United States men's national soccer team

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

United States
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Stars and Stripes[1]
The Yanks[2]
USMNT
AssociationUnited States Soccer Federation (USSF)
ConfederationCONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederationNAFU (North America)
Head coachGregg Berhalter
CaptainChristian Pulisic
Most capsCobi Jones (164)
Top scorerClint Dempsey
Landon Donovan (57)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeUSA
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 11 Increase 2 (April 4, 2024)[3]
Highest4 (April 2006[4])
Lowest35 (July 2012[5])
First international
 Sweden 2–3 United States 
(Stockholm, Sweden; August 20, 1916)[6]
Biggest win
 United States 8–0 Barbados 
(Carson, United States; June 15, 2008)
Biggest defeat
 Norway 11–0 United States 
(Oslo, Norway; August 6, 1948)[7]
World Cup
Appearances11 (first in 1930)
Best resultThird place (1930)
CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup
Appearances19 (first in 1985)
Best resultChampions (1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2021)
Nations League Finals
Appearances3 (first in 2021)
Best resultChampions (2021, 2023, 2024)
Copa América
Appearances5 (first in 1993)
Best resultFourth place (1995, 2016)
FIFA Confederations Cup
Appearances4 (first in 1992)
Best resultRunners-up (2009)
WebsiteUSMNT

The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.

The U.S. has appeared in eleven FIFA World Cups, including the first in 1930, where they reached the semifinals; their third-place finish, which was later awarded through overall tournament records, the best result ever by a team from outside UEFA and CONMEBOL. They returned in 1934 and 1950, defeating England 1–0 in the latter, but did not qualify again until 1990. As host in 1994, the U.S. received an automatic berth and lost to Brazil in the round of 16. They qualified for the next five World Cups (seven consecutive appearances between 1990 and 2014), a feat shared with only seven other nations.[9] The U.S. reached the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup, and eliminated top-ranked Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinals before losing to Brazil in the final.

The United States also competes in continental tournaments, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Nations League and Copa América. The U.S. has won seven Gold Cups, three Nations League titles, and finished fourth in two Copa América editions in 1995 and 2016. The team's head coach is Gregg Berhalter, who was re-appointed in June 2023.[10]

History[edit]

Early years[edit]

The first United States national soccer team was constituted in 1885, when it played Canada in the first international match held outside the United Kingdom.[11] Canada defeated the U.S. 1–0 in Newark, New Jersey. The U.S. had its revenge the following year when it beat Canada 1–0, also in Newark, although neither match was officially recognized. The U.S. earned both silver and bronze medals in men's soccer at the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics through Christian Brothers College and St. Rose Parish, though the tournament is declared official only by the IOC (FIFA doesn't endorse tournaments held before 1908). The U.S. played its first official international match under the auspices of U.S. Soccer on August 20, 1916, against Sweden in Stockholm, where the U.S. won 3–2.

The first U.S. official formation in 1916, Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Sweden

The U.S. fielded a team in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, the first ever World Cup to be played. The U.S. began group play by beating Belgium 3–0, and then earned a 3–0 victory over Paraguay, with FIFA crediting Bert Patenaude with two of the goals.[12][13][14][15][16] In November 2006, FIFA announced that it had accepted evidence that Patenaude scored all three goals against Paraguay, and was thus the first person to score a hat trick in a World Cup.[17] In the semifinals, the Stars and Stripes lost to Argentina 6–1. There was no third place game; however, using the overall tournament records in 1986, FIFA credited the Americans with a third-place finish ahead of fellow semifinalist Yugoslavia.[18] This remains the U.S. team's best World Cup result, and is the highest finish of any team from outside of South America and Europe.

The U.S. qualified for the 1934 World Cup by defeating Mexico 4–2 in Italy a few days before the finals started. In a straight knock-out format, the team first played host Italy and lost 7–1, eliminating the U.S. from the tournament. At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the U.S. again lost to Italy in the first round and were eliminated, although this time with a score of 1–0. Italy went on to win both tournaments, being a dominant team of that era.

The 1950 World Cup in Brazil was the next World Cup appearance for the United States, as it withdrew in 1938 and the tournament wasn't held again until 1950 due to World War II. The U.S. lost its first match 3–1 against Spain, but then won 1–0 against England at Independência Stadium in Belo Horizonte. Striker Joe Gaetjens was the goal scorer. Called "The Miracle on Grass", the result is considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of the World Cup.[19][20] In their third game of the tournament, a 5–2 defeat by Chile saw the U.S. eliminated from the tournament.

