United States men's national soccer team

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.

United States
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Stars and Stripes[1]
The Yanks[2]
AssociationUnited States Soccer Federation (USSF)
ConfederationCONCACAF
Sub-confederationNAFU (North America)
Head coachGregg Berhalter[3]
CaptainChristian Pulisic
Most capsCobi Jones (164)
Top scorerClint Dempsey and Landon Donovan (57)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeUSA
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 11 Increase 2 (April 4, 2024)[4]
Highest4 (April 2006[5])
Lowest35 (July 2012[6])
First international
 Sweden 2–3 United States 
(Stockholm, Sweden; August 20, 1916)[7]
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)[8]
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)
Websiteussoccer.com

The U.S. team 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 sixteen. They qualified for the next five World Cups (seven consecutive appearances (1990–2014), a feat shared with only seven other nations),[10] becoming one of the tournament's regular competitors and often advancing to the knockout stage. The U.S. reached the quarterfinals in 2002, and controversially lost to Germany. In the 2009 Confederations Cup, the Americans eliminated top-ranked Spain in the semifinals before losing to Brazil in the final, the team's only appearance in the final of a major intercontinental tournament.

The U.S. 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.[3]

History

Early years

The first U.S. 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. The U.S. 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 U.S. lost to Argentina 6–1. There was no third place game. However, using the overall tournament records in 1986, FIFA credited the U.S. 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 U.S., as it withdrew in 1938 and the tournament wasn't held again until 1950. 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. The U.S. would not make another appearance in the World Cup finals for four decades.

1960s–1980s

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] The emergence of the North American Soccer League in the 1960s and 1970s raised hopes that the U.S. national team would soon improve and become a global force. However such hopes were not realized and by the 1980s the U.S. Soccer Federation found itself in serious financial struggles, with the national team 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 NASL, 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 FIFA 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]

In 1988, U.S. Soccer attempted to re-implement its national-team-as-club concept, offering contracts to players to train with the national program full-time while occasionally loaning them to club teams as a revenue source for the federation. This brought many key veterans back into the program and allowed the team to begin playing more matches which, combined with an influx of talent from new youth clubs and leagues established across the nation in the wake of the NASL's popularity, allowed the national team to end the 1980s with optimism and higher hopes of qualifying for the 1990 World Cup than had existed for previous tournaments.

1990s

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] Despite this success, the team 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 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. Head coach Steve Sampson received much of the blame for the performance as a result of abruptly cutting team captain John Harkes, whom Sampson had named "Captain for Life" shortly before, as well as several other players who were instrumental to the qualifying effort, from the squad. Thomas Dooley became the captain at that point.[34] It emerged in February 2010 that Sampson removed Harkes from the team due to Harkes allegedly having an affair with teammate Eric Wynalda's wife.[35]

2000–2019

Claudio Reyna during practice

The U.S. qualified for the 2002 World Cup; under Bruce Arena, the U.S. reached the quarterfinals, its best finish in a World Cup since 1930. The team advanced in the group stage with a 1W–1D–1L record, beginning with a 3–2 upset 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. Brian McBride opened the scoring early, and Landon Donovan doubled the lead in the 65th minute. In the quarterfinals, where it met Germany, the U.S. lost 1–0 after being denied a penalty when Torsten Frings handled the ball to prevent a Gregg Berhalter goal. All of the U.S. games in the 2002 World Cup were played in South Korea and all their victories came wearing the white uniform, while their only defeats came while wearing the blue uniform.[36] 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,[37] 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).[38] Following the tournament, Arena's contract was not renewed. After the national team remained dormant for the rest of 2006 while negotiating with various coaches, the federation hired former Chicago Fire, MetroStars and Chivas USA head coach Bob Bradley in early 2007.

