TheUnited States men's national soccer team (USMNT), officially recognized asUSA byFIFA,[9] represents theUnited States in men's internationalsoccer. The team is governed by theUnited States Soccer Federation, which is a member of FIFA since 1914 and was a founding member ofCONCACAF since 1961. It was also affiliated withNAFC, 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 elevenFIFA World Cups, including the first in1930, 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 outsideUEFA andCONMEBOL. They returned in1934 and1950, defeatingEngland1–0 in the latter, but did not qualify again until1990. As host in1994, the U.S. received an automatic berth and lost toBrazil in the round of 16. They qualified for the next five World Cups, a feat shared with only seven other nations.[10] The U.S. reached the quarter-finals at the2002 World Cup. The U.S. will host2026 alongsideMexico andCanada.
The United States are the second most successful national team in its confederation, winning 10 CONCACAF continental titles (sevenCONCACAF Gold Cups and threeCONCACAF Nations League titles). The United States finished fourth place in two Copa América editions (1995 and2016). Globally, the United States finished runners-up in the2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, beating top-ranked European championsSpain in the semi-final and losing to Brazil in thefinal.
The first United States national soccer team was constituted on November 28, 1885, when it playedCanada in the first international match held outside the United Kingdom.[11] Canada defeated the U.S. 1–0 at Clark Field in theEast Newark neighborhood ofKearny, New Jersey.[12][13] 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 inmen's tournament at the1904 Summer Olympics inSt. Louis throughChristian Brothers College and St. Rose Parish, though the tournament is declared official only by theIOC; FIFA does not endorse tournaments held before 1908.[14]
The U.S. played its first official international match under the auspices ofU.S. Soccer on August 20, 1916, at Stockholm Olympic Stadium, defeatingSweden 3–2.[15] The U.S. fielded a team in the1930 World Cup inUruguay, the first edition of the World Cup. The U.S. began group play by beatingBelgium 3–0, and then earned a 3–0 victory over Paraguay, with FIFA creditingBert Patenaude with two of the goals.[16][17][18] 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 ahat-trick in a World Cup.[19] In the semifinals, the U.S. lost toArgentina 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 semifinalistYugoslavia.[20] 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 the1934 World Cup by defeatingMexico 4–2 in Italy a few days before the tournament opened.[21] In a straight knock-out format, the team first played hostItaly and lost 7–1, eliminating the U.S. from the tournament.[22] At the1936 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.[23]
The1950 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 toWorld War II. The U.S. lost its first match 3–1 againstSpain, but thenwon 1–0 againstEngland atIndependência Stadium inBelo Horizonte. StrikerJoe 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.[24][25] The U.S. were eliminated from the tournament in their third game, a 5–2 defeat toChile.[26]
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.[27][28] Playing only two matches from 1981 to 1983, U.S. Soccer targeted the1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the1986 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 thegroup stage of the tournament but did not qualify for the second round, losing to Egypt on a tiebreaker.[29]
To provide a more stable national team program and renew interest in theNorth American Soccer League, U.S. Soccer entered the national team into the NASL league schedule for the 1983 season asTeam 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.[28] 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.[30]
The 1986 World Cup was hosted by Mexico afterColombia 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 inTorrance, California, an area with many Costa Rican expatriates, and marketed the game almost exclusively to the Costa Rican community.[31] Costa Rica won the match 1–0, and kept the U.S. from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.[28][32]
On July 4, 1988, FIFA named the U.S. as the host of the1994 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 the1990 World Cup with a1–0 win againstTrinidad and Tobago in the last match of the1989 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.[33]
The team was coached byBob 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 andHugo 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 asVirginia goalkeeperTony Meola. The U.S. entered the tournament as major underdogs and lost all three of its group games to Czechoslovakia, Italy, and Austria. DefendersJimmy Banks andDesmond Armstrong became the first African Americans to appear in a World Cup match for the United States.[34]