1960s–1980s[edit]

The national team spent the mid-to-late 20th century in near complete irrelevance in both the international game and the domestic sporting scene. There was only one World Cup berth for CONCACAF during this period until 1982.[21][22] Playing only two matches from 1981 to 1983, U.S. Soccer targeted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1986 World Cup as means of rebuilding the national team and its fan base. The International Olympic Committee declared that teams from outside Europe and South America could field full senior teams, including professionals (until then, the amateur-only rule had heavily favored socialist countries from Eastern Europe whose players were professionals in all but name). The U.S. had a very strong showing at the tournament, beating Costa Rica, tying Egypt, losing only to favorite Italy and finishing 1–1–1 but didn't make the second round, losing to Egypt on a tiebreaker (both had three points).[23]

To provide a more stable national team program and renew interest in the North American Soccer League, U.S. Soccer entered the national team into the NASL league schedule for the 1983 season as Team America. This team lacked the continuity and regularity of training that conventional clubs enjoy, and many players were unwilling to play for the national team instead of their own clubs when conflicts arose.[22] Team America finished the season at the bottom of the league, with U.S. Soccer canceling the experiment and withdrawing the national team from the NASL after one season. By the end of 1984, the NASL had folded, leaving the U.S. without a single professional-level outdoor soccer league.[24]

The U.S. bid to host the 1986 World Cup after Colombia withdrew from contention due to economic concerns, but FIFA selected Mexico to host the tournament. In the last game of CONCACAF qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, the U.S. needed only a tie against Costa Rica to reach the final qualification group against Honduras and Canada. U.S. Soccer scheduled the game to be played in Torrance, California, an area with many Costa Rican expatriates, and marketed the game almost exclusively to the Costa Rican community.[25] Costa Rica won the match 1–0, and kept the U.S. from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.[22][26]

1990s[edit]

On July 4, 1988, FIFA named the U.S. as the host of the 1994 World Cup under significant international criticism given the perceived weakness of the national team and the lack of a professional outdoor league. The success of the 1984 Summer Olympics played a major role in FIFA's decision. Criticism diminished somewhat when a 1–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago, the first road win for the U.S. in nearly two years, in the last match of the 1989 CONCACAF Championship, earned the U.S. its first World Cup appearance in 40 years, although their journey was significantly eased by the disqualification of CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico.

The team was coached by Bob Gansler, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and U20 national team coach, in preparation for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, with two of the team's more experienced players, Rick Davis and Hugo Perez, recovering from serious injuries and unavailable for selection. Rather than fill out his team with veteran professionals from U.S. indoor soccer leagues, Gansler and his assistant Stejem Mark chose to select many younger players with better conditioning for the outdoor game, including several collegiate players such as Virginia goalkeeper Tony Meola. The U.S. entered the tournament as massive underdogs and suffered defeats in all three of its group games to Czechoslovakia, Italy, and Austria. Defenders Jimmy Banks and Desmond Armstrong became the first African Americans to appear in a World Cup match for the United States.[27]

In a noteworthy match, in the 1993 U.S. Cup, the U.S. beat England 2–0.[28] After qualifying automatically as the host of the 1994 World Cup under Bora Milutinović, the U.S. opened the tournament schedule with a 1–1 tie against Switzerland in the Pontiac Silverdome in the suburbs of Detroit, the first World Cup game played indoors. In its second game, the U.S. faced Colombia, then ranked fourth in the world, at the Rose Bowl. Aided by an own goal from Andrés Escobar, the U.S. won 2–1.[29] Escobar was later murdered in his home country, possibly in retaliation for this mistake.[30] Despite a 1–0 loss to Romania in its final group game, the U.S. made it past the initial round for the first time since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. lost 1–0 to the eventual champion Brazil.[31] The team later fired Bora in 1995 reportedly because he was not interested in administrative duties.[32]

In a 1995 friendly, the U.S. came back from 3–0 down to win 4–3 against Saudi Arabia, the biggest comeback in the team's history. That same year, the team participated as guests in the 1995 Copa América, where they finished first in their group after beating Chile and Argentina, advancing to the quarterfinals. In that stage, the U.S. defeated Mexico on penalties, and then lost to Brazil 1–0 in the semifinals. The United States finished fourth after losing to Colombia 4–1.[33]

In the 1998 World Cup in France, the team lost all three group matches, 2–0 to Germany, 2–1 to Iran, and 1–0 to Yugoslavia, finishing dead last in the field of 32.

2000s[edit]

Claudio Reyna during practice

The U.S. qualified for the 2002 World Cup; under Bruce Arena, the team reached the quarterfinals, its best finish in a World Cup since 1930. The team advanced from the group stage with four points, beginning with a 3–2 win over Portugal, followed by a 1–1 tie with co-host and eventual semifinalist, South Korea. The third and final match was a 3–1 loss to Poland; the team still got to the round of 16 when South Korea defeated Portugal. This set the stage for a face-off with continental rivals Mexico, the first time they met in a World Cup. The U.S. won the game 2–0, with Brian McBride opening the scoring early, and Landon Donovan doubling the lead in the 65th minute. In the quarterfinals, where it met Germany, the USMNT lost 1–0 after being controversially denied a penalty when Torsten Frings handled the ball to prevent a Gregg Berhalter goal. Donovan won the Best Young Player for the tournament.

In the 2006 World Cup, after finishing top of the CONCACAF qualification tournament, the U.S. was drawn into Group E along with the Czech Republic, Italy, and Ghana. The United States opened the tournament with a 3–0 loss to the Czech Republic. The team then tied 1–1 against eventual winners Italy,[34] and then were knocked out of the tournament when they were beaten 2–1 by Ghana in its final group match, with Clint Dempsey scoring the U.S.'s only goal in the tournament (the goal against Italy had been an own goal by Italian defender Cristian Zaccardo).[35] Following the tournament, Arena's contract was not renewed; after the national team remained dormant for the rest of 2006, the federation hired former Chicago Fire and MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley in early 2007.

