PARIS, France — The United States men's soccer team (USMNT) started off their 2024 Olympic Games with a 3-0 loss to host nation France and then a 4-1 win over New Zealand.
If you're watching the matches in group play, you'll notice many of the players who represented USA during the last World Cup – as well as in Concacaf Nations League and Copa America – are not playing in the Olympics. The 18-man roster in Paris is missing that entire group of players, in fact.
But why?
It has to do with Olympic regulations for the men’s tournament.
Why isn’t Christian Pulisic playing for Team USA?
Due to rules put in place by FIFA, soccer's governing body, men's soccer in the Olympics requires players to be 23 years old or younger – everyone must be born on or after Jan. 1, 2001. There is an exception for a maximum of three "overage" players.
The under-23 restriction is in place to avoid qualified nations having to deal with schedule clashes when major international tournaments are played in the same year. The Olympic Games are frequently held a few weeks after the European Championship (Euros) and occasionally the Copa América, as is the case this year.
Having just played in Copa America, Team USA selected Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman and Djordje Mihailovic as their "overage players," as opposed to Pulisic (25), Weston McKennie (25) and Tyler Adams (25) and others. Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi and Gio Reyna are all under 23 years old and would’ve qualified to play but weren't chosen, likely for the same reason the older players weren't picked.
Here is a look at the 18-man roster representing the United States at the Olympics:
- Goalkeepers: Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea)
- Defenders: Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Chelsea), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
- Midfielders: Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia)
- Forwards: Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht), Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo)
- Reserves: Josh Atencio (Seattle Sounders, midfielder), Jacob Davis (Sporting Kansas City, defender), Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig, forward), John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City, goalkeeper)
The United States is not the only nation missing its best players for the Olympics due to the age restrictions and busy international schedule. There’s no Lionel Messi for Argentina, no Kylian Mbappé for France and no Rodri for Spain, just to name a few.
Women's soccer does not have the same age restriction that the men's game does, and their international tournaments don't happen in the same years as the summer Olympics, so the same players you'd see compete in the Women's World Cup are typically on the team.
U.S. women's soccer team players for the 2024 Olympics
- Goalkeepers: Casey Murphy and Alyssa Naeher
- Defenders: Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Casey Krueger, Jenna Nighswong and Emily Sonnett
- Midfielders: Korbin Albert, Sam Coffey, Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle
- Forwards: Crystal Dunn, Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Lynn Williams
- Alternates: Midfielder Croix Bethune, goalkeeper Jane Campbell, midfielder Hal Hershfelt and defender Emily Sams
Ten players who were members of the USA’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Team were named to the final roster for Paris. Eight of them were on the 2020 Olympics team.
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