During the1993 U.S. Cup, a tournament designed to prepare for the upcoming World Cup, the U.S. beat England 2–0.[35] After qualifying automatically as the host of the 1994 World Cup underBora Milutinović, the U.S. opened the tournament schedule with a 1–1 tie against Switzerland in thePontiac Silverdome in the suburbs ofDetroit, the first World Cup game played indoors. In its second game, the U.S. facedColombia, then ranked fourth in the world, at theRose Bowl nearLos Angeles. Aided by anown goal fromAndrés Escobar, the U.S. won 2–1;[36] Escobar was latermurdered in his home country, possibly in retaliation for this mistake.[37] 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 championBrazil.[38] U.S. Soccer later fired Milutinović in 1995 because he was reportedly not interested in administrative duties in addition to coaching.[39]
The U.S. were invited to play in the1995 Copa América, where they finished first in their group after defeatingChile andArgentina in an upset victory.[40] In the quarterfinals, the U.S. defeatedMexico 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.[41]
In the1998 World Cup in France, the team lost all three group matches, 2–0 toGermany, 2–1 toIran, and 1–0 to Yugoslavia, finishing last in the field of 32. The tournament was marred by disputes between the players and head coachSteve Sampson, who resigned shortly after the tournament.[42]
Under formerD.C. United head coachBruce Arena, the U.S. qualified for the2002 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 overPortugal, followed by a 1–1 tie with co-host and eventual semifinalistSouth 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 rivalsMexico for the first time in a World Cup, and won the game 2–0, with goals fromBrian McBride andLandon Donovan. In the quarterfinals, the USMNT metGermany and lost 1–0 after being controversially denied a penalty whenTorsten Frings handled the ball to prevent aGregg Berhalter goal.[43] Donovan won the Best Young Player for the tournament.[44]
In the2006 World Cup, after finishing top of the CONCACAF qualification tournament, the U.S. was drawn into Group E along with theCzech Republic,Italy, andGhana. 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,[45] and then were knocked out of the tournament when they were beaten 2–1 by Ghana in its final group match, withClint Dempsey scoring the U.S.'s only goal in the tournament (the goal against Italy had been an own goal by Italian defenderCristian Zaccardo).[46] Following the tournament, Arena's contract was not renewed; his assistant, formerChicago Fire andMetroStars head coachBob Bradley, became interim head coach in December 2006 and was selected for the full-time role in May 2007.[47][48]
After winning the2007 Gold Cup against Mexico, the USMNT qualified for the2009 Confederations Cup.[49] The U.S. shocked the soccer world by defeating top-ranked Spain, who were on a 35-game undefeated streak, 2–0.[50] 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.[51] Hosting the2009 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.[52]
In thefourth 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.[53] 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.[54]
In the2010 World Cup, the USMNT was drawn intoGroup C againstEngland,Slovenia andAlgeria. 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 byGhana, 2–1.[55]
After losing to Mexico 4–2 in the final of the2011 Gold Cup, Bob Bradley was relieved of his duties and formerGermany managerJürgen Klinsmann was hired as head coach.[56] The U.S. won 1–0 inGenoa, Italy on February 29, 2012, the team's first-ever win over Italy.[57] In July 2013, the United States became North American champions for the fifth time after winning theGold Cup with a 1–0 victory over Panama in the final, with Landon Donovan winning the tournament's golden ball award.[58] A 4–3 victory overBosnia and Herzegovina in an international friendly match inSarajevo represented the 12th consecutive win for the USMNT, the longest active winning streak for any team in the world at that time.[59][60] The winning streak ended September 6, when the U.S. lost to Costa Rica 3–1 inSan José inthe final round of qualification.[61] The U.S. eventually clinched a spot in the2014 World Cup.[62]
The Americans were drawn intoGroup G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal.[63] The U.S. won 2–1 in their rematch with Ghana,[64] 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 theknockout stage on goal difference.[65] This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.[66] In the round of 16, the U.S. lost 2–1 to Belgium in extra time, despite goalkeeperTim Howard making a World Cup record 15 saves[67][note 2] during the match.[68]
In the2015 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.[69][70] In the 2015CONCACAF Cup playoff to determine the region's entry to the2017 Confederations Cup, the U.S. were defeated 3–2 by Mexico at the Rose Bowl.[71] The results led to criticism of Klinsmann's coaching style, particularly the lack of a cohesive identity.[72]
