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The US Men’s National Team is ready to deliver in front of the home crowd as co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But it’s been a unique journey for the team since its first appearance at the first World Cup in 1930. Here’s a brief history of the development of the US men’s national team.
When did the USA play its first men’s game?
Although a team representing the United States played a Canadian team in 1885 in Kearney, New Jersey, it would be decades before the US men’s national team was officially recognized. It included the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, where two clubs – Christian Brothers College and St. Rose Parish – would win silver and bronze medals.
The United States Soccer Federation was founded in April 1913. The US men’s team played its first official international match in Stockholm against Sweden in August 1916, winning 3-2. That match was part of a six-match tour of Sweden and Norway.
When did the USA play in its men’s World Cup?
In 1930, the United States, along with 12 other international soccer teams, played in the first World Cup in Uruguay. The first experience for the USA at the World Cup exceeded all expectations, as the Stars and Stripes actually finished in third place.
After a half-hearted qualifying process (only Mexico and the United States bothered to enter from North America), the Americans traveled to Uruguay with a scrappy squad of semi-pros, British immigrants and a Belgian-born goalkeeper.
The USA stunned Belgium 3-0 in its opening match, then routed Paraguay 3-0 to win the group. In the semifinals, however, the USA ran into Argentina and suffered a 6-1 defeat. Argentina would then lose to the host country, 3-2, in the first ever final.
A third-place match was not played, but FIFA retroactively awarded the U.S. bronze based on the overall record.
Why was the 1950 World Cup significant for the US men’s national team?
(Photo by EMPICS Sport/EMPICS via Getty Images)
The 1950 World Cup featured one of the great upsets in history. Powered by a 37th-minute goal from Joe Gaetjens, the United States beat a heavily favored England squad 1-0 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The game was even nicknamed “The Miracle Match” and was the subject of books and even a 2005 movie called “The Game of Their Lives.”
Like the USA’s 1930 World Cup team, the squad was made up of part-time players who had jobs such as a digger and a postman. Even Gaetjens, who was not yet an American citizen when he was selected for the team, was a dishwasher and lived in New York. On the other hand, England had professional players in their debut World Cup appearance.
Despite the win, the USA failed to advance past the first round, but they made a statement for the nation to remember as it endured a 40-year World Cup drought.
What Happened to the US Men’s National Team from 1950-1990?
Italian defender Paolo Maldini is tackled by American midfielder Paul Caliguri during the 1990 World Cup (BOB PEARSON/AFP via Getty Images)
For 40 years, American football was a footnote as other professional leagues such as MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL flourished. The United States did not qualify for a World Cup in nearly four decades and missed out on a number of Gold Cups, a tournament involving teams from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
Without a strong domestic league, the US national team struggled to build talented rosters. And while college and youth soccer were mainstays across the country, few players were able to turn professional overseas. The founding of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1968 would eventually attract World Cup legends such as Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé and Johan Cruyff to play in the United States, but did little to help American players succeed. The NASL folded in 1984.
Controversially, FIFA awarded the United States the right to host the World Cup in 1988. It renewed American soccer’s efforts to reach the World Cup in 1990 in preparation for the 1994 edition. The team did so, breaking its 40-year drought by qualifying for the 1990 tournament hosted by Italy. With a young, inexperienced team, the USA lost their group stage games to Czechoslovakia (5-1), Italy (1-0) and Austria (2-1).
What changed at the 1994 World Cup?
The 1994 World Cup was hosted by the United States. (Photo by George Tiedemann/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
The tide began to turn in the 1990s, highlighted by the 1994 World Cup hosting of the state. While many expected empty stadiums in a country that prioritized other sports, it was far from reality. More than 3.5 million fans flocked to matches around the country – still a World Cup record.
Led by several veterans from the 1990 squad and newcomers like Alexi Lalas and Cobi Jones, the USA also delivered on the field, advancing past the group stage for the first time in 64 years. In the end, it lost 1–0 to eventual champions Brazil in the round of 16. That result proved that the United States could compete with giants in the soccer world.
The 1994 World Cup led to the birth of Major League Soccer two years later, increasing the talent pool available domestically and providing academies for the nation’s youth.
How has the US men’s national team fared since the 1994 World Cup?
Landon Donovan broke through at the 2002 World Cup. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Bongarts/Getty Images)
There were high hopes after 1994 that the team could go even further at the 1998 World Cup held in France. However, that team faltered and failed to make it out of the group stage. In fact, the team lost all three matches in the group stage (Germany, Iran, Yugoslavia) and recorded only one goal in total in the match against Iran.
In the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, the United States came back and had its best finish since 1930. The United States beat Portugal 3-2 and drew with South Korea to advance from its group. In the Round of 16, the United States defeated arch-rival Mexico 2-0 with goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan.
It then set up a clash with powerhouse Germany in the quarter-finals. With the USA trailing 1-0 in the 50th minute, USA defender (and future coach) Gregg Berhalter fired a shot that goalkeeper Oliver Kahn saved and then bounced off the arm of Germany midfielder Torsten Frings. To the USA’s dismay, no handball was called. Germany advanced, thus eliminating the United States from contention.
There were even greater hopes for the 2006 World Cup squad that arrived in Germany. But a tough group that included the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana meant the U.S. would not reach the knockout rounds.
The USA made it out of the group stage at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, largely in part to one of the most important moments in the team’s history. It was when Landon Donovan scored a last-minute goal in the group stage final against Algeria that secured a round of 16 berth.
At the 2014 World Cup, the USA was again drawn into a tough group – Ghana, Portugal and Germany – but reached the knockouts. A tough 2-1 extra-time loss to Belgium would seal the team’s fate despite a heroic performance by goalkeeper Tim Howard, who set a World Cup record for most saves in a game.
In one of the low points in its history, the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the first time the U.S. had failed to reach the big stage since 1986. But with a new generation of players led by Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, the team returned to the big stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before losing again in the round of 16 in the Netherlands.
What to expect from the USA Men’s National Team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
With 2026 now here, the United States is back to hosting soccer’s biggest tournament on home soil (along with hosts Mexico and Canada). Pulisic and McKennie are back in the squad and are two of the 13 holdovers from the 2022 World Cup roster.
The USA will face three opponents in the group stage with a view to making a deep knockout round.
Who holds some of the USA Men’s National Team records?
Goal: Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan have each scored 57 goals.
Appearance: Cobi Jones appeared in 164 games from 1992-2004.
Coach with the most wins: Bruce Arena achieved 81 wins from 1998-2006 and 2017.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11-19. July 2026. Split across three countries, the tournament culminates with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches broadcast live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both FOX One and that FOX Sports app. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, are televised in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opener between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubeas well as the USA’s opener against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
