USA

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. Canada defeated the U.S. 1–0 at Clark Field in the East Newark neighborhood of Kearny, New Jersey. A second match in East Newark the following year resulted in the U.S. defeating Canada 1–0, although neither match was officially recognized. 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. The U.S. played its first official international match under the auspices of U.S. Soccer on August 20, 1916, against Sweden in Stockholm, where the U.S. won 3–2.

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. 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. 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. 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. In a straight knock-out format, the team first played host Italy and lost 7–1, eliminating the U.S. from the tournament. 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.

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. The U.S. were eliminated from the tournament in their third game, a 5–2 defeat to Chile.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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. Costa Rica won the match 1–0, and kept the U.S. from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.

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.

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.

During the 1993 U.S. Cup, a tournament designed to prepare for the upcoming World Cup, the U.S. beat England 2–0. 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; Escobar was later murdered in his home country, possibly in retaliation for this mistake. 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. U.S. Soccer later fired Milutinović in 1995 because he was reportedly not interested in administrative duties in addition to coaching.

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. 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.

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.

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. Donovan won the Best Young Player for the tournament.

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, 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). 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.

After winning the 2007 Gold Cup against Mexico, the USMNT qualified for the 2009 Confederations Cup. The U.S. shocked the soccer world by defeating top-ranked Spain, who were on a 35-game undefeated streak, 2–0. 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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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. The U.S. won 1–0 in Genoa, Italy on February 29, 2012, the team's first-ever win over Italy. 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. 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. 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. The U.S. eventually clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup.

The Americans were drawn into Group G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal. The U.S. won 2–1 in their rematch with Ghana, 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. This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. 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 during the match.

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. 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. The results led to criticism of Klinsmann's coaching style, particularly the lack of a cohesive identity.

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. In their third Copa América appearance, the U.S. topped Group A on goal difference against Colombia despite losing to them, and then beat Ecuador 2–1 in the quarterfinals. 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.

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. 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. Many pundits and analysts called this the worst result and worst performance in the history of the national team.

Following Arena's resignation on October 13, 2017, assistant coach Dave Sarachan was named interim head coach during the search for a permanent replacement. 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. 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.

Under Berhalter the team lost in the 2019 Gold Cup final 1–0 against Mexico and were unable to defend their title.

An influx of new young talent playing for top European clubs, widely described as America's golden generation, entered the national team in the late 2010s and early 2020s, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Timothy Weah, Sergiño Dest, and Gio Reyna. This new group won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021 with a 3–2 victory against Mexico in the final. A different roster won the Gold Cup against Mexico later that summer, contributing to a record for wins in a calendar year, with 17 wins, three ties, and two losses in 2021.

The United States qualified for the 2022 World Cup by finishing third in the final qualifying round. Grouped with England, Iran, and Wales in Group B, the team advanced to the knockout stage as runners-up with five points and without losing a game. There, they faced the Netherlands and were defeated 3–1. Midfielder Kellyn Acosta became the first Asian American player to appear for the U.S. at a World Cup.

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. 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.

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. Gregg Berhalter was reappointed as coach of the United States on June 16, 2023. In March 2024, the United States won their third CONCACAF Nations League title by defeating Mexico 2–0 in the final. 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. Following the team's elimination, Berhalter was fired as head coach on July 10, 2024.

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.