Bradley began his competitive career with the national team with the 2007 Gold Cup. In the final, the United States beat Mexico 2–1, which qualified it for the 2009 Confederations Cup.[39]

The U.S. had a notable performance at the 2009 Confederations Cup,[40] defeating top-ranked Spain, who were on a 35-game undefeated streak, 2–0.[41] 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.[42]

The United States then hosted the 2009 Gold Cup.[43] In the final, the United States was beaten by Mexico 5–0. 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, the U.S. began by beating Mexico 2–0. The February 2009 loss extended Mexico's losing streak against America on U.S. soil to 11 matches.[44] Jozy Altidore became the youngest U.S. player to score a hat-trick, in a 3–0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.[45] Near the end of the summer of 2009, the United States lost 2–1 to Mexico at Estadio Azteca. On October 10, 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.

Landon Donovan at the 2010 World Cup

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. team was drawn in 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 Finals group for the first time since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. was eliminated by Ghana, 2–1.[46] On FIFA's ranking of World Cup teams the U.S. finished in 12th place out of the 32-team field.

The U.S. again hosted the Gold Cup in 2011. The U.S. advanced past the group stage, then defeated Jamaica 2–0 in the quarterfinals and Panama 1–0 in the semifinals before losing to Mexico 4–2 in the final. Later in the summer, Bob Bradley was relieved of his duties and former German national team manager Jürgen Klinsmann was hired as head coach.

The U.S. had some success in friendlies in 2012 and 2013. The U.S. team won 1–0 in Italy on February 29, 2012, the team's first-ever win over Italy. On June 2, 2013, the U.S. played a friendly against Germany at a sold-out RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., with the U.S. winning 4–3. In July 2013, the U.S. hosted the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup where it went undefeated in the group stage and won 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.[47][48][49][50] The 12 game winning streak ended September 6, 2013, when the U.S. lost to Costa Rica 3–1 in San José.[51] In 2013 the national team played the final round of qualification,[52][53] and by defeating Mexico in September, the U.S. clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup.[54]

The U.S. absorbed many German elements leading up to the 2014 World Cup. U.S.'s German head coach Jürgen Klinsmann surprised the U.S. soccer world by calling up five "Jürgen Americans"—half-blooded Germans born and professionally trained in Germany—to the 23-men squad in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[55][56][57][58] The U.S. was drawn into Group G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal.[59] The U.S. took revenge on the Ghanaians, winning 2–1.[60] 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.[61] This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.[62] 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[63][note 2] during the match.[64]

Clint Dempsey with the U.S. in 2011

The national team's next tournament under Klinsmann was 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. The fourth-place finish was the worst Gold Cup performance by the national team since 2000, and 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 FIFA Confederations Cup, the U.S. 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. The U.S. 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 at the Copa América, 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 had a record 6–0 win over Honduras.[65] Four days later, the team traveled to Panama City, drawing Panama 1–1. After beating Trinidad and Tobago 2–0, 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 CONCACAF 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.[66] Many pundits and analysts called this the worst result and worst performance in the history of the national team.[67]

Following Arena's resignation on October 13, 2017, assistant coach Dave Sarachan was named interim head coach during the search for a permanent replacement.[68] 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.[69][70] 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.[71][72]

2019–present

Christian Pulisic at the 2022 World Cup

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. Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, an influx of new young talent 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. With a 1–0 friendly victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 18, 2021, the team set a program record for wins in a calendar year, with 17 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws.[73] The young group has been widely described as America's golden generation.[74][75][76]

The United States qualified for the 2022 World Cup by finishing third in the final qualifying round. The qualifying campaign included an unbeaten record at home and a draw away to Mexico at Estadio Azteca.[77] 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.[78]

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.[79] In July 2023, the U.S. with a different squad lost to Panama in a penalty shootout in the 2023 Gold Cup.[80]

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.[81] 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.[82] In March 2024, the United States won the 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League, achieving the team's third title in a row after defeating Mexico 2–0 in the final.[83]

Team image

Uniform and crest

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.[84]

Uniform suppliers

Kit supplierPeriodContract
duration
Notes
Adidas1975–19941975–1994[85]
Nike1995–present1995–2021
2022–2031[86][87]

Rivalries

Mexico

The teams of Mexico and the United States are widely considered as the two major powers of CONCACAF. Matches between the two nations often attract much media attention, public interest and comment in both countries. Although the first match was played in 1934, their rivalry was not considered major until the 1980s, when the teams began to frequently compete in CONCACAF cups. 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.[88]Ever since their first meeting in 1934, the two teams have met 77 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 36W–17D–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–8D–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