After winning the 2007 Gold Cup against Mexico, the USMNT qualified for the 2009 Confederations Cup.[36] The U.S. shocked the soccer world by defeating top-ranked Spain, who were on a 35-game undefeated streak, 2–0.[37] With the win, the United States advanced to its first-ever final in a men's FIFA tournament. The team lost 3–2 to Brazil after leading 2–0 at half-time.[38] Hosting the 2009 Gold Cup,[39] the United States was beaten by Mexico 5–0 in the final; this defeat broke the U.S. team's 58-match home unbeaten streak against CONCACAF opponents, and was the first home loss to Mexico since 1999.

In the fourth round of the 2010 World Cup qualification, Jozy Altidore became the youngest U.S. player to score a hat-trick, in a 3–0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.[40] On October 10, 2009, the U.S. secured qualification to the 2010 World Cup with a 3–2 win over Honduras. Four days later, the U.S. finished in first place in the group with a 2–2 tie against Costa Rica.

2010s[edit]

Landon Donovan at the 2010 World Cup

In the 2010 World Cup, the USMNT was drawn into Group C against England, Slovenia and Algeria. After drawing against England 1–1 and Slovenia 2–2, the U.S. defeated Algeria 1–0 with a stoppage-time goal from Landon Donovan, taking first place in a World Cup group for the first time since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. was eliminated by Ghana, 2–1.[41]

After losing to Mexico 4–2 in the final of the 2011 Gold Cup, Bob Bradley was relieved of his duties and former Germany manager Jürgen Klinsmann was hired as head coach. The U.S. won 1–0 in Genoa, Italy on February 29, 2012, the team's first-ever win over Italy. In July 2013, the United States were named North American champions for the fifth time after winning the Gold Cup with a 1–0 victory over Panama in the final, with Landon Donovan winning the tournament's golden ball award. A 4–3 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in an international friendly match in Sarajevo represented the 12th straight win for the USMNT, the longest winning streak for any team in the world at that time.[42][43][44][45] The 12-game winning streak ended September 6, 2013, when the U.S. lost to Costa Rica 3–1 in San José[46] in the final round of qualification. The U.S. eventually clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup.[47]

The Americans were drawn into Group G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal.[48] The U.S. took revenge on the Ghanaians, winning 2–1.[49] They tied their second group game against Portugal 2–2. In the final game of the group stage, the U.S. fell to Germany 1–0, but moved on to the knockout stage on goal difference.[50] This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.[51] In the round of 16, the U.S. lost 2–1 to Belgium in extra time, despite goalkeeper Tim Howard making a World Cup record 15 saves[52][note 2] during the match.[53]

Clint Dempsey with the U.S. in 2011

In the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the U.S. were eliminated by Jamaica 2–1 in the semifinals, before losing to Panama on penalties in the third place match. This was the first time the team failed to make the tournament final since 2003. In the 2015 CONCACAF Cup playoff to determine the region's entry to the 2017 Confederations Cup, the Stars and Stripes were defeated 3–2 by Mexico at the Rose Bowl.

In June 2016, the U.S. played as hosts of Copa América Centenario. The U.S. topped Group A on goal difference against Colombia, and then beat Ecuador 2–1 in the quarterfinals, but then fell to Argentina 4–0 and lost to Colombia again 1–0 in the third place match. They finished fourth overall, tying their best finish ever in 1995.

Following consecutive losses to Mexico and Costa Rica in the opening games of the final round of qualification for the 2018 World Cup, Klinsmann was removed as national team coach and technical director and replaced by previous U.S. head coach Bruce Arena. World Cup qualification resumed on March 24, 2017, where Arena and his team achieved a record 6–0 win over Honduras.[54] The U.S. got their third ever result in World Cup qualification at the Estadio Azteca when they drew 1–1 against Mexico. In July 2017, the U.S. won their sixth Gold Cup with a 2–1 win over Jamaica in the final. Following a 2–1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago on October 10, 2017, the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, missing the tournament for the first time since 1986.[55] Many pundits and analysts called this the worst result and worst performance in the history of the national team.[56]

Following Arena's resignation on October 13, 2017, assistant coach Dave Sarachan was named interim head coach during the search for a permanent replacement.[57] The search for a permanent head coach was delayed by the USSF presidential election in February 2018 and the hiring of Earnie Stewart as general manager in June 2018.[58][59] Gregg Berhalter, coach of the Columbus Crew and a former USMNT defender, was announced as the team's new head coach on December 2, 2018.[60][61]

Under Berhalter the team lost in the 2019 Gold Cup final 1–0 against Mexico, denying them a chance at becoming back-to-back champions.

