The USL Championship announced the 2026 USL Championship All-League Teams on Tuesday, honoring players for their standout regular season performances following a campaign which featured 16 first-time selections and six returnees among the honorees. Ihsan Sacko added his name to the list as he established himself as one of the league’s most productive attacking players throughout the 2026 season, leading Phoenix Rising in goals, assists and several key attacking categories. The forward claimed the USL Championship Golden Boot with 17 goals and added a team-high five assists, giving him 22 total goal contributions, the most in the league.
Sacko averaged a goal every 135.6 minutes across 2,305 minutes played, while also leading Rising in shots (63) and chances created (55). His performances earned him eight USL Championship Team of the Week selections, along with Goal of the Week honors in Week 2 and in June, was named the league’s Mid-Season Player of the Year.
2026 USL Championship All-League First Team
GK – Kris Shakes, New Mexico United (First Selection): The third-year pro led the league with 117 saves – tied for fourth-most in a single regular season – and logged a league-best 78.5% save percentage among Golden Glove-eligible goalkeepers while posting a -10.25 Goals Prevented mark to help New Mexico claim top spot in the Western Conference.
D – Joey Akpunonu, Charleston Battery (First Selection): In his second season with the Battery, Akpunonu served as a key figure on the back line, completing 1,855 passes – the most of any defender in the league – at an 88.7% accuracy rate. Akpunonu also logged 24 blocked shots and made 156 clearances while winning 78 duels at a 60.9% success rate and notched a pair of assists.
D – Devon Amoo-Mensah, Detroit City FC (Second Selection): The longtime DCFC stalwart earned his second selection in three seasons after an outstanding campaign anchoring the league’s best back line. Amoo-Mensah recorded 110 recoveries, 159 clearances and 24 blocked shots while making 31 interceptions and won 130 duels at a 58% success rate.
D – Kipp Keller, New Mexico United (First Selection): The St. Louis native came to the fore in his first full season with United, leading all defenders with 42 blocked shots and ranking fifth among defenders with 174 clearances. Keller also won 138 duels at a 73.4% success rate, including 90 aerial duels at a 77.6% success rate and notched four goals in a standout campaign.
D – Callum Montgomery, Detroit City FC (First Selection): The Canadian center back formed a standout pairing for Detroit with Amoo-Mensah, ranking sixth among defenders with 171 clearances and winning 141 duels at a 65% success rate, including 90 aerial duels at a 68.7% success rate. Montgomery also won 25 tackles at an 80.7% success rate to help lead the best defense in the league.
M – Blaine Ferri, Lexington SC (First Selection): In his first full campaign with LSC, Ferri came to the fore as he led the league with 72 chances created and 16 big chances created and logged nine assists along with four goals to help lead the side to a top four finish in the West and first playoff berth. The 26-year-old also recorded 149 recoveries – good for sixth among outfield players – and completed 1,379 passes at an 88.2% accuracy rate.
M – Aaron Molloy, Lexington SC (Fifth Selection): The Irish playmaker maintained his position among the league’s elite in securing his fifth consecutive First Team selection as he recorded five goals and six assists while notching 41 chances created in the campaign. Molloy also led all outfield players with 178 recoveries, ranked second to Joey Akpunonu with 1,665 completed passes at an86.4% accuracy rate, logged 102 duels won at a 57% success rate and 38 made interceptions.
M – Memo Rodríguez, Sacramento Republic FC (First Selection): The veteran playmaker made a seamless return to the Championship, where he launched his career a decade ago, as he recorded seven goals and nine assists for Republic FC. Rodríguez’s 16 goal contributions led all midfielders in the regular season while he also ranked fourth in the league with 64 chances created as he also completed 21 dribbles at a 60% success rate.
F – MD Myers, Tampa Bay Rowdies (Second Selection): Making the move to the Tampa Bay Rowdies during the offseason, Myers earned his second consecutive selection as he led the Players’ Shield winner with 13 goals while also notching four assists in the campaign. Myers averaged a goal every 159.2 minutes while also notching 19 chances created as he logged a third consecutive season with double-digit goals.
F – Rubio Rubín, El Paso Locomotive FC (First Selection): The Guatemala international had a career-best season in the Championship as he led Locomotive to a top three finish in the Western Conference. Rubín ranked second in the league with 16 goals as he averaged a goal every 136.4 minutes on a 53.3% shooting accuracy rate while notching four assists and 20 chances created as the side recorded its most regular season goals since 2022.
F – Ihsan Sacko, Phoenix Rising FC (First Selection): The French winger claimed the Golden Boot in his second season with Rising, scoring 17 goals in the regular season that included a run of five goals in the final three games to help lift the side into the postseason. Sacko averaged a goal every 135.6 minutes while posting a 65.1% shooting accuracy rate and also notched five assists on 22 chances created to lead the league with a +10.8 Goals Added mark.
The 2026 USL Championship Awards were voted on by club management and a league-wide media panel that included representation from every USL market.
