The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT), officially recognized as USA by FIFA,[8] represents the United States in men's international soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which is a member of FIFA since 1914 and was a founding member of CONCACAF since 1961. It was also affiliated with NAFC, which was a predecessor confederation of CONCACAF and the former governing soccer body in North America from 1946 to 1961.
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, is the best result by a team from outside UEFA and CONMEBOL. They returned in 1934 and 1950, defeating England1–0 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, a feat shared with only seven other nations.[9] The U.S. reached the quarter-finals at the 2002 World Cup.
The United States are the second most successful national team in its confederation, winning 10 CONCACAF continental titles (seven CONCACAF Gold Cups and three CONCACAF Nations League titles). The United States finished fourth place in two Copa América editions (1995 and 2016). Globally, the United States finished runners-up in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, beating top-ranked European champions Spain in the semi-final and losing to Brazil in the final.
The first United States national soccer team was constituted on November 28, 1885, when it played Canada in the first international match held outside the United Kingdom.[10] Canada defeated the U.S. 1–0 at Clark Field in the East Newark neighborhood of Kearny, New Jersey.[11][12] A second match in East Newark the following year resulted in the U.S. defeating Canada 1–0, although neither match was officially recognized.[6] The U.S. earned both silver and bronze medals in men's tournament at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis through Christian Brothers College and St. Rose Parish, though the tournament is declared official only by the IOC; FIFA does not endorse tournaments held before 1908.[13]
The U.S. played its first official international match under the auspices of U.S. Soccer on August 20, 1916, at Stockholm Olympic Stadium, defeating Sweden 3–2.[14] The U.S. fielded a team in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, the first edition of the World Cup. 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.[15][16][17] 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.[18] In the semifinals, the U.S. lost to Argentina 6–1 and were eliminated. 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.[19] 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 tournament opened.[20] In a straight knock-out format, the team first played host Italy and lost 7–1, eliminating the U.S. from the tournament.[21] At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the U.S. lost 1–0 to Italy in the first round and were eliminated. Italy went on to win both tournaments.[22]
The 1950 World Cup in Brazil was the next World Cup appearance for the United States, as it withdrew in 1938 and the tournament was not 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 lone goalscorer in the match, which was called "The Miracle on Grass" and considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of the World Cup.[23][24] The U.S. were eliminated from the tournament in their third game, a 5–2 defeat to Chile.[25]
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. CONCACAF had only one World Cup berth until 1982.[26][27] Playing only two matches from 1981 to 1983, U.S. Soccer targeted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1986 World Cup to rebuild 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. The U.S. finished with a 1–1–1 record in the group stage of the tournament but did not qualify for the second round, losing to Egypt on a tiebreaker.[28]
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.[27] 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.[29]
The 1986 World Cup was hosted by Mexico after Colombia withdrew from contention due to economic concerns and the United States lost their subsequent bid to host. 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.[30] Costa Rica won the match 1–0, and kept the U.S. from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.[27][31]
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 Olympics played a role in FIFA's decision. The U.S. qualified for the 1990 World Cup with a 1–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in the last match of the 1989 CONCACAF Championship. Mexico had been disqualified from the CONCACAF Championship for using ineligible players in a youth tournament, which allowed a chance for the U.S. to qualify for their first World Cup in 40 years.[32]
The team was coached by Bob Gansler, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and U20 national team coach, in preparation for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Two of the team's more experienced players, Rick Davis and Hugo Perez, were unavailable for selection while recovering from injuries. 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 major underdogs and lost 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.[33]
During the 1993 U.S. Cup, a tournament designed to prepare for the upcoming World Cup, the U.S. beat England 2–0.[34] 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 near Los Angeles. Aided by an own goal from Andrés Escobar, the U.S. won 2–1;[35] Escobar was later murdered in his home country, possibly in retaliation for this mistake.[36] 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.[37] U.S. Soccer later fired Milutinović in 1995 because he was reportedly not interested in administrative duties in addition to coaching.[38]
The U.S. were invited to play in the 1995 Copa América, where they finished first in their group after defeating Chile and Argentina in an upset victory.[39] In the quarterfinals, 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 in the third-place match.[40]
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 last in the field of 32. The tournament was marred by disputes between the players and head coach Steve Sampson, who resigned shortly after the tournament.[41]