The U.S. has a second, less bitter rival in Canada. This stems from a generally friendly rivalry between the two nations. The two teams frequently face each other in the Gold Cup, however the United States has historically been the stronger side. The United States currently leads the series 18W–11D–11L. The United States has qualified for 11 World Cups while Canada has qualified for two. Until recently, Canada was not seen as a competitive rival by a number of American fans as they had not beaten the United States in a 34-year stretch.[89] That streak was snapped on October 15, 2019, when Canada defeated the United States 2–0 at BMO Field in Toronto. The following month, on November 15, the United States beat Canada 4–1 in Orlando, Florida. Since then, matches between the two have been very competitive. The U.S. defeated Canada 1–0 in a 2021 Gold Cup matchup in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2022 World Cup qualifying, Canada earned a 1–1 draw in Nashville, Tennessee and defeated the U.S. 2–0 in Hamilton, Ontario. On June 18, 2023, the United States defeated Canada 2–0 in the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League final in Las Vegas, Nevada, the first time the two nations faced each other in the finals of a major CONCACAF tournament.[90] Three weeks later, the U.S. eliminated Canada 3–2 on penalties in a 2023 Gold Cup quarterfinal matchup.

Costa Rica

In recent years the United States has also begun to develop a rivalry with Costa Rica.[91][92][93][94][95] The most notable match, and the impetus of the rivalry itself, occurred on March 22, 2013, in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado under blizzard conditions. Costa Rica filed a protest with FIFA due to field conditions when the United States won the game 1–0, but the protest was denied. The game has already been dubbed in soccer lore as "Snow Clasico" for the conditions.[96][97] The United States have never defeated Costa Rica in Costa Rica, losing 10 meetings and drawing twice.[98]

Supporters

Sam's Army at a U.S. vs Jamaica match

There have been two main supporter groups backing the United States men's national soccer team, Sam's Army and The American Outlaws. Sam's Army started shortly after the 1994 World Cup in the United States[99] and were active through 2014. Sam's Army members wore red to matches and sung or chanted throughout the match. They often brought huge U.S. flags and other banners to the game.

The American Outlaws was started in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2007 as a local supporters' group.[100] The group's membership attempted to address a lack of consistency from game to game in supporter organization and social events on match days.[101] 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 had a tremendous following on social media, especially Twitter and Instagram in recent years. Interest in young American players and the attention they bring has led to an increase in foreign investment in U.S. players.[102]

Home stadium

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

The United States does not have a dedicated national stadium like most 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.[103] The state of California has hosted 117 matches, the most of any state, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area has hosted 79 matches at several venues in and around the city of Los Angeles. 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 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, and the 1984 Olympics Gold Medal Match.[104]

Media coverage

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 FIFA 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 FIFA World Cup away qualifiers, whose rights are distributed by the host country.[105] Therefore, these matches can often be found on other networks such as Univision, Fox Sports, and Paramount+.

Results and fixtures

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

v  Mexico
June 15 Nations League SF United States  3–0  Mexico Paradise, Nevada
19:00 PT
  • Pulisic 37', 46'
  • Pepi 78'
ReportStadium: Allegiant Stadium
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)
v  Jamaica
June 24 Gold Cup GS United States  1–1  Jamaica Chicago, Illinois
21:30 ETReport
Stadium: Soldier Field
Attendance: 36,666
Referee: César Ramos (Mexico)
v  United States
June 28 Gold Cup GS Saint Kitts and Nevis  0–6  United States St. Louis, Missouri
21:30 ETReport
Stadium: CityPark
Attendance: 21,216
Referee: Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica)
v  Uzbekistan
September 9 Friendly United States  3–0  Uzbekistan St. Louis, Missouri
17:30 EDT
ReportStadium: CityPark
Attendance: 15,569
Referee: Nelson Salgado (Honduras)
v  Oman
September 12 Friendly United States  4–0  Oman Saint Paul, Minnesota
20:30 EDTReportStadium: Allianz Field
Attendance: 13,665
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
v  Ghana
October 17 Friendly United States  4–0  Ghana Nashville, Tennessee
20:30 ET
ReportStadium: Geodis Park
Attendance: 18,468
Referee: Marco Ortiz (Mexico)
v  Trinidad and Tobago
November 16 Nations League QF 1st Leg United States  3–0  Trinidad and Tobago Austin, Texas
21:00 ET
ReportStadium: Q2 Stadium
Attendance: 19,850
Referee: Oshane Nation (Jamaica)
v  United States
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
ReportStadium: Hasely Crawford Stadium
Referee: Walter López (Guatemala)
Note: United States won 4–2 on aggregate and qualified to the 2024 Copa América.