2020s[edit]

Christian Pulisic at the 2022 World Cup

Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, an influx of new young talent, widely described as America's golden generation,[62][63][64] began to grow into a host of players playing for top European clubs, with Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Timothy Weah, Sergiño Dest, and Gio Reyna being some of the more notable names. This new group won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021 with a classic 3–2 victory against Mexico in the final. An entirely different team also won the Gold Cup against Mexico later that summer, contributing to a record for wins in a calendar year, with 17 wins, three ties, and two losses.[65]

The United States qualified for the 2022 World Cup by finishing third in the final qualifying round. Grouped with England, Iran, and Wales in Group B, the team advanced to the knockout stage as runners-up with five points and without losing a game. There, they faced the Netherlands, suffering a 3–1 defeat. Midfielder Kellyn Acosta became the first Asian-American to appear for the U.S. at a World Cup.[66]

After Berhalter's contract expired in December 2022, the U.S. searched for an interim head coach. Under B.J. Callaghan, in June 2023, the United States successfully defended their Nations League trophy by winning the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League. The team conceded no goals in the finals, winning 3–0 against Mexico and 2–0 against Canada in the final.[67] In July 2023, the U.S. with a different squad lost to Panama in a penalty shootout in the 2023 Gold Cup.[68]

The United States automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup as co-host in February 2023, and secured a spot at the U.S.-hosted 2024 Copa America by defeating Trinidad and Tobago 4–2 over two legs in November 2023.[69] Gregg Berhalter was reappointed as coach of the United States on June 16, 2023, and he will lead the team until the end of the 2026 World Cup.[70] In March 2024, the United States won the CONCACAF Nations League, achieving the team's third title in a row after defeating Mexico 2–0 in the final.[71]

Team image[edit]

Uniform and crest[edit]

Since their first unofficial game against Canada, the most common U.S. uniform has been white tops with blue shorts. In 1950, the U.S. adopted a Peru-styled diagonal stripe or "sash" across the shirt. The stripe has been on the third uniforms for 2003, 2004, and 2006, as well as the 2010 home, road, and third uniforms. An additional color scheme based on the U.S. flag has been occasionally used (most prominently in the 1994 World Cup and 2012–13 qualifiers as well the 1983 Team America franchise of the North American Soccer League) comprising a shirt with red and white stripes with blue shorts.

German brand Adidas provided the uniform for the United States from 1984 until 1994. Since 1995, American company Nike has been the uniform supplier.[72]

Uniform suppliers[edit]

Kit supplier Period Contract
duration
Notes
Adidas 1975–1994 1975–1994 [73]
Nike 1995–present 1995–2021
2022–2031 [74][75]

Rivalries[edit]

Mexico[edit]

Despite being two of CONCACAF's superpowers, this rivalry did not intensify until the late 20th century, when the teams began to frequently compete in CONCACAF.

The two teams met in the 2002 World Cup on June 17, in the round of 16, with the United States winning 2–0.[76] On August 15, 2012, the United States defeated Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the first victory for the U.S. against Mexico on Mexican soil in 75 years.[77] Ever since their first meeting in 1934, the two teams have met 77 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 36W–17T–24L, outscoring the U.S. 145–92. However, since the 1990s, the tide began to change due to a rapid growth of soccer in the U.S. During the 21st century, the series has favored the U.S. 19W–8T–9L. Either the United States or Mexico has won every edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup except one (the 2000 Gold Cup was won by Canada).

Canada[edit]

The U.S. has a second, newer, less bitter rival in Canada. The United States has historically been the stronger side, having qualified for 11 World Cups while Canada has qualified for two.

Canada defeated the United States for the first time in 34 years,[78] 2–0 at BMO Field in Toronto, on October 15, 2019. On November 15 of that year, the United States beat Canada 4–1 in Orlando, Florida. Almost two years later, America defeated Canada 1–0 in a 2021 Gold Cup matchup in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2022 World Cup qualifying, Canada tied 1–1 in Nashville, Tennessee in September 2021 and defeated the U.S. 2–0 in Hamilton, Ontario in January 2022. On June 18, 2023, the United States defeated Canada 2–0 in the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League final in Las Vegas, Nevada.[79] The U.S. defeated Canada yet again in a 2023 Gold Cup quarterfinal matchup, this time 3–2 on penalties. The United States currently leads the series 18W–11T–11L.

Supporters[edit]

U.S. soccer fans, dressed in red, cheer in bleachers as they hold a large U.S. flag over themselves at a soccer match.
Sam's Army at a U.S. vs Jamaica match

There have been two main supporter groups backing U.S. Soccer teams, Sam's Army and The American Outlaws. Sam's Army started shortly after the 1994 World Cup in the United States[80] and were active through 2014. Sam's Army members wore red to matches and sung or chanted throughout the match, and often brought huge U.S. flags and other banners to the game.

The American Outlaws began in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2007 as a local supporters' group.[81] The group's membership attempted to address a lack of consistency from game to game in supporter organization and social events on match days.[82] To achieve this goal, the American Outlaws became a nationwide, non-profit supporters' group. Some American Outlaws members wear U.S. flag bandanas over their faces and commonly wear soccer supporter scarves.[citation needed] Some branches of the American Outlaws have their own scarves specific to their branch.[citation needed]

The U.S. men's national team has a tremendous following on social media, especially Twitter and Instagram. Interest in young American players and the attention they bring has led to an increase in foreign investment in U.S. players.[83]

Home stadium[edit]

RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. has hosted over 20 USMNT matches.