Under former D.C. United head coach Bruce Arena, the U.S. qualified for the 2002 World Cup and reached the quarterfinals, their best finish in a World Cup since 1930. The team earned four points in the group stage, 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 advanced to the round of 16 when South Korea defeated Portugal. The U.S. met continental rivals Mexico for the first time in a World Cup, and won the game 2–0, with goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. In the quarterfinals, the USMNT met Germany and lost 1–0 after being controversially denied a penalty when Torsten Frings handled the ball to prevent a Gregg Berhalter goal.[42] Donovan won the Best Young Player for the tournament.[43]
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,[44] 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).[45] Following the tournament, Arena's contract was not renewed; his assistant, former Chicago Fire and MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley, became interim head coach in December 2006 and was selected for the full-time role in May 2007.[46][47]
After winning the 2007 Gold Cup against Mexico, the USMNT qualified for the 2009 Confederations Cup.[48] The U.S. shocked the soccer world by defeating top-ranked Spain, who were on a 35-game undefeated streak, 2–0.[49] 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.[50] Hosting the 2009 Gold Cup, 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 and their first home loss in a competitive match since 1998.[51]
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.[52] 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 final round of qualification with a 2–2 tie against Costa Rica.[53]
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.[54]
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.[55] The U.S. won 1–0 in Genoa, Italy on February 29, 2012, the team's first-ever win over Italy.[56] In July 2013, the United States became 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.[57] A 4–3 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in an international friendly match in Sarajevo represented the 12th consecutive win for the USMNT, the longest active winning streak for any team in the world at that time.[58][59] The winning streak ended September 6, when the U.S. lost to Costa Rica 3–1 in San José in the final round of qualification.[60] The U.S. eventually clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup.[61]
The Americans were drawn into Group G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal.[62] The U.S. won 2–1 in their rematch with Ghana,[63] and then 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.[64] This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.[65] 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[66][note 2] during the match.[67]
In the 2015 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. It marked the first time the team failed to make the tournament final since 2003.[68][69] In the 2015 CONCACAF Cup playoff to determine the region's entry to the 2017 Confederations Cup, the U.S. were defeated 3–2 by Mexico at the Rose Bowl.[70] The results led to criticism of Klinsmann's coaching style, particularly the lack of a cohesive identity.[71]
In June 2016, the U.S. hosted the Copa América Centenario, a special edition of the Copa América to commemorate the centenary of the tournament and its first to be played outside of South America.[72] In their third Copa América appearance,[72] the U.S. topped Group A on goal difference against Colombia despite losing to them, and then beat Ecuador 2–1 in the quarterfinals.[73][74] The team lost 4–0 to Argentina in the semifinals and 1–0 to Colombia again in the third place match. The U.S. finished fourth overall, tying their best finish ever in 1995.[75]
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.[76] The U.S. earned 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.[77] Many pundits and analysts called this the worst result and worst performance in the history of the national team.[78]
Following Arena's resignation on October 13, 2017, assistant coach Dave Sarachan was named interim head coach during the search for a permanent replacement.[79] 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.[80][81]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.[82][83]
Under Berhalter the team lost in the 2019 Gold Cup final 1–0 against Mexico and were unable to defend their title.[84]
After Berhalter's contract expired in December 2022, the U.S. searched for a new head coach. Under interim manager 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 tournament, winning 3–0 against Mexico and 2–0 against Canada in the final match.[90] Callaghan remained the team's manager for the 2023 Gold Cup the following month, which was played with a different roster. The U.S. were eliminated in the semifinals by Panama after losing a penalty shootout.[91]
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 América by defeating Trinidad and Tobago 4–2 over two legs in November 2023.[92] Gregg Berhalter was reappointed as coach of the United States on June 16, 2023.[93] In March 2024, the United States won their third CONCACAF Nations League title by defeating Mexico 2–0 in the final.[94] At the Copa América, the United States were eliminated in the group stage, with a 1–0 loss in the final group stage match against Uruguay involving several controversial decisions against the Americans from referee Kevin Ortega, including a potentially offside Uruguay goal and handling of yellow cards.[95] Following the team's elimination, Berhalter was fired as head coach on July 10, 2024.[96]
On September 10, 2024, Todd Boehly and the USMNT's delegates agreed to an undisclosed exit fee for former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, and Pochettino would subsequently be announced as the new head coach of the United States, replacing Berhalter.[97] In March 2025 the U.S. lost to Panama 0–1 in stoppage time, marking the first time they've been eliminated from a CONCACAF Nations League title.
