Cristian
Espinoza
F
#7
Cristian Espinoza
#7F
Nashville SC
Height : 5' 9" · Weight : 161 lbs · Age : 31
MLS record
| Year | Team | FC | FA | RC | YC | OG | APP | SUB | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current season | Nashville SC | 20 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 13 |
Salary
Nashville SC payroll →- 2026 guaranteed comp.
- 2.34 M$
- Base salary
- 1.96 M$
- Rank on the club
- #3 of 25
Guaranteed compensation: base salary plus signing bonuses and other guaranteed money, annualized; performance bonuses are not included. Contract length is not made public.
Advanced stats, 2026 Attacking midfielders and wingers
MLS stats →2026 season, in progress (1,819 minutes played). The percentile ranks the player among regular attacking midfielders and wingers (1,000+ minutes over a full season): 90th means better than 90% of them.
Goals
4
56th percentile
Assists
10
96th percentile
Expected goals (xG)
3.5
45th percentile
Expected assists (xA)
6.6
88th percentile
Goals − xG
+0.5
64th percentile
Key passes
55
91th percentile
Pass completion
71.4 %
21th percentile
Passes over expected
+0.4 /100
68th percentile
g+ per 90
−0.01
47th percentile
Minutes
1,819
Regular season. xG: expected goals from chance quality; xA: expected assists. Passes over expected: completed passes above expectation, per 100 passes, given their difficulty. g+: goals added, above the position average. Data: American Soccer Analysis.
2027 projection
MLS trends →Projected WAR
0.1
Confidence: high · based on the backtest and minutes played
Projected minutes
2,532
WAR 2026
-0.1
Minutes played
1,819
The pace of the last three seasons (WAR per minute, 60/25/15), pulled toward the group average as if 1,000 more minutes, over the minutes expected from the last two seasons, adjusted for age. Method chosen by backtest (2023 to 2026): mean error of 0.24 wins.
Trend
↓ Slight decline (-10)
- 20230.3 WAR · 0.27 per 3,000 min
- 20240.0 WAR · 0.00 per 3,000 min
- 20250.5 WAR · 0.50 per 3,000 min
- 2026-0.1 WAR · -0.16 per 3,000 min
The trend compares this season's WAR per 3,000 minutes with last season's (at least 500 minutes each), weighted by playing time.
Outlook, age included
-25 · 31 y.o. · the age when performance usually declines
It is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, transfers or role changes.
Player ratings, 2026
All ratings →Ratings from 0 to 100, computed over four seasons from data, never by hand, against regulars in the same position group. 75 = established regular, 87 = 90th percentile, 95+ = elite. EX counts his MLS seasons since 2021, from our data: his career elsewhere is not included.
OV · Overall
80
Very good
- VIS
- Vision
- 95
- DRI
- Dribbling
- 77
- SHO
- Shot threat
- 64
- PAS
- Passing
- 80
- FIN
- Finishing
- 72
- MOV
- Movement
- 73
- DUR
- Durability
- 86
- EX
- Experience
- 76
Why these ratings?Hide details
- VIS — Vision : Expected assists and key passes per 90
- DRI — Dribbling : Goals added by carrying the ball
- SHO — Shot threat : Expected goals and shots per 90
- PAS — Passing : Goals added by passing, passes completed over expected
- FIN — Finishing : Goals over expected goals, shot quality
- MOV — Movement : Goals added by receiving: getting open to receive
- DUR — Durability : Share of his club's minutes played, over several seasons
- EX — Experience : MLS seasons since 2021 (our data)
WAR and PAL Rating, 2026
How we rate →WAR: the goals added (g+) of each of his actions, above replacement level (the per-minute output of his group's fringe players), converted to standings points (0.64 points per goal), then to wins (3 points = one win). PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against regulars in the same group (50 = median).
WAR
-0.1
#42 of 90 regular attacking midfielders and wingers
−0.6 goals above replacement
PAL Rating
84 / 100
#15 of 90 regular attacking midfielders and wingers
Value Rating · 2026
Sporting contract value
36 / 100
The surplus: his 2026 WAR (-0.1) × the price of a win ($3.6M), minus his 2026 guaranteed compensation, against other attacking midfielders and wingers. Commercial value (tickets, sponsors, media rights) is not counted.Salary$2.3MSurplus−$2.7MWAR paid0.64PAL: dimensions
Where WAR comes from (in wins)
Carrying the ball and beating defenders, minus the balls lost.
Getting open and receiving the ball in dangerous areas.
Breaking up the opponent's play: tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocked shots.
The value of his shots: the quality of the chance and what he makes of it.
Fouls drawn (free kicks, penalties won) minus fouls committed.
How his passes change his team's chances of scoring and conceding.
The parts above are measured against the position average. This adjustment moves the baseline to a fringe player in his group, prorated by minutes: positive when fringe players do worse than average, negative when they do better.
| Season | Team | Min | WAR | PAL | OV | G | A | xG | xA | g+/90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | NSH | 1,819 | -0.1 | 84 | 80 | 4 | 10 | 3.5 | 6.6 | −0.01 |
| 2025 | SJ | 3,017 | 0.5 | 97 | 89 | 4 | 8 | 3.9 | 13.5 | +0.06 |
| 2024 | SJ | 3,275 | 0.0 | 78 | 82 | 4 | 12 | 5.5 | 9.7 | −0.02 |
| 2023 | SJ | 3,368 | 0.3 | 91 | 86 | 13 | 8 | 8.2 | 9.7 | −0.01 |
| 2022 | SJ | 3,054 | -0.1 | 69 | 78 | 7 | 9 | 7.7 | 8.0 | −0.04 |
Cristian Espinoza in five questions
How many goals does Cristian Espinoza have in 2026?
Cristian Espinoza has 4 goals and 10 assists in 1,819 minutes in 2026 (expected goals: 3.5).
How old and how tall is Cristian Espinoza?
Cristian Espinoza is 31 years old. He is 5'9" (175 cm) and weighs 161 lb (73 kg).
How good is Cristian Espinoza?
Cristian Espinoza produced -0.1 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2026, 42nd of 90 players at his position in the MLS. His PAL rating is 84 out of 100: excellent for his position.
How much does Cristian Espinoza make?
Cristian Espinoza earns $2.3M for the 2026 season. His Value Rating (on-field contract efficiency) is 36 out of 100 (poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position; the player's commercial value is not part of it.
What number does Cristian Espinoza wear, and what team does he play for?
Cristian Espinoza plays for Nashville SC in the MLS, at F, and wears number 7.