The United States does not have a dedicated national stadium like other national teams; instead, the team has played their home matches at 121 venues in 30 states and the District of Columbia.[citation needed] Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, located in the national capital of Washington, D.C., has hosted 24 matches, the most of any stadium.[84] The state of California has hosted 117 matches, the most of any state, and greater Los Angeles has hosted 79 matches at several venues in and around the city of LA. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted 20 matches from 1965 to 2000, but fell out of use due to its age.[citation needed] The Rose Bowl, a 92,000-seat venue in Pasadena, has hosted 17 national team matches, as well as the 1994 World Cup final, the 1999 Women's World Cup final, and the 1984 Olympics gold medal match.[85]

Media coverage[edit]

TNT Sports has the English language rights for U.S. Soccer broadcasts from 2022 to 2030. All matches are streaming live on Max with matches also on TNT and TBS. In June 2021, CBS Sports acquired partial rights to select U.S. Soccer matches, including World Cup qualifiers and the Nations League finals, to be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and the Paramount+ streaming service. Telemundo has the Spanish language rights to all U.S. Soccer broadcasts from 2023 to 2030. These agreements do not apply to World Cup away qualifiers, whose rights are distributed by the host country.[86] Therefore, these matches can be found on other networks such as Univision and Paramount+.

Results and fixtures[edit]

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023[edit]

June 15 Nations League SF United States  3–0  Mexico Paradise, Nevada
19:00 PT
  • Pulisic 37', 46'
  • Pepi 78'
Report Stadium: Allegiant Stadium
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)
June 18 Nations League F Canada  0–2  United States Paradise, Nevada
20:30 ET Report
Stadium: Allegiant Stadium
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Saíd Martínez (Honduras)
June 24 Gold Cup GS United States  1–1  Jamaica Chicago, Illinois
21:30 ET Report
Stadium: Soldier Field
Attendance: 36,666
Referee: César Ramos (Mexico)
September 9 Friendly United States  3–0  Uzbekistan St. Louis, Missouri
17:30 EDT
Report Stadium: CityPark
Attendance: 15,569
Referee: Nelson Salgado (Honduras)
September 12 Friendly United States  4–0  Oman Saint Paul, Minnesota
20:30 EDT
Report Stadium: Allianz Field
Attendance: 13,665
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
October 17 Friendly United States  4–0  Ghana Nashville, Tennessee
20:30 ET
Report Stadium: Geodis Park
Attendance: 18,468
Referee: Marco Ortiz (Mexico)
November 20 Nations League QF 2nd Leg Trinidad and Tobago  2–1
(2–4 agg.)
 United States Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
19:00 ET
Report Stadium: Hasely Crawford Stadium
Referee: Walter López (Guatemala)
Note: United States won 4–2 on aggregate and qualified to the 2024 Copa América.

2024[edit]

January 20 Friendly United States  0–1  Slovenia San Antonio, Texas
15:00 ET Report Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 9,191
Referee: Pierre Luc Lauziere (Canada)
March 21 Nations League SF United States  3–1 (a.e.t.)  Jamaica Arlington, Texas
19:00 ET
Report
Stadium: AT&T Stadium
Attendance: 40,926
Referee: Selvin Brown (Honduras)
March 24 Nations League F United States  2–0  Mexico Arlington, Texas
21:15 ET
Report Stadium: AT&T Stadium
Attendance: 59,471
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)

All-time results[edit]

The following table shows the United States all-time international record, correct as of March 24, 2024.

Against Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
Total 775 344 164 267 1165 995 +170

Staff[edit]

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach United States Gregg Berhalter
Assistant coaches United States B. J. Callaghan
United States Mikey Varas
Switzerland Vincent Cavin[87]
Goalkeeping coach Germany Fabian Otte[88]
Scout and opponent analyst United States Eric Laurie
Head performance expert United States Steve Tashjian
Movement and conditioning coach United States Darcy Norman
Set piece coach Denmark Lars Knudsen

Technical staff

Position Name Start date Ref.
Sporting director Wales Matt Crocker April 2023 [89]
Vice president of sporting United States Oguchi Onyewu May 2023 [90]

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

The following 27 players were named to the training squad preparatory for 2024 Copa America.[91]
Caps and goals are updated as of March 24, 2024, after the match against Mexico.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Matt Turner (1994-06-24) June 24, 1994 (age 29) 39 0 England Nottingham Forest
1GK Sean Johnson (1989-05-31) May 31, 1989 (age 34) 13 0 Canada Toronto FC
1GK Ethan Horvath (1995-06-09) June 9, 1995 (age 28) 9 0 Wales Cardiff City

2DF Tim Ream (1987-10-05) October 5, 1987 (age 36) 56 1 England Fulham
2DF Antonee Robinson (1997-08-08) August 8, 1997 (age 26) 41 4 England Fulham
2DF Miles Robinson (1997-03-14) March 14, 1997 (age 27) 29 3 United States FC Cincinnati
2DF Shaq Moore (1996-11-02) November 2, 1996 (age 27) 18 1 United States Nashville SC
2DF Chris Richards (2000-03-28) March 28, 2000 (age 24) 16 1 England Crystal Palace
2DF Cameron Carter-Vickers (1997-12-31) December 31, 1997 (age 26) 16 0 Scotland Celtic
2DF Mark McKenzie (1999-02-25) February 25, 1999 (age 25) 13 0 Belgium Genk
2DF Joe Scally (2002-12-31) December 31, 2002 (age 21) 9 0 Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach
2DF Kristoffer Lund (2002-05-14) May 14, 2002 (age 22) 3 0 Italy Palermo