Since their first unofficial game against Canada, the most common U.S. uniform has been white tops with blue shorts. A variant with a diagonal stripe or "sash" across the shirt similar to Peru's jersey was first adopted in 1950 and used in various uniforms in the 2000s. A color scheme based on the U.S. flag—usually a shirt with red and white stripes with blue shorts—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).[citation needed]
German brand Adidas provided the uniform for the United States from 1984 to 1994. Since 1995, American company Nike has been the uniform supplier.[98] The final Adidas jersey was a denim-inspired blue shirt with white stars paired with red shorts.[99]
The United States and Mexico have been the most successful teams in CONCACAF and are major rivals.[20]
The two countries first met in 1934 during a World Cup qualifier in Rome that the U.S. won; Mexico won the following 24 meetings and were perennial qualifiers for the World Cup. Since 1980, the U.S. has had more wins against Mexico, particularly in home matches and major tournaments.[103][104] They faced off in the round of 16 of the 2002 World Cup, with the United States winning 2–0.[105] On August 15, 2012, the U.S. defeated Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the first victory for the Americans on Mexican soil in 75 years.[106] On October 10, 2015, Mexico defeated the U.S. 3–2 in the CONCACAF Cup in Pasadena, California to qualify for the 2017 Confederations Cup. Thirteen months later, on November 11, 2016, El Tri defeated the U.S. in Columbus, Ohio for their second consecutive victory on American soil, in qualification for the 2018 World Cup.[107] In 2021, the United States defeated Mexico three times in a calendar year for the first time, winning the CONCACAF Nations League final, the Gold Cup final, and in 2022 World Cup qualifying.[108]
Ever since their first meeting in 1934, the two teams have met 78 times, with Mexico leading 37W–17T–24L, outscoring the U.S. 147–92. However, because of recent growth of soccer in the U.S., since the beginning of the 21st century, the U.S. leads the series 19W–8T–10L. Either the United States or Mexico has won every edition of the Gold Cup except one (the 2000 Gold Cup was won by Canada).
The U.S. has a secondary rivalry with Canada, with the rivalry stemming from a generally friendly rivalry between the two countries. The United States has historically been the stronger side, having qualified for 11 World Cups while Canada has qualified for two.
The United States currently leads the series at 18W–11T–11L.
Costa Rica
In the 2010s, the United States began to develop a rivalry with Costa Rica.[111][112][113] The impetus for the rivalry was a 2014 World Cup qualifying match played on March 22, 2013, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado under blizzard conditions. Costa Rica filed a protest with FIFA due to field conditions after the United States won the game 1–0, but were denied recourse. The game was dubbed "Snow Clasico" for the conditions.[114] The United States have never won an away match in Costa Rica, losing 10 meetings and drawing twice.[115]
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[116] 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.[117] The group's membership attempted to address a lack of consistency from game to game in supporter organization and social events on match days.[118]
The U.S. men's national team has a major following on social media platforms. Interest in young American players and the attention they bring has led to an increase in foreign investment in U.S. players,[119] soccer development programs, and sports clubs.[120]
TNT Sports has the main English language rights for U.S. Soccer broadcasts from 2022 to 2030, including all friendlies, CONCACAF Nations League group play matches and home World Cup qualifiers. All matches stream live on Max with matches also on TNT, TBS or TruTV. CBS Sports airs USMNT away World Cup qualifiers and the Nations League finals, semifinals and third place game on CBS Sports Network and/or the Paramount+ streaming service. Fox Sports holds the rights to USMNT matches in the FIFA World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup, with matches airing on Fox or Fox Sports 1. 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.[123]
The following 24 players were named for the Friendly matches against South Korea and Japan on September 6 and 9, 2025.[129] Caps and goals are updated as of September 9, 2025 after the match against Japan.
The best result for the United States in a World Cup tournament came in 1930 when it reached the semifinals. The team included six naturalized internationals, five of them from Scotland and one from England.[131] In the modern era, the team's best result came in 2002, when it reached the quarterfinals. Its worst World Cup tournament results in were group-stage eliminations in 1990, 1998, and 2006; the team failed to qualify altogether 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 team appeared in its first intercontinental tournament final at the 2009 Confederations Cup,[132] where it lost to Brazil 3–2 after leading 2–0 at halftime.
The U.S. men's soccer team first played in the Summer Olympics in 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's strongest confederations of UEFA and CONMEBOL. Since 1992 the men's Olympic event has been age-restricted, to those 23 years and younger, with the exception (since 1996) of up to three overage players; 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 its most recent title in 2021.[133] The team has won three of the four CONCACAF Nations League editions that have been played so far, including the inaugural 2021 final.[134] Its best finish at the Copa América was fourth place at the 1995 and 2016 editions,[135][136] while it competed as the host nation in 2024, failing to advance past the group stage.
Demonstrations matches played by club teams, officially not recognized by FIFA.[137]
Official regional competition organized by NAFC. It was a predecessor confederation of CONCACAF, affiliated with FIFA as the former governing body of soccer in North America, from 1946 to 1961.
↑ These medals are recognized by the IOC, but not by FIFA.
↑ FIFA's initial match statistics showed 16 saves, and many news sources continue to use this number. The official FIFA statistics were updated on July 5, 2014, to show 15 saves.
↑ "1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay 1930". FIFA.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018. The United States earned 3rd place over the loser of the other semifinal, Yugoslavia, because of a better goal differential (+1 to Yugoslavia's 0). No third place match was played.
↑ Wilson, Paul (June 26, 2010). "USA 1–2 Ghana". The Guardian. London, England. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
↑ Farnsworth, Ed (March 19, 2014). "The US at the 1930 World Cup". The Philly Soccer Page. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
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