2024

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

All-time results

The following table shows the United States all-time international record, correct as of January 20, 2024.

AgainstPlayedWonDrawnLostGFGAGD
Total7733421642671160994+166

Staff

Coaching staff

PositionName
Manager Gregg Berhalter
Assistant managers B. J. Callaghan
Vincent Cavin[106]
Mikey Varas
Goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte[107]
Scout and opponent analyst Eric Laurie
Head performance expert Steve Tashjian
Movement and conditioning coach Darcy Norman
Set piece coach Lars Knudsen

Technical staff

PositionNameStart dateRef.
Sporting director Matt CrockerApril 2023[108]
Vice president of sporting Oguchi OnyewuMay 2023[109]

Players

Current squad

The following 23 players were named to the squad for the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals matches against Jamaica and Mexico on March 21 and 24, 2024, respectively.[110][111]
Caps and goals are updated as of March 24, 2024, after the match against Mexico.

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11GKMatt Turner (1994-06-24) June 24, 1994 (age 29)390 Nottingham Forest
181GKEthan Horvath (1995-06-09) June 9, 1995 (age 28)90 Cardiff City
221GKDrake Callender (1997-10-07) October 7, 1997 (age 26)00 Inter Miami CF

22DFSergiño Dest (2000-11-03) November 3, 2000 (age 23)332 PSV Eindhoven
32DFChris Richards (2000-03-28) March 28, 2000 (age 24)161 Crystal Palace
52DFAntonee Robinson (1997-08-08) August 8, 1997 (age 26)414 Fulham
122DFMiles Robinson (1997-03-14) March 14, 1997 (age 27)293 FC Cincinnati
132DFTim Ream (1987-10-05) October 5, 1987 (age 36)561 Fulham
162DFMark McKenzie (1999-02-25) February 25, 1999 (age 25)130 Genk
192DFJoe Scally (2002-12-31) December 31, 2002 (age 21)90 Borussia Mönchengladbach
232DFKristoffer Lund (2002-05-14) May 14, 2002 (age 21)30 Palermo

43MFTyler Adams (1999-02-14) February 14, 1999 (age 25)382 Bournemouth
63MFYunus Musah (2002-11-29) November 29, 2002 (age 21)350 Milan
73MFGiovanni Reyna (2002-11-13) November 13, 2002 (age 21)268 Nottingham Forest
83MFWeston McKennie (1998-08-28) August 28, 1998 (age 25)5111 Juventus
104FWChristian Pulisic (captain) (1998-09-18) September 18, 1998 (age 25)6628 Milan
153MFJohnny Cardoso (2001-09-20) September 20, 2001 (age 22)110 Real Betis

94FWRicardo Pepi (2003-01-09) January 9, 2003 (age 21)2310 PSV Eindhoven
114FWBrenden Aaronson (2000-10-22) October 22, 2000 (age 23)408 Union Berlin
144FWHaji Wright (1998-03-27) March 27, 1998 (age 26)94 Coventry City
174FWMalik Tillman (2002-05-28) May 28, 2002 (age 21)100 PSV Eindhoven
204FWFolarin Balogun (2001-07-03) July 3, 2001 (age 22)103 Monaco[a]
214FWTimothy Weah (2000-02-22) February 22, 2000 (age 24)375 Juventus

