United States at the World Cup
The USA men's football team were one of the 13 teams in the inaugural World Cup in 1930. The USA have appeared at he World Cup 1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022.
After seven consecutive World Cup appearances, in 2018 the USA team surprisingly missed out on qualifying for the finals, though they qualified again for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The 2022 World Cup was the USA's 11th participation at the World Cup.
USA's best performances have been reaching the Semi-final in 1930 (finishing 3rd), and the Quarter-final in 2002.
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, USA will qualify as co-hosts.
Trivia
- The USA reached the semi-finals of the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, although only 13 teams took part. Argentina ended American hopes with a 6-1 win.
- The First player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match was United States's Bert Patenaude who did this against Paraguay in the first round of the 1930 World Cup.
- In 1948, the USA suffered their worst defeat, when they lost 11-0 to Norway in Oslo. Their best result came in 1993 when they beat the Cayman Islands 8-1, watched by fewer than 4,000 fans.
- The USA trainer had to be carried off unconscious during the 1930 Semi-Final against Argentina after he ran to the pitch to attend an injured player, dropped his medicine box, and broke a bottle of chloroform. When he tried to pick up the broken bottle, he took in the fumes and fell to the ground immediately. The injured player recovered without any treatment.
- After an enormous journey by sea, Mexico and USA played a qualifying match in Rome on 24 May l934, three days before kick-off of the Italy 1934 finals. Mexico lost the match 4-2 and went home immediately and the USA went home three days later when they lost to Italy in the opening match.
- The first qualifying match played on artificial turf was between Canada and USA on 24 Sept 1976 in Vancouver, Canada.
- The greatest upset in World Cup history? The USA team beat England 1-0 in the 1950 finals, though some British newspapers reported the result as USA 1, England 10 as the editor believed that the reporter had made a typing mistake. Before the match, both sides believed that it would be an easy win for England, and double-digit goals were expected.
- Larry Gaetjens, the goal scorer in USA's 1-0 win over England in 1950, returned to his native Haiti, where he was arrested for organizing an anti-government movement, eventually dying in jail.
- USA's star striker Landon Donovan, the day after their defeat to Germany in the 2002 quarter finals, played in a USA League match. Strange but true, the USA League did not have a break when the USA national team were playing in the 2002 finals. Due to time difference, Donovan could manage to play for his club San Jose in USA on Saturday 22 June 2002 after playing in the quarter finals in Korea on Friday 21 June.
- In recent years the United States have emerged as a force in world football, qualifying for seven consecutive FIFA World Cup finals between 1990-2014. The Americans reached the quarter-finals at Korea/Japan 2002, losing narrowly to the eventual runners-up Germany.
Related Pages
- About the women's team from USA at the FIFA Women's World Cup
- Soccer in the USA — where is it heading?
- List of all countries who have participated in the World Cup
- FIFA World Cup Home
- About Sport in the USA
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