Is the USMNT in the Olympics 2024 men's soccer tournament in Paris? USA qualify to first Summer Games in 16 years

Simon Borg

Is the USMNT in the Olympics 2024 men's soccer tournament in Paris? USA qualify to first Summer Games in 16 years image

For the first time in 16 years, the USA will see its men's soccer team participate in the Olympic Games after securing a ticket to the Paris 2024 event. It clinched the spot by reaching the final of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, which awarded the two finalists an Olympic berth.

The U.S. Soccer Federation will send an Under-23 men's team to France for the 2024 Olympics with three over-age exceptions, as per the age restriction rules established for that tournament. The U.S. men's team will be one of 16 nations competing to win a medal at the event. 

While the USA women's team has been a force at the summer Olympics, claiming a medal in all but one of the seven editions that featured a women's soccer tournament, it's been a very different story for the American men's program. 

The U.S. men's team failed to qualify for four of the previous five Olympics dating back to 2004, often facing challenges securing the release of its best players by their clubs for Olympic qualifying matches. Its last Olympic participation came in 2008 at the Beijing Games, where it failed to advance past the group stage.

With a deeper pool of established young professional players, the Americans didn't encounter any drama in qualifying for the 2024 event. The Americans finished top of their CONCACAF Under-20 Championship group and brushed aside Nicaragua (5-0), Costa Rica (2-0) and Honduras (3-0) to books its place in France. 

MORE: Results and highlights from 2021 men's Olympic tournament

Has the USA qualified for the Olympics in 2024?

There were two men's 2024 Olympic qualifying berths available to nations in North America and they were handed out as part of an Under-20 championship tournament held in Honduras in June/July 2022, a full two years before the Olympics proper.

The CONCACAF regional confederation (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) has typically held an Under-23 qualifying tournament in the lead-up to the Olympics to determine the qualifiers from the zone. However, since that tournament didn't usually fall in an official FIFA international match window, clubs were not required to release players to participate, leading to weakened sides. Folding the Olympic qualifying into the region's Under-20 Championship removed the need to hold a separate Under-23 tournament. 

CONCACAF decided to award the two men's 2024 Olympic berths to the finalists of its 2022 Under-20 men's Championship. The USA beat host Honduras 3-0 in one semifinal, while the Dominican Republic overcame Guatemala in a penalty-kick shootout to claim victory in the other semifinal and seal a spot in the 2024 Olympics.

The region also sends two representative to the Olympic women's soccer tournament. The winner of the CONCACAF W Championship (July 2022) will claim one of the spots, with the second- and third-place finishers in the W Championship meeting in a September 2022 playoff to determine the other qualifier. The U.S. women will be one of the favorites.

MORE: Top scorers of 2021 men's Olympic tournament

USA men's Olympic team

The U.S. men's Olympic team will be named in the lead-up to the 2024 tournament with preparation camps for the Under-23 team likely held in the two years leading up to the event. 

While the Under-17 and Under-20 teams play more regularly given there is a FIFA World Cup held every two years for those age groups, action is more sporadic for the Under-23 side.

For that reason, on-field chemistry is often difficult to build up, with limited windows for the players to get together. In fact, the last time a U.S. men's Under-23 played was March 28, 2021 as part of the qualifying process for the 2021 Olympics in Japan.

Players from the Under-20 team that secured Olympic qualification in the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship are potential candidates to be part of the Under-23 team that will take part in the Olympics, as they will still all be 23 or younger. These are the players who were part of that U-20 team:

Goalkeepers: Christopher Brady (Chicago Fire), Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas)

Defenders: Noah Allen (Inter Miami CF), Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union), Mauricio Cuevas (Club Brugge), Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy), Michael Halliday (Orlando City SC), Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy)

Midfielders: Paxten Aaronson (Philadelphia Union), Alejandro Alvarado Jr. (FC Vizela), Caden Clark (NY Red Bulls) Daniel Edelman (NY Red Bulls), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes), Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders)

Forwards: Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Tyler Wolff (Atlanta United)

But a lot can happen up until final Olympic rosters need to be submitted. And there are likely to be several new names that emerge in the months leading up. Plus, an Under-23 head coach — an Olympic manager — will first need to be hired by U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart. That manager will have the final say in player selection.

When it comes to the three overage players, those will be determined by the Olympic head coach based on team needs. The USA's three overage players on its 18-man roster in 2008 were forward Brian McBride, goalkeeper Brad Guzan and defender Michael Parkhurst.

MORE: Brazil become back-to-back gold medal winners at 2021 Olympics

When is the 2024 Olympic men's soccer tournament?

The 2024 men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments will be held between July 24 to Aug. 11 across seven stadiums in France.

