The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is a full member of FIFA and governs American soccer at the international, professional, and amateur levels, including: the men's and women's national teams, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, youth organizations, beach soccer, futsal, Paralympic and deaf national teams. U.S. Soccer sanctions referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States. The U.S. Soccer Federation also administers and operates the U.S. Open Cup and the SheBelieves Cup.
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He last played for USL Championship club Memphis 901 FC, a club of which he is a minority owner and sporting director. He is also international ambassador in the US for former club Everton. Howard is widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers in American soccer history. Howard was named to the 2003–04 PFA Premier League Team of the Year and was awarded the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Glove. Referencing the American public's preference for other sports over soccer in contrast to most other countries, the Chicago Tribune described Howard as the "rarest of creatures – an American soccer hero".
Bruce Arena is an American soccer coach who is the head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution.
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American former professional soccer player. Donovan is also the manager, co-founder, and vice-president of soccer operations for USL Championship side San Diego Loyal SC, and serves as strategic advisor for English side Lincoln City. He was voted as the best U.S. soccer player of all time by a poll conducted by ESPN, along with Major League Soccer having ranked Donovan as the greatest American soccer player of all time.
Soccer in the United States is run by different organizations. The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the country, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs most colleges and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) governs schools. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences.
The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.
The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four Women's World Cup titles, four Olympic gold medals, and nine CONCACAF Gold Cups. It medaled in every World Cup and Olympic tournament in women's soccer from 1991 to 2015, before being knocked out in the quarterfinal of the 2016 Summer Olympics. The team is governed by United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF.
The Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides. Within Canada, it oversees national professional and amateur club championships.
Gregg Matthew Berhalter is an American soccer coach, and former player. He is currently the head coach of the United States men's national soccer team. Berhalter previously coached Columbus Crew SC in Major League Soccer, Hammarby IF in Sweden, and served as an assistant coach for LA Galaxy.
The United States U-23 men's national soccer team, also known as the United States men's Olympic soccer team, is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is qualification into and competition at the quadriennial Olympic Football Tournament, the next of which is to be held during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The team's most recent major tournament was the tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in which the United States team did not qualify. Their most recent qualfiication was the tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in which they were eliminated in the group stage.
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.
Rebecca Elizabeth Sauerbrunn is an American professional soccer player for Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women's professional soccer in the United States. Since 2021, Sauerbrunn is the captain of the United States women's national soccer team. She previously captained Utah Royals FC and, from 2016 to 2018, co-captained the national team with Carli Lloyd.
Perica "Peri" Marošević is an American former soccer player.
Omid Hamid Namazi Zadeh is an American retired soccer defender who is currently an assistant coach and the director of scouting for USL Championship club Hartford Athletic. Namazi played professionally in the American Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, Major League Soccer, USISL and National Professional Soccer League where he was the 2001 Defender of the Year and he played for United States national futsal team. He is a two-time Coach of the Year in the Major Indoor Soccer League and coached in the Women's United Soccer Association. As assistant coach of Iran, he led the team to qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
Abdul Bilal "Bill" Hamid is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.
The United States U-18 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The U.S. under-18 men's national team serves as a transition for players between the under-17 and the under-20 national teams. Though the team does not compete in a world championship, it competes in international tournaments and holds several domestic training camps throughout the year.
The Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of Pennsylvania State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Penn State's intercollegiate soccer program began in 1911 and has won or shared 11 national championships and 6 conference tournament championships. In 1959, the team joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association when it added men's soccer to its program and in 1987 joined the Atlantic 10 Conference as a charter member. At the conclusion of its 1990 season the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten Conference where they play today.
The UCF Knights men's soccer team represents the University of Central Florida in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I. The Knights compete in the American Athletic Conference through the 2022 season, their last as members of that conference. UCF will join the Big 12 Conference, a league that sponsors soccer only for women, in 2023, with men's soccer joining the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) at that time. They play their home games on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida at the UCF Soccer and Track Stadium. The Knights are currently led by head coach Scott Calabrese.
Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the U.S. existed only on a limited basis. The U.S. is now regarded as one of the top countries in the world for women's soccer, and FIFA ranked its national team #1 in the world after its back-to-back Women's World Cup victory in 2015 and 2019.