3MF Weston McKennie (1998-08-28) August 28, 1998 (age 25) 51 11 Italy Juventus
3MF Tyler Adams (1999-02-14) February 14, 1999 (age 25) 38 2 England Bournemouth
3MF Yunus Musah (2002-11-29) November 29, 2002 (age 21) 35 0 Italy Milan
3MF Giovanni Reyna (2002-11-13) November 13, 2002 (age 21) 26 8 England Nottingham Forest
3MF Luca de la Torre (1998-05-23) May 23, 1998 (age 26) 20 0 Spain Celta Vigo
3MF Johnny Cardoso (2001-09-20) September 20, 2001 (age 22) 11 0 Spain Real Betis
3MF Malik Tillman (2002-05-28) May 28, 2002 (age 21) 10 0 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
3MF Timothy Tillman (1999-01-04) January 4, 1999 (age 25) 1 0 United States Los Angeles FC

4FW Christian Pulisic (captain) (1998-09-18) September 18, 1998 (age 25) 66 28 Italy Milan
4FW Brenden Aaronson (2000-10-22) October 22, 2000 (age 23) 40 8 Germany Union Berlin
4FW Timothy Weah (2000-02-22) February 22, 2000 (age 24) 37 5 Italy Juventus
4FW Ricardo Pepi (2003-01-09) January 9, 2003 (age 21) 23 10 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
4FW Josh Sargent (2000-02-20) February 20, 2000 (age 24) 23 5 England Norwich City
4FW Folarin Balogun (2001-07-03) July 3, 2001 (age 22) 10 3 France Monaco[a]
4FW Haji Wright (1998-03-27) March 27, 1998 (age 26) 9 4 England Coventry City

Recent call-ups[edit]

The following players have been called up for the team within the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Drake Callender (1997-10-07) October 7, 1997 (age 26) 0 0 United States Inter Miami CF 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
GK Patrick Schulte (2001-03-13) March 13, 2001 (age 23) 1 0 United States Columbus Crew v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
GK Roman Celentano (2000-09-14) September 14, 2000 (age 23) 0 0 United States FC Cincinnati v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
GK Gabriel Slonina (2004-05-15) May 15, 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Belgium Eupen v.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
GK Josh Cohen (1992-08-08) August 8, 1992 (age 31) 0 0 United States Atlanta United FC 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE

DF Sergiño Dest (2000-11-03) November 3, 2000 (age 23) 33 2 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
DF James Sands (2000-07-06) July 6, 2000 (age 23) 13 0 United States New York City FC v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DF DeJuan Jones (1997-06-24) June 24, 1997 (age 26) 8 0 United States New England Revolution v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DF John Tolkin (2002-07-31) July 31, 2002 (age 21) 4 0 United States New York Red Bulls v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DF Caleb Wiley (2004-12-22) December 22, 2004 (age 19) 2 0 United States Atlanta United FC v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DF Nathan Harriel (2001-04-23) April 23, 2001 (age 23) 0 0 United States Philadelphia Union v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DF Ian Murphy (2000-01-16) January 16, 2000 (age 24) 0 0 United States FC Cincinnati v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DF Nkosi Tafari (1997-03-23) March 23, 1997 (age 27) 0 0 United States FC Dallas v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DF Jackson Ragen (1998-09-24) September 24, 1998 (age 25) 0 0 United States Seattle Sounders FC Training Camp January 8–16, 2024 INJ
DF DeAndre Yedlin (1993-07-09) July 9, 1993 (age 30) 81 0 United States FC Cincinnati 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DF Aaron Long (1992-10-12) October 12, 1992 (age 31) 35 3 United States Los Angeles FC 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DF Matt Miazga (1995-07-19) July 19, 1995 (age 28) 28 1 United States FC Cincinnati 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DF Bryan Reynolds (2001-06-28) June 28, 2001 (age 22) 7 1 Belgium Westerlo 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DF Jalen Neal (2003-08-24) August 24, 2003 (age 20) 6 0 United States LA Galaxy 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DF Walker Zimmerman (1993-05-19) May 19, 1993 (age 31) 42 3 United States Nashville SC 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
DF Auston Trusty (1998-08-12) August 12, 1998 (age 25) 2 0 England Sheffield United 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals

MF Aidan Morris (2001-11-16) November 16, 2001 (age 22) 5 0 United States Columbus Crew v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MF Josh Atencio (2002-01-31) January 31, 2002 (age 22) 1 0 United States Seattle Sounders FC v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MF Aziel Jackson (2001-10-25) October 25, 2001 (age 22) 1 0 United States St. Louis City SC v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MF Jack McGlynn (2003-07-07) July 7, 2003 (age 20) 1 0 United States Philadelphia Union v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MF Sean Zawadzki (2000-04-21) April 21, 2000 (age 24) 1 0 United States Columbus Crew v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MF Lennard Maloney (1999-10-08) October 8, 1999 (age 24) 2 0 Germany 1. FC Heidenheim v.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
MF Paxten Aaronson (2003-08-26) August 26, 2003 (age 20) 1 0 Netherlands Vitesse v.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
MF Tanner Tessmann (2001-09-24) September 24, 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Italy Venezia v.  Oman; September 12, 2023
MF Benjamin Cremaschi (2005-03-02) March 2, 2005 (age 19) 1 0 United States Inter Miami CF v.  Oman; September 12, 2023
MF Cristian Roldan (1995-06-03) June 3, 1995 (age 28) 37 0 United States Seattle Sounders FC 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MF Jackson Yueill (1997-03-19) March 19, 1997 (age 27) 16 0 United States San Jose Earthquakes 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MF Gianluca Busio (2002-05-28) May 28, 2002 (age 21) 13 1 Italy Venezia 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MF Djordje Mihailovic (1998-11-10) November 10, 1998 (age 25) 11 3 United States Colorado Rapids 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MF Alan Soñora (1998-08-03) August 3, 1998 (age 25) 5 0 Argentina Huracán 2023 CONCACAF Gold CupINJ

FW Esmir Bajraktarevic (2005-03-10) March 10, 2005 (age 19) 1 0 United States New England Revolution v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FW Bernard Kamungo (2002-01-01) January 1, 2002 (age 22) 1 0 United States FC Dallas v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FW Diego Luna (2003-09-07) September 7, 2003 (age 20) 1 0 United States Real Salt Lake v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FW Duncan McGuire (2001-02-05) February 5, 2001 (age 23) 1 0 United States Orlando City SC v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FW Brian White (1996-02-03) February 3, 1996 (age 28) 1 0 Canada Vancouver Whitecaps FC v.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FW Cade Cowell (2003-10-14) October 14, 2003 (age 20) 8 1 Mexico Guadalajara Training Camp January 8–16, 2024WD
FW Alejandro Zendejas (1998-02-07) February 7, 1998 (age 26) 7 1 Mexico América v.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
FW Kevin Paredes (2003-05-07) May 7, 2003 (age 21) 3 0 Germany VfL Wolfsburg v.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
FW Jordan Morris (1994-10-26) October 26, 1994 (age 29) 55 11 United States Seattle Sounders FC 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FW Jesús Ferreira (2000-12-24) December 24, 2000 (age 23) 23 15 United States FC Dallas 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FW Brandon Vázquez (1998-10-14) October 14, 1998 (age 25) 8 4 Mexico Monterrey 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FW Julian Gressel (1993-12-16) December 16, 1993 (age 30) 6 0 United States Inter Miami CF 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FW Taylor Booth (2001-05-31) May 31, 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Netherlands Utrecht 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
  • PRE = Preliminary squad
  • INJ = Injured
  • WD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Individual records[edit]

As of March 24, 2024.[92]
Players in bold are still active with the national team.

Most appearances[edit]

Cobi Jones is the United States' most capped player with 164 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Cobi Jones 164 15 1992–2004
2 Landon Donovan 157 57 2000–2014
3 Michael Bradley 151 17 2006–2019
4 Clint Dempsey 141 57 2004–2017
5 Jeff Agoos 134 4 1988–2003
6 Marcelo Balboa 127 13 1988–2000
7 DaMarcus Beasley 126 17 2001–2017
8 Tim Howard 121 0 2002–2017
9 Jozy Altidore 115 42 2007–2019
10 Claudio Reyna 112 8 1994–2006

Top goalscorers[edit]

Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are the United States' joint all-time top scorers with 57 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Clint Dempsey 57 141 0.404 2004–2017
Landon Donovan 57 157 0.363 2000–2014
3 Jozy Altidore 42 115 0.365 2007–2019
4 Eric Wynalda 34 106 0.321 1990–2000
5 Brian McBride 30 95 0.316 1993–2006
6 Christian Pulisic 28 66 0.424 2016–present
7 Joe-Max Moore 24 100 0.240 1992–2002
8 Bruce Murray 21 85 0.247 1985–1993
9 Eddie Johnson 19 63 0.302 2004–2014
10 Earnie Stewart 17 101 0.168 1990–2004
DaMarcus Beasley 17 126 0.135 2001–2017
Michael Bradley 17 151 0.113 2006–2019

Competitive record[edit]

The U.S. has competed at the FIFA World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the CONCACAF Nations League, and the Summer Olympics. The team has also played in the now-defunct FIFA Confederations Cup, the Copa América by invitation, as well as several minor tournaments.

The best result for the United States in a World Cup tournament came in 1930 when the team reached the semifinals. The team included six naturalized internationals, five of them from Scotland and one from England.[93] The best result in the modern era is the 2002 World Cup, when the U.S. reached the quarter-finals. The worst World Cup tournament results in the modern era were group stage eliminations in 1990, 1998, and 2006, although the country failed to even qualify for the final tournament in 2018. The United States reached the round of 16 in 1994, 2010, 2014, and 2022.