Recent call-ups

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

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
GKPatrick Schulte (2001-03-13) March 13, 2001 (age 23)10 Columbus Crewv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
GKRoman Celentano (2000-09-14) September 14, 2000 (age 23)00 FC Cincinnativ.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
GKGabriel Slonina (2004-05-15) May 15, 2004 (age 19)10 Eupenv.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
GKSean Johnson (1989-05-31) May 31, 1989 (age 34)130 Toronto FC2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
GKJosh Cohen (1992-08-08) August 8, 1992 (age 31)00 Atlanta United FC2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE

DFShaq Moore (1996-11-02) November 2, 1996 (age 27)181 Nashville SCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFJames Sands (2000-07-06) July 6, 2000 (age 23)130 New York City FCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFDeJuan Jones (1997-06-24) June 24, 1997 (age 26)80 New England Revolutionv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFJohn Tolkin (2002-07-31) July 31, 2002 (age 21)40 New York Red Bullsv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFCaleb Wiley (2004-12-22) December 22, 2004 (age 19)20 Atlanta United FCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFNathan Harriel (2001-04-23) April 23, 2001 (age 23)00 Philadelphia Unionv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFIan Murphy (2000-01-16) January 16, 2000 (age 24)00 FC Cincinnativ.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFNkosi Tafari (1997-03-23) March 23, 1997 (age 27)00 FC Dallasv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
DFJackson Ragen (1998-09-24) September 24, 1998 (age 25)00 Seattle Sounders FCTraining Camp January 8–16, 2024 INJ
DFCameron Carter-Vickers (1997-12-31) December 31, 1997 (age 26)160 Celticv.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
DFDeAndre Yedlin (1993-07-09) July 9, 1993 (age 30)810 FC Cincinnati2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DFAaron Long (1992-10-12) October 12, 1992 (age 31)353 Los Angeles FC2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DFMatt Miazga (1995-07-19) July 19, 1995 (age 28)281 FC Cincinnati2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DFBryan Reynolds (2001-06-28) June 28, 2001 (age 22)71 Westerlo2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DFJalen Neal (2003-08-24) August 24, 2003 (age 20)60 LA Galaxy2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DFWalker Zimmerman (1993-05-19) May 19, 1993 (age 30)423 Nashville SC2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
DFAuston Trusty (1998-08-12) August 12, 1998 (age 25)20 Sheffield United2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals

MFLuca de la Torre (1998-05-23) May 23, 1998 (age 25)200 Celta Vigo2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals INJ
MFAidan Morris (2001-11-16) November 16, 2001 (age 22)50 Columbus Crewv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MFJosh Atencio (2002-01-31) January 31, 2002 (age 22)10 Seattle Sounders FCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MFAziel Jackson (2001-10-25) October 25, 2001 (age 22)10 St. Louis City SCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MFJack McGlynn (2003-07-07) July 7, 2003 (age 20)10 Philadelphia Unionv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MFTimothy Tillman (1999-01-04) January 4, 1999 (age 25)10 Los Angeles FCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MFSean Zawadzki (2000-04-21) April 21, 2000 (age 24)10 Columbus Crewv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
MFLennard Maloney (1999-10-08) October 8, 1999 (age 24)20 1. FC Heidenheimv.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
MFPaxten Aaronson (2003-08-26) August 26, 2003 (age 20)10 Vitessev.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
MFTanner Tessmann (2001-09-24) September 24, 2001 (age 22)20 Veneziav.  Oman; September 12, 2023
MFBenjamin Cremaschi (2005-03-02) March 2, 2005 (age 19)10 Inter Miami CFv.  Oman; September 12, 2023
MFCristian Roldan (1995-06-03) June 3, 1995 (age 28)370 Seattle Sounders FC2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MFJackson Yueill (1997-03-19) March 19, 1997 (age 27)160 San Jose Earthquakes2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MFGianluca Busio (2002-05-28) May 28, 2002 (age 21)131 Venezia2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MFDjordje Mihailovic (1998-11-10) November 10, 1998 (age 25)113 Colorado Rapids2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MFAlan Soñora (1998-08-03) August 3, 1998 (age 25)50 Huracán2023 CONCACAF Gold CupINJ

