The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT), governed by the U.S. Soccer Federation since 1913 and a founding member of CONCACAF, represents the nation in international competition. They have qualified for the FIFA World Cup twelve times, achieving their best result in 1930 with a historic third-place finish, which remains the highest placement for any CONCACAF team and the only podium finish for a non-European or South American nation. Notable World Cup performances include a surprising 1-0 victory over England in 1950 and reaching the quarter-finals in 2002, with the U.S. also set to co-host the tournament again in 2026.
Regionally, the USMNT is a dominant force, holding the title of the second most successful team in CONCACAF with an impressive ten continental titles, including seven Gold Cups and three Nations League championships. Historically, the team played its first official match in 1916 against Sweden and saw Bert Patenaude achieve the inaugural World Cup hat-trick during their pioneering 1930 campaign. They also finished as runners-up in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, notably defeating top-ranked European champions Spain.