In the Confederations Cup, the United States finished in third place in both 1992 and 1999, and were runner-up in 2009. The United States appeared in their first intercontinental tournament final at the 2009 Confederations Cup,[94] where they lost to Brazil 3–2 after leading 2–0 at halftime.

The U.S. men's soccer team have played in the Summer Olympics since 1924. From that tournament to 1980, only amateur and state-sponsored Eastern European players were allowed on Olympic teams. The Olympics became a full international tournament in 1984 after the IOC allowed full national teams from outside FIFA CONMEBOL & UEFA confederations. Ever since 1992 the men's Olympic event has been age-restricted, under 23 plus three overage players, and participation has been by the United States men's national under-23 soccer team.

In regional competitions, the United States has won the CONCACAF Gold Cup seven times, with their most recent title in 2021.[95] They won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021.[96] Their best ever finish at the Copa América was fourth place at the 1995 and 2016 editions,[97][98] while they will play as hosts in 2024.

FIFA World Cup[edit]

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D L F A Squad Pld W D L F A
Uruguay 1930 Semifinals[note 3] 3rd 3 2 0 1 7 6 Squad Qualified as invitees
Italy 1934 Round of 16 16th 1 0 0 1 1 7 Squad 1 1 0 0 4 2
France 1938 Withdrew Withdrew
Brazil 1950 Group stage 10th 3 1 0 2 4 8 Squad 4 1 1 2 8 15
Switzerland 1954 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 7 9
Sweden 1958 4 0 0 4 5 21
Chile 1962 2 0 1 1 3 6
England 1966 4 1 2 1 4 5
Mexico 1970 6 3 0 3 11 9
West Germany 1974 4 0 1 3 6 10
Argentina 1978 5 1 2 2 3 7
Spain 1982 4 1 1 2 4 8
Mexico 1986 6 3 2 1 8 3
Italy 1990 Group stage 23rd 3 0 0 3 2 8 Squad 10 5 4 1 11 4
United States 1994 Round of 16 14th 4 1 1 2 3 4 Squad Qualified as hosts
France 1998 Group stage 32nd 3 0 0 3 1 5 Squad 16 8 6 2 27 14
South Korea Japan 2002 Quarterfinals 8th 5 2 1 2 7 7 Squad 16 8 4 4 25 11
Germany 2006 Group stage 25th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad 18 12 4 2 35 11
South Africa 2010 Round of 16 12th 4 1 2 1 5 5 Squad 18 13 2 3 42 16
Brazil 2014 15th 4 1 1 2 5 6 Squad 16 11 2 3 26 14
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 16 7 4 5 37 16
Qatar 2022 Round of 16 14th 4 1 2 1 3 4 Squad 14 7 4 3 21 10
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualified as co-hosts Qualified as co-hosts
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Semifinals 12/23 37 9 8 20 40 66 168 84 40 44 287 191


CONCACAF Gold Cup[edit]

CONCACAF Championship 1963–1989, CONCACAF Gold Cup 1991–present

CONCACAF Championship & CONCACAF Gold Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Did not enter Did not enter
Guatemala 1965
Honduras 1967
Costa Rica 1969 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 3
Trinidad and Tobago 1971 Did not enter Did not enter
Haiti 1973 Did not qualify 4 0 1 3 6 10
Mexico 1977 4 1 2 1 3 4
Honduras 1981 4 1 1 2 4 8
1985 Group stage 6th 4 2 1 1 4 3 Squad 2 1 1 0 4 0
1989 Runners-up 2nd 8 4 3 1 6 3 Squad 2 1 1 0 5 1
United States 1991 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 10 3 Squad Qualified automatically
Mexico United States 1993 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 5 5 Squad
United States 1996 Third place 3rd 4 3 0 1 8 3 Squad
United States 1998 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 6 2 Squad
United States 2000 Quarter-finals 5th 3 2 1 0 6 2 Squad
United States 2002 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 9 1 Squad
Mexico United States 2003 Third place 3rd 5 4 0 1 13 4 Squad
United States 2005 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 11 3 Squad
United States 2007 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 13 3 Squad
United States 2009 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 12 8 Squad
United States 2011 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 9 6 Squad
United States 2013 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 20 4 Squad
Canada United States 2015 Fourth place 4th 6 3 2 1 12 5 Squad
United States 2017 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 13 4 Squad
Costa Rica Jamaica United States 2019 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 15 2 Squad CONCACAF fourth round
United States 2021 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 11 1 Squad 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League
Canada United States 2023 Semi-finals 4th 5 2 3 0 16 4 Squad 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League
Total 7 Titles 102 75 16 11 199 66 18 4 6 8 22 26

CONCACAF Nations League[edit]

CONCACAF Nations League record
League Finals
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R Finals Result Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2019–20 A A 4 3 0 1 15 3 Same position United States 2021 Champions 2 2 0 0 4 2 Squad
2022–23 A D 4 3 1 0 14 2 Same position United States 2023 Champions 2 2 0 0 5 0 Squad
2023–24 A Bye Same position United States 2024 Champions 2 2 0 0 5 1 Squad
2024–25 A Bye Same position 2025 To be determined
Total 8 6 1 1 29 5 Total 3 Titles 6 6 0 0 14 3