  • Bordeaux: Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, aka Matmut Atlantique
  • Lyon: Parc Olympique Lyonnais, aka Groupama Stadium
  • Marseille: Stade Velodrome
  • Nantes: Stade de la Beaujoire
  • Nice: Allianz Riviera
  • Paris: Parc des Princes
  • Saint-Etienne: Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium

The tournaments will be overseen by FIFA, which manages the competitive aspects of the events, including rules and player eligibility.

While the women's tournament features the senior national teams of participating countries, the IOC and FIFA implemented an age restriction on the men's tournament beginning in 1992 in order that it would not compete with FIFA's lucrative men's World Cup.

The 2024 men's Olympic tournament will be an Under-23 event featuring players born on or after Jan. 1, 2001, with the exception of three overage players. 

Teams qualified for 2024 men's Olympic tournament

A total of 16 nations qualify for the men's summer tournament with 15 other countries qualifying from around the world to join host France.

They will be split into four groups of four teams each with the top two advancing from the group stage to the quarterfinals. The rest of the tournament is played in a knockout format, with extra time and penalty kicks used to decide a winner if there's a draw after 90 minutes.

  • Host: 1 automatically qualified (France)
  • Africa: 3 qualifiers
  • Asia: 3 qualifiers
  • Europe: 3 qualifiers
  • North America: 2 qualifiers (USA, Dominican Republic)
  • Oceania: 1 qualifier
  • South America: 2 qualifiers
  • Intercontinental Playoff: 1 qualifier (Africa 4th place vs. Asia 4th place)
No. Region Nation Date qualified How qualified Total apps
(last)
Best finish
1. Europe France Sept. 13, 2017 Tournament host 14 of 28 (2021) Gold medal (1984)
2. N. America Dominican
Republic
July 1, 2022 CONCACAF Under-20 finalist 1 of 28 (—)
3. N. America USA July 1, 2022 CONCACAF Under-20 finalist 15 of 28 (2008) 4th place (2000)
4. Europe TBD July 2023 Top 3 in UEFA Under-21 Ch'ship    
5. Europe TBD July 2023 Top 3 in UEFA Under-21 Ch'ship    
6. Europe TBD July 2023 Top 3 in UEFA Under-21 Ch'ship    
7. Africa TBD Nov. 2023 Top 3 in Under-23 AFCON    
8. Africa TBD Nov. 2023 Top 3 in Under-23 AFCON    
9. Africa TBD Nov. 2023 Top 3 in Under-23 AFCON    
10. Oceania TBD TBD 2023 Oceania Olympic Champion    
11. Asia TBD TBD 2024 Top 3 in Under-23 Asian Cup    
12. Asia TBD TBD 2024 Top 3 in Under-23 Asian Cup    
13. Asia TBD TBD 2024 Top 3 in Under-23 Asian Cup    
14. S. America TBD TBD 2024 Under-23 CONMEBOL Ch'ship    
15. S. America TBD TBD 2024 Under-23 CONMEBOL Ch'ship    
16. Africa/Asia TBD TBD 2024 Olympic Intercont'l Playoff    

USA history in Olympic men's soccer tournament

Of the previous 27 men's Olympic soccer tournaments held in the history of the Summer Games, the U.S. men's team has participated in 14 of them. There was no men's soccer tournament held at the 1896 and 1932 Games.

The absences from the other editions were down to not entering (four times), not qualifying (eight times), and withdrawing due to a boycott (1980 Olympics in Soviet Union).

The best finish in the modern era was fourth place at the 2000 Olympics in Australia, where it reached the semifinal stage. The Americans lost to a Spain team featuring Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez 3-1 in the semis, and then fell to Chile 2-0 in the bronze medal match on two goals by Ivan "Bam Bam" Zamorano. 

Year Olympic Host USA finish
1896 Greece
1900 France Did not enter
1904 USA 2nd & 3rd place*
1908 Great Britain Did not enter
1912 Sweden Did not enter
1920 Belgium Did not enter
1924 France Round of 16
1928 Netherlands Round of 16
1932 USA
1936 Germany Round of 16
1948 Great Britain Round of 16
1952 Finland Round of 16
1956 Australia Quarterfinals
1960 Italy Did not qualify
1964 Japan Did not qualify
1968 Mexico Did not qualify
1972 West Germany Group stage
1976 Canada Did not qualify
1980 Soviet Union Withdrew (boycott)
1984 USA Group stage
1988 South Korea Group stage
1992 Spain Group stage
1996 USA Group stage
2000 Australia 4th place
2004 Greece Did not qualify
2008 China Group stage
2012 United Kingdom Did not qualify
2016 Brazil Did not qualify
2021 Japan Did not qualify
2024 France TBD (qualified)

*Although the USA technically won both silver and bronze medals at the 1904 games held in St. Louis, they are not recognized by FIFA since that tournament didn't actually involve national teams. Instead, it consisted of a round-robin tournament involving three club teams: Galt FC (Canada), Christian Brothers College (USA), and St. Rose Parish (USA). Galt FC took the gold.

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.