Miles Robinson (soccer) facts for kids
Robinson with the United States in 2025
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miles Gordon Robinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | March 14, 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Arlington, Massachusetts, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.87 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Center-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
FC Cincinnati | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | FC Boston Bolts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Syracuse Orange | 42 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | FC Boston | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2023 | Atlanta United | 123 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | → Charleston Battery (loan) | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | → Atlanta United 2 (loan) | 14 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | FC Cincinnati | 42 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | United States U20 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2024 | United States U23 (O.P.) | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | United States | 35 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:38, July 17, 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 19, 2025 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miles Gordon Robinson (born March 14, 1997) is an American professional soccer player. He plays as a center-back for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati. He also plays for the United States national team.
Miles started his soccer journey with FC Boston Bolts. Later, he played college soccer for the Syracuse Orange. After two seasons, he was chosen second overall in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by Atlanta United. He spent some time on loan with other teams to gain experience. By 2019, he became a regular starter for Atlanta United.
Miles made his first appearance for the United States national team in September 2019. In 2021, he was part of the team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup. He scored the winning goal in the final against Mexico.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Miles Robinson grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts. He became interested in soccer by watching his older sister, Rebecca, play. He started playing organized soccer when he was four years old.
He went to Arlington High School. There, he played for the school's basketball team. He was a top player, leading his team in scoring, assists, rebounds, and steals. His basketball coach praised his amazing skills and quick thinking on the court.
In soccer, Miles played for the youth team at FC Boston Bolts. This meant he could not play for his high school soccer team. Even at a young age, his coaches saw his great potential as a soccer player.
College Soccer Journey
In 2015, Miles decided to play college soccer at Syracuse University. He joined the Orange team. He played his first game on August 28, 2015.
On September 19, he scored his first goal for Syracuse. As a freshman, Miles started all 25 matches and scored four goals. In November 2015, Syracuse made it to the NCAA Tournament. Miles helped his team reach the College Cup. They played well but were knocked out in a penalty shootout.
Miles was recognized for his strong play during his freshman year. He earned a spot on the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) All-Tournament Team.
In his second year, Miles was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He started all 17 matches and scored four more goals. Syracuse again qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2016. After the season, he was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association All-America First Team.
Club Career Highlights
Starting with FC Boston
After his first college season, Miles joined FC Boston. This was a semi-professional team linked to his youth club. He played six matches for them in 2016. He was recognized as one of the best college defenders by the United Soccer League.
Time with Atlanta United
On January 4, 2017, Miles decided to leave Syracuse early. He signed a special contract with Major League Soccer to enter the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. On January 13, Atlanta United chose him as the second overall pick.
Loan Spells
To get more playing time, Miles was loaned to the United Soccer League club Charleston Battery in May 2017. He made his professional debut there on May 25. He scored his first goal for the Battery on July 26.
He returned to Atlanta United briefly in June 2017 to play in a U.S. Open Cup match. This was his only game for Atlanta in his first professional season. In 2018, he also played for Atlanta United 2, the club's reserve team, to gain more experience.
Becoming a Key Player
Miles started to play more regularly for Atlanta United in 2018. He even played in the MLS playoffs. In November 2018, he started in a big playoff game against New York City FC. Atlanta United won that game and later won MLS Cup 2018, becoming champions!
The 2019 season was a breakthrough for Miles. Under new coach Frank de Boer, he became a solid starter in defense. He played in 33 out of 34 regular season matches. On June 18, he scored his first goal for Atlanta United in a U.S. Open Cup match.
In August 2019, Miles helped Atlanta United win the Campeones Cup. He also started in the U.S. Open Cup Final on August 27, where Atlanta United won again. This was his second major trophy. He finished third in the voting for MLS Defender of the Year and was named to the MLS Best XI for 2019. He signed a new contract with the club until 2023.
Miles faced some injuries, including a hamstring injury in late 2019 and a quad strain in early 2020. These injuries kept him off the field for a while. In 2021, he was chosen to play in the MLS All-Star Game. The MLS All-Stars won in a penalty shootout.
In May 2022, Miles suffered a serious injury, tearing his left Achilles tendon. This meant he missed a lot of playing time, including the 2022 World Cup.
Joining FC Cincinnati
On January 3, 2024, Miles Robinson joined FC Cincinnati as a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with an option for another year. He has continued to be a strong defender for his new team.
International Career
Miles has played for the United States at different youth levels. He played for the under-20 and under-23 teams.
On August 28, 2019, Miles was called up to the senior national team. He made his international debut on September 6 against Mexico. On January 31, 2021, Miles scored his first goal for the national team in a big 7–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago.
In July 2021, Miles was chosen for the 23-man United States squad for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He was expected to be a key defender. He started in all six matches. In a group stage game against Martinique, he scored a goal in a 6–1 victory.
On August 1, 2021, Miles started in the Gold Cup final against Mexico. The game was tied 0–0 and went into extra time. In the 117th minute, Miles scored the winning goal with a header! This gave the United States a 1–0 victory and the championship.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Boston | 2016 | PDL | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Atlanta United | 2017 | MLS | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2018 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||||
| 2019 | 34 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |||
| 2020 | 17 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |||||
| 2021 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | ||||
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||||
| 2023 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 32 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 123 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 150 | 4 | ||
| Charleston Battery (loan) | 2017 | USL | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | ||||
| Atlanta United 2 (loan) | 2018 | USL | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||||
| FC Cincinnati | 2024 | MLS | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 42 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 191 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 230 | 8 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2019 | 2 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | 3 | |
- As of match played March 21, 2024. United States score listed first, score column indicates score after each Robinson goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 31, 2021 | Exploria Stadium, Orlando, United States | 3 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
5–0 | 7–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | July 15, 2021 | Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, United States | 5 |  Martinique |
3–0 | 6–1 | 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 3 | August 1, 2021 | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, United States | 9 |  Mexico |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final |
Awards and Honors
Miles Robinson has won several important awards and championships throughout his career:
With Atlanta United
- MLS Cup: 2018
- U.S. Open Cup: 2019
- Campeones Cup: 2019
With the United States National Team
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2021
- CONCACAF Nations League: 2022–23, 2023–24
Individual Awards
- ACC Defender of the Year: 2016
- MLS Best XI: 2019, 2021
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2021
- MLS All-Star: 2021, 2025
