It isn’t hard to look at the line-up for this year’s Monster Energy Motocross of Nations and be grateful so many top line riders have accepted the challenge to race for their country. Some of the biggest names from both sides of the Atlantic. Multiple World and American champions and with names like Tomac, Herlings, Roczen, Lawrence, Gajser, Webb and Prado, the list is mouthwatering.

We have in total 44 major AMA or FIM championships won by 14 men and some of the leading riders next weekend. Seven of those 14 riders are legends of the sport and we list them below.

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Eli Tomac: Eli Tomac is the leader in major championships, with his first coming in 2013 when he scored the AMA 250 motocross championship. Since then, Tomac has won four AMA 450 motocross championships and two AMA supercross championships. He also has one MXoN victory with Team USA in 2022. Tomac has been the backbone of AMA motocross for a decade now and his accomplishments below amongst the best ever in USA. He sits third in the all time win list behind just Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart and is equal fifth for major titles behind RC, Ryan Villopoto, Jeremy McGrath and Ryan Dungey. For MXdN fans, he is equal for AMA titles with two MXdN legends, Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward.

Jett Lawrence: Now, this gets complicated, because if the US promoters and media are counting the SMX as a major championship, we need to count his two Supermotocross titles from 2023 and 2024. I am not a fan of doing it, but I get the feeling, this title will become more respected, and it will be counted as a major title in the future. Its just three rounds and I would usually leave it out, but damn, I am an Aussie and want them to count. Lawrence picked up his first major title in the 2021 AMA 250 motocross championship, then added another 250 outdoor title in 2022, before adding the AMA 450 motocross championship in 2023 and 2024, plus those two SMX titles. Whatever you want to say about Lawrence, he might end up being the GOAT, but he first has to deal with names like Deegan and Prado, before he stacks up more championships.

Jeffrey Herlings: “The Bullet” has five World titles and 108 Grand Prix victories, not to mention the most races wins and podiums in the sports history. He is also a one-time MXoN winner. Herlings has been maybe the unluckiest rider in history to be born with brittle bones and he should really have three or four more titles to his name, had it not been for his visits to an ambulance and hospital. For me, the fastest rider the sport has seen and when he arrived on the scene and won a GP at the age of 15, you knew we were in for a ride over the next decade and a half. Sad to say, that 15 years is coming close to an end and the Dutchman has said himself, he won’t be around for too many more years. He can still win a World title or two and add to his GP win tally and I am happy for that. Once a fan, always a fan. His titles came in MX2 in 2012, 2013, 2016, and MXGP in 2018 and 2021. Also won the MXoN with The Netherlands in 2019 and would love to add a second Chamberlain trophy to his name next weekend.

Tim Gajser: Probably the most unappreciated rider from this legend list. Also, a five-time World champion, with four of those titles coming in the very tough MXGP class. The HRC man won his first championship in 2015 in the MX2 class, and added 450 titles in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022. He also has 49 Grand Prix victories, and will no doubt pass the legendary number of 50, which we have always admired as Joel Smets held the record for the most GP wins with 50 for so many decades. Like Herlings, Gajser has a great shot and winning more World titles, and I am pretty sure he will. Also, a complete gentleman and while it seems unlikely that Slovenian will ever win the MXoN, Gajser has won his class at this event and could easily repeat that next weekend.

Jorge Prado: Already a legend before his fourth World title success last weekend, but the Spaniard just made sure his place in Grand Prix history isn’t forgotten with that fourth World title and 49th Grand Prix win. More talented than both Herlings and Gajser and also much younger, he could have passed both had he stayed in Europe, and I am sure they are both happy to see him head to USA in 2025. Prado showed in 2025 what an incredible athlete he is, and we all wish him a safe journey to America and hope he returns one day to add to his World championship achievements and gets that 50th GP win. In winning last weekend, he also became the first GasGas World motocross champion in history and joins the likes of Harry Everts, Heikki Mikkola and Torsten Hallman in the all-time list of World champions. Not a bad effort for a 23-year-old.

Ken Roczen: Way, way back in 2011, Ken Roczen became a World MX2 champion. Damn, that is 13 years ago, and he is still more than capable of winning his class at the 2024 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations. Roczen has added two AMA450 titles to his name and also a couple of World supercross championships. Now, if we are counting Jett Lawrences SMX championships, then we have to count the Germans WSX championships, right? Roczen like Herlings has suffered badly from injuries in his career and had it not been for that horrible arm injury in 2017, he would probably have a lot more success in the sport. Also, an MXoN winner in 2012, when Germany shocked the World and beat Team USA and stopped their seven-year run of success.

Cooper Webb: The last of the legends for next weekend, but with that 2016 AMA 250 motocross championship and his two AMA supercross championships, he for sure belongs in this list. Also a USGP winner in 2016 when he battled hard with our then World MX2 champion, Jeffrey Herlings. Hasn’t got an MXoN win on his record but has been one of the most passionate riders from the last decade and his battles with the likes of Tomac, Lawrence, Herlings, and Roczen made us all enjoy the sport a little more.

Fantastic 14 – Major Title Men

Eli Tomac 7 AMA titles

Jett Lawrence 7 AMA titles

Jeffrey Herlings 5 FIM titles

Tim Gajser 5 FIM titles

Ken Roczen 5 AMA and FIM titles

Jorge Prado 4 FIM titles

Cooper Webb 3 AMA titles

Tom Vialle 2 FIM titles

Aaron Plessinger 1 AMA title

Hunter Lawrence 1 AMA title

Romain Febvre 1 FIM title

Maxime Renaux 1 FIM title

Kay De Wolf 1 FIM title

Andrea Adamo 1 FIM title