Eric Wynalda is a former American soccer forward, the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. National Team.

Wynalda scored the first goal ever in Major League Soccer in 1996 and was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.

Wynalda grew up in Westlake Village, California. After playing for the San Diego State University Aztecs, he earned his first cap against Costa Rica on February 2, 1990. Later that year, Wynalda played in his first World Cup and then became the first American-born player to play for a Bundesliga club. One of the first Americans to make a name for himself in European soccer,

In the 1994 World Cup, Eric scored on a free kick as the United States tied Switzerland.

Wynalda came back to the States in 1996, signing with Major League Soccer and the San Jose Clash. On April 6, 1996 Wynalda scored the first goal in league history in its inaugural game as the Clash beat D.C. United 1-0. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year.

However, Wynalda's MLS career never lived up to expectations, as he only matched the ten goals he scored in his first season once, in his last. In 1998, Wynalda participated in his third World Cup, one of four U.S. players to earn that honor. Claudio Reyna and Kasey Keller have since gone on to be named to a record four World Cup rosters. Wynalda was loaned out to Club Len in Mexico in 1999, and was traded by the Clash to the Miami Fusion later that year. In 2000, Wynalda was traded to the New England Revolution, and in 2001, to the Chicago Fire, where he finished his MLS career, ending up with a total of 34 MLS goals. A minor-league comeback attempt in 2002 was derailed by injury.

Wynalda retired from the US National Team as its all-time leading scorer with 34 goals in 106 appearances. He was named the Honda US Player of the Decade for the 1990s and elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004. Wynalda is currently a soccer analyst for ESPN. He is ESPN2's in-studio analyst for 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also picked fun at Kasey Keller's castle near his football club's town, saying it was overrated, during an ESPN World Cup game half-time report.