FWJosh Sargent (2000-02-20) February 20, 2000 (age 24)235 Norwich City2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals INJ
FWEsmir Bajraktarevic (2005-03-10) March 10, 2005 (age 19)10 New England Revolutionv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FWBernard Kamungo (2002-01-01) January 1, 2002 (age 22)10 FC Dallasv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FWDiego Luna (2003-09-07) September 7, 2003 (age 20)10 Real Salt Lakev.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FWDuncan McGuire (2001-02-05) February 5, 2001 (age 23)10 Orlando City SCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FWBrian White (1996-02-03) February 3, 1996 (age 28)10 Vancouver Whitecaps FCv.  Slovenia; January 20, 2024
FWCade Cowell (2003-10-14) October 14, 2003 (age 20)81 GuadalajaraTraining Camp January 8–16, 2024WD
FWAlejandro Zendejas (1998-02-07) February 7, 1998 (age 26)71 Américav.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
FWKevin Paredes (2003-05-07) May 7, 2003 (age 20)30 VfL Wolfsburgv.  Trinidad and Tobago; November 20, 2023
FWJordan Morris (1994-10-26) October 26, 1994 (age 29)5511 Seattle Sounders FC2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FWJesús Ferreira (2000-12-24) December 24, 2000 (age 23)2315 FC Dallas2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FWBrandon Vázquez (1998-10-14) October 14, 1998 (age 25)84 Monterrey2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FWJulian Gressel (1993-12-16) December 16, 1993 (age 30)60 Inter Miami CF2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
FWTaylor Booth (2001-05-31) May 31, 2001 (age 22)20 Utrecht2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
  • PRE = Preliminary squad
  • INJ = Injured
  • WD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Individual records

As of March 24, 2024.[112]
Players in bold are still active with the national team.

Most appearances

Cobi Jones is the United States' most capped player with 164 appearances.
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1Cobi Jones164151992–2004
2Landon Donovan157572000–2014
3Michael Bradley151172006–2019
4Clint Dempsey141572004–2017
5Jeff Agoos13441988–2003
6Marcelo Balboa127131988–2000
7DaMarcus Beasley126172001–2017
8Tim Howard12102002–2017
9Jozy Altidore115422007–2019
10Claudio Reyna11281994–2006

Top goalscorers

Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are the United States' joint all-time top scorer with 57 goals.
RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer
1Clint Dempsey571410.4042004–2017
Landon Donovan571570.3632000–2014
3Jozy Altidore421150.3652007–2019
4Eric Wynalda341060.3211990–2000
5Brian McBride30950.3161993–2006
6Christian Pulisic28660.4242016–present
7Joe-Max Moore241000.2401992–2002
8Bruce Murray21850.2471985–1993
9Eddie Johnson19630.3022004–2014
10Earnie Stewart171010.1681990–2004
DaMarcus Beasley171260.1352001–2017
Michael Bradley171510.1132006–2019

Competitive record

The U.S. regularly competes at the FIFA World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the CONCACAF Nations League, and the Summer Olympics. The U.S. has also played in the 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.[113] 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.

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.[114] In the semifinals, the United States upset top ranked Spain 2–0, to advance to the final. In the final, the United States lost 3–2 to Brazil 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.[115] They won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021.[116] Their best ever finish at the Copa América was fourth-place at the 1995 and 2016 editions.[117][118]

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World CupQualification
YearRoundPositionPldWDLFASquadPldWDLFA
1930Semifinals[note 3]3rd320176SquadQualified as invitees
1934Round of 1616th100117Squad110042
1938WithdrewWithdrew
1950Group stage10th310248Squad4112815
1954Did not qualify420279
19584004521
1962201136
1966412145
19706303119
19744013610
1978512237
1982411248
1986632183
1990Group stage23rd300328Squad10541114
1994Round of 1614th411234SquadQualified as hosts
1998Group stage32nd300315Squad168622714
2002Quarterfinals8th521277Squad168442511
2006Group stage25th301226Squad1812423511
2010Round of 1612th412155Squad1813234216
201415th411256Squad1611232614
2018Did not qualify167453716
2022Round of 1614th412134Squad147432110
2026Qualified as co-hostsQualified as co-hosts
2030To be determinedTo be determined
2034
TotalSemifinals12/233798204066168844044287191