In June 2016, the U.S. hosted theCopa 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.[73] In their third Copa América appearance,[73] the U.S. toppedGroup A on goal difference against Colombia despite losing to them, and then beatEcuador 2–1 in the quarterfinals.[74][75] The team lost 4–0 toArgentina 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.[76]
Following consecutive losses to Mexico and Costa Rica in the opening games of thefinal round of qualification for the2018 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 overHonduras.[77] The U.S. earned their third ever result in World Cup qualification at theEstadio Azteca when they drew 1–1 against Mexico. In July 2017, the U.S. won their sixthGold Cup with a 2–1 win over Jamaica in the final. Following a2–1 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.[78] Many pundits and analysts called this the worst result and worst performance in the history of the national team.[79]
Following Arena's resignation on October 13, 2017, assistant coachDave Sarachan was named interim head coach during the search for a permanent replacement.[80] The search for a permanent head coach was delayed by theUSSF presidential election in February 2018 and the hiring ofEarnie Stewart as general manager in June 2018.[81][82]Gregg Berhalter, coach of theColumbus Crew and a former USMNT defender, was announced as the team's new head coach on December 2, 2018.[83][84]
Under Berhalter the team lost in the2019 Gold Cup final 1–0 againstMexico and were unable to defend their title.[85]
After Berhalter's contract expired in December 2022, the U.S. searched for a new head coach. Under interim managerB.J. Callaghan in June 2023, the United States successfully defended their Nations League trophy by winning the2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League. The team conceded no goals in thefinals tournament, winning 3–0 against Mexico and 2–0 against Canada in thefinal match.[91] Callaghan remained the team's manager for the2023 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.[92]
The United States automatically qualified for the2026 World Cup as co-host in February 2023, and secured a spot at the U.S.-hosted2024 Copa América by defeating Trinidad and Tobago 4–2 over two legs inNovember 2023.[93] Gregg Berhalter was reappointed as coach of the United States on June 16, 2023.[94] In March 2024, the United States won theirthird CONCACAF Nations League title by defeating Mexico 2–0 in thefinal.[95] At the Copa América, the United States were eliminated in thegroup stage, with a 1–0 loss in the final group stage match againstUruguay involving several controversial decisions against the Americans from refereeKevin Ortega, including a potentially offside Uruguay goal and handling of yellow cards.[96] Following the team's elimination, Berhalter was fired as head coach on July 10, 2024.[97]
On September 10, 2024,Todd Boehly and the USMNT's delegates agreed to an undisclosed exit fee for formerChelsea managerMauricio Pochettino, and Pochettino would subsequently be announced as the new head coach of the United States, replacing Berhalter.[98] In March2025 the U.S. lost toPanama 0–1 in stoppage time, marking the first time they've been eliminated from aCONCACAF 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 toPeru's jersey was first adopted in 1950 and used in various uniforms in the 2000s. A color scheme based on theU.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 1983Team America franchise of theNorth American Soccer League).[citation needed]
German brandAdidas provided the uniform for the United States from 1984 to 1994. Since 1995, American companyNike has been the uniform supplier.[99] The final Adidas jersey was adenim-inspired blue shirt with white stars paired with red shorts.[100]
The United States and Mexico have been the most successful teams in CONCACAF and are major rivals.[21]
The two countries first met in 1934 during aWorld Cup qualifier inRome 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.[104][105] They faced off in theround of 16 of the2002 World Cup, with the United States winning 2–0.[106] On August 15, 2012, the U.S. defeated Mexico atEstadio Azteca in the first victory for the Americans on Mexican soil in 75 years.[107] On October 10, 2015, Mexico defeated the U.S. 3–2 in theCONCACAF Cup inPasadena, California to qualify for the2017 Confederations Cup. Thirteen months later, on November 11, 2016, El Tri defeated the U.S. inColumbus, Ohio for their second consecutive victory on American soil, inqualification for the 2018 World Cup.[108] In 2021, the United States defeated Mexico three times in a calendar year for the first time, winning theCONCACAF Nations League final, theGold Cup final, and in2022 World Cup qualifying.[109]
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 ofsoccer 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 theGold Cup except one (the2000 Gold Cup was won by Canada).
