah Moses

• Club: Valencia
• Appearances: 94
• Active: 2020-2023

The American player with the most appearances in the League is Yunus Musah with 94 games. Despite growing up in London and representing England at youth level, the midfielder was born in New York and has won more than 40 caps for the United States.

Musah was just 17 years old when he made his LaLiga debut for Valencia in a derby against city rivals Levante in September 2020. Shortly after, he became Los Che’s youngest foreign goalscorer and impressed with his energetic displays in midfield, in difficult times. period for one of Spain’s sleeping giants.

The Valencia owner’s penchant for cashing in on young assets means he will likely be sold at some point, and Musah completed a €21.7 million transfer to Milan in the summer of 2023.

2. Luka de la Torre

• Club: Celta Vigo
• Appearances: 59
• Active: 2022-

Of the USMNT players currently active in LaLiga, none has featured more than Luca de la Torre. The San Diego-born midfielder joined Celta Vigo on a four-year contract in 2022 and has trended in and out since then.

De la Torre scored his first goal in LaLiga against Osasuna in February 2024, but has since been injured. If he can overcome those issues, De la Torre will hope to play his part in Claudio Giraldez’s young Celta squad as he looks to catch Musah to become the American player with the most LaLiga appearances.

3. Kasey Keller

• Club: Rayo Vallecano
• Appearances: 51
• Active: 1999-2001

Kasey Keller broke new ground in the late 1990s at a time when American players were rarely seen in Europe, even though the country had begun to build a reputation for talented players.

While other Americans have appeared in the lower leagues in Spain, Keller is considered the first to appear in the Primera Division. He started the majority of Rayo Vallecano’s games during his two-year stay in the Spanish capital, helping the newly promoted side to an impressive 9th-place finish in his first season. Only once have Rayo finished higher in the top flight.

4. Sergiño’s goal

• Club: Barcelona
• Appearances: 51
• Active: 2020-2022

On the same level as Keller in 51 appearances is Sergiño Dest who became the first American player to play for Barcelona or appear in El Clasico.

Dest’s spell in Catalonia came at a difficult time for the club and he struggled to make enough of an impact to show he had a long-term future as Barca’s right-back. Loans to Milan and PSV followed, and he completed a permanent move to the Dutch club in the summer of 2024, despite recently suffering an ACL injury.

5. Johnny Cardoso

• Club: Real Betis
• Appearances: 26
• Active: 2024-

It is perhaps testament to America’s limited involvement in LaLiga that Johnny Cardoso, a player who only moved to Spain in 2024, is already fifth on the all-time appearances list.

Cardoso’s journey was far from ordinary. Born in New Jersey to Brazilian parents, he was only a few months old when he moved to Brazil and with Internacional in Porto Alegre, he made his big breakthrough in senior football.

The midfielder chose to represent the United States at international level and so far he has been a big star at Seville, impressing many with his calm play in midfield.

Current US players in LaLiga

Currently, Luca de la Torre and Johnny Cardoso are the only American players in LaLiga, at least in terms of those who have chosen to represent the United States at the international level.

18-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper Diego Kochen also recently received an international call-up for the United States. However, he is currently with the Barca B team in the Spanish third caste and has not yet appeared in LaLiga.