CONCACAF Gold Cup

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

CONCACAF Championship & CONCACAF Gold Cup recordQualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
1963Did not enterDid not enter
1965
1967
1969Did not qualify200203
1971Did not enterDid not enter
1973Did not qualify4013610
1977412134
1981411248
1985Group stage6th421143Squad211040
1989Runners-up2nd843163Squad211051
1991Champions1st5410103SquadQualified automatically
1993Runners-up2nd540155Squad
1996Third place3rd430183Squad
1998Runners-up2nd430162Squad
2000Quarter-finals5th321062Squad
2002Champions 1st541091Squad
2003Third place3rd5401134Squad
2005Champions1st6420113Squad
2007Champions1st6600133Squad
2009Runners-up2nd6411128Squad
2011Runners-up2nd640296Squad
2013Champions1st6600204Squad
2015Fourth place4th6321125Squad
2017Champions1st6510134Squad
2019Runners-up2nd6501152SquadCONCACAF fourth round
2021Champions1st6600111Squad2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League
2023Semi-finals4th5230164Squad2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League
Total7 Titles10275161119966184682226

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League record
LeagueFinals
SeasonDivisionGroupPldWDLGFGAP/RFinalsResultPldWDLGFGASquad
2019–20AA4301153 2021Champions220042Squad
2022–23AD4310142 2023Champions220050Squad
2023–24ABye 2024Champions220051Squad
2024–25ABye 2025To be determined
Total8611295Total3 Titles6600143

Copa América

Copa América recordQualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
1993Group stage12th301236SquadNo Qualification
1995Fourth place4th621367Squad
1997Not invited
1999
2001
2004
2007Group stage12th300328Squad
2011Not invited
2015
2016Fourth place4th630378SquadQualified as hosts
2019Not invitedNo Qualification
2021
2024Qualified2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League
Total0 Titles1852111829

Summer Olympics

Summer Olympics recordQualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
1896No soccer tournamentNo Qualification
1900Did not enter
1904Silver2nd311127Squad
Bronze3rd301206Squad
1908Did not enter
1912
1920
1924Round of 1612th210113Squad
1928Round of 169th1001211Squad
1932No soccer tournament
1936Round of 169th100101Squad
1948Round of 1611th100109Squad
1952Round of 3217th100108Squad
1956Quarterfinals5th100119SquadWalkover
1960Did not qualify201113
1964310277
1968Did not qualify
1972Group stage14th3012010Squad6231109
1976Did not qualifyDid not qualify
1980Qualified, later withdrew421168
1984Group stage9th311142SquadQualified as hosts
1988Group stage12th302135Squad4400134
Since 1992See United States men's national under-23 soccer team1992 Pre-Olympic Tournament
Total2 Medals2236131371199553731

FIFA Confederations Cup

Qualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
1992Third place3rd210155Squad1991 Gold Cup
1995Did not qualify1993 Gold Cup
19971996 Gold Cup
1999Third place3rd530253Squad1998 Gold Cup
2001Did not qualify2000 Gold Cup
2003Group stage7th301213Squad2002 Gold Cup
2005Did not qualify2003 Gold Cup
2009Runners-up2nd520389Squad2007 Gold Cup
2013Did not qualify2011 Gold Cup
2017CONCACAF Cup
Total0 Titles4/101561819204434378132

Head-to-head record

Honors

Major competitions

Third place (1): 1930
Runners-up (1): 2009
Third place (2): 1992, 1999
Fourth place (2): 1995, 2016
Champions (7): 1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2021
Runners-up (6): 1989, 1993, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2019
Third place (2): 1996, 2003
Fair Play Award (6): 2003, 2009, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023
Champions (3): 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24
Silver medal (1): 1904
Bronze medal (1): 1904

Other competitions

Runners-up (1): 2015
Runners-up (2): 1972, 1980
Third Place (1): 1964
Champions (3): 1992, 1995, 2000
Runners-up (1): 1999
Third place (2): 1993, 1996
Champions (2): 1989, 1989
Runners-up (3): 1987, 1988, 1989
Third place (1): 1990
Runners-up (2): 1949, 1991
Third place (2): 1947, 1990

See also

Notes

References

External links