The U.S. has a secondary rivalry withCanada, with the rivalry stemming from a generallyfriendly 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.
In the 2010s, the United States began to develop a rivalry withCosta Rica.[112][113][114] The impetus for the rivalry was a2014 World Cup qualifying match played on March 22, 2013, atDick's Sporting Goods Park inCommerce 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.[115] The United States have never won an away match in Costa Rica, losing 10 meetings and drawing twice.[116]
There have been two mainsupporter groups backing U.S. Soccer teams,Sam's Army andThe American Outlaws. Sam's Army started shortly after the1994 World Cup[117] 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 inLincoln, Nebraska, in 2007 as a local supporters' group.[118] The group's membership attempted to address a lack of consistency from game to game in supporter organization and social events on match days.[119]
The U.S. men's national team has a major following onsocial media platforms. Interest in young American players and the attention they bring has led to an increase in foreign investment in U.S. players,[120] soccer development programs, and sports clubs.[121]
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 onMax with matches also onTNT,TBS orTruTV.CBS Sports airs USMNT away World Cup qualifiers and the Nations League finals, semifinals and third place game onCBS Sports Network and/or theParamount+ streaming service.Fox Sports holds the rights to USMNT matches in theFIFA World Cup andCONCACAF Gold Cup, with matches airing onFox orFox 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.[124]
The following 25 players were named for theFriendly matches againstEcuador andAustralia on October 10 and 14, 2025.[130] Caps andgoals are updated as of October 14, 2025 after the match againstAustralia.
The best result for the United States in a World Cup tournament came in1930 when it reached the semifinals. The team included six naturalized internationals, five of them from Scotland and one from England.[132] In the modern era, the team's best result came in2002, when it reached the quarterfinals. Its worst World Cup tournament results in were group-stage eliminations in1990,1998, and2006; the team failed to qualify altogether for the final tournament in2018. The United States reached the round of 16 in1994,2010,2014, and2022.
In theConfederations Cup, the United States finished in third place in both1992 and1999, and were runner-up in2009. The team appeared in its first intercontinental tournament final at the 2009 Confederations Cup,[133] where it lost toBrazil 3–2 after leading 2–0 at halftime.
The U.S. men's soccer team first played in the Summer Olympics in1924. From that tournament to1980, only amateur and state-sponsored Eastern European players were allowed on Olympic teams. The Olympics became a full international tournament in 1984 after theIOC allowed full national teams from outsideFIFA's strongest confederations ofUEFA andCONMEBOL. Since1992 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 theUnited States men's national under-23 soccer team.
In regional competitions, the United States has won theCONCACAF Gold Cup seven times, with its most recent title in 2021.[134] The team has won three of the fourCONCACAF Nations League editions that have been played so far, including the inaugural 2021 final.[135] Its best finish at theCopa América was fourth place at the1995 and2016 editions,[136][137] while it competed as the host nation in2024, failing to advance past the group stage.
Demonstrations matches played by club teams, officially not recognized by FIFA.[138]
Official regional competition organized byNAFC. 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 theIOC, but not byFIFA.
^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. RetrievedJuly 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. RetrievedDecember 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. RetrievedAugust 20, 2014.
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