USA's national football team: players, coach, FIFA world rankings, World Cup 2022

USA's national football team: players, coach, FIFA world rankings, World Cup 2022

Ciku Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:01 PM

Although USA's national football team can not compare to some of the most famous national football teams, it is one of the oldest football teams in the world. So, dig in to find out more about the reigning CONCACAF champions who have over a century's worth of history.

USA national football team's players
The Yanks celebrate with the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup following a successful game against Mexico at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos.
Source: Getty Images

Is soccer one of the most popular sports in America? Unfortunately, the 7 time CONCACAF Nations league champions have only recently received public attention. However, this has not stopped the USMNT from performing well in the continental and intercontinental stages.

Profile summary

  • Full name: USA national football team
  • USA's national football team's nickname: Team USA, the Stars and Stripes, the Yanks
  • Managed by: United States Soccer Federation
  • Founded: 1885
  • Colours: White, red and blue
  • Federation: Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football
  • Coach: Gregg Berhalter
  • Captain: Tyler Adams
  • Most caps: Cobi Jones (164)
  • Top scorers: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan
  • FIFA ranking: 15 (as of March 2022)
  • Highest FIFA ranking: 4 (2006)
  • FIFA code: USA
  • Total market value: $216.64 million
  • Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium

History

When did soccer start in the US? Football in the United States was played as early as the 1600s, with “Pasuckquakkohowog” as the first form of soccer played among American Indians. In 1865, the game became one of the organized college sports.

In what year did the United States get their national soccer team? In 1885, the first official American football team appeared in an international match against Canada.

CONCACAF

USA national football team's players
Team USA, the CONCACAF reigning champions, raises the Gold Cup trophy in celebration at Allegiant Stadium, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos.
Source: Getty Images

The CONCACAF is the FIFA governing body for association football in North, Central America and the Caribbean. The squad is the reigning champions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In addition, the USA football team has also won the cup 6 times in 2020/21, 2016/17, 2012/13, 2006/07, 2004/05, 2001/02, and 1990/91.

Was the US in the first World Cup? USA's World Cup history began as early as 1930. The Yanks joined the 13 teams in the first World Cup, including Uruguay the winners of the first world title. Since then, the squad has appeared in 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments.

USA's national football team in the World Cup 2022

Is the USA playing in the World Cup 2022? The team made it to the top of the lists of qualifying teams despite losing 2-0 to Costa Rica. Let us have a brief look at the World Cup 2022 fixtures for Team USA based on SportsIllustrated's report.

USA national football team: World Cup 2022 fixtures
Here are the World Cup 2022 group B fixtures and dates for USMNT. Photo: Modified by the author.
Source: Original

How many times has the USA won the World Cup?

The club has participated in about 10 World Cup tournaments since 1930. However, they have never won a single cup. In 1930, the team finished in third place, their best performance to date.

USA's national football team: players

The following players names were chosen for USA’s roster for 2022:

USA national football team's players
The USMNT starting eleven recite the national anthem before a game against El Salvador at Lower.com Field in 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. Photo by John Todd/ISI Photos.
Source: Getty Images

Goalkeepers

  • Zack Steffen
  • Ethan Horvath

Defenders

  • Miles Robinson
  • James Sands
  • Walker Zimmerman
  • Aaron Long
  • Erik Palmer-Brown
  • Antonee Robinson
  • George Bello
  • Shaq Moore

Wingers

  • Jordan Morris
  • Christian Pulisic
  • Paul Arriola

Midfielders

  • Tyler Adams
  • Kellyn Acosta
  • Gianluca Busio
  • Cristian Roldán
  • Luca de la Torre
  • Giovanni Reyna
  • Yunus Musah

Forward

  • Ricardo Pepi
  • Jesús Ferreira
  • Jordan Siebatcheu

USA's national football team: captain and coach

USA national football team's captain and coach
Head Coach Gregg Berhalter and skipper Christian Pulisic, during the World Cup qualifying game against El-Salvador at Lower.com Field, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Emilee Chinn and Kirk Irwin.
Source: Getty Images

Who is the current captain of USMNT? The squad is led by one of the best US soccer players in 2022, Christian Pulisic. He is also listed among the top players to watch out for in the Qatar World Cup. With about 90 Bundesliga and 72 Premier League appearances, Pulisic brings a broad perspective to the team.

Speaking to CNN about his appointment to the position of a skipper, he said,

"For the coaches, the staff, the team to trust me to be captain of the team – it means everything. I was never a captain in my life, and being [captain] for the USMNT is an incredible honour."

Christian Pulisic's profile summary

  • Full name: Christian Mate Pulišić
  • Date of birth: 18 September 1998
  • Age: 23 years old (as of May 2022)
  • Place of birth: Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Zodiac sign: Virgo
  • Position: Right winger, left-winger, attacking midfield
  • Number: 10
  • Current team: Chelsea FC

In 2018, former USMNT player Gregg Berhalter was appointed as the club's head coach. So, is Gregg Berhalter a good coach? Since his appointment, the veteran footballer has led the team to victory in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the World Cup Qualifying match against Mexico.

Gregg Berhalter's profile summary

  • Full name: Gregg Berhalter
  • Date of birth: 1 August 1973
  • Age: 48 years old (as of May 2022)
  • Place of birth: Englewood, New Jersey, United States
  • Zodiac sign: Leo
  • Appointed: 2 December 2018
  • Preferred position: 4-3-3 Attacking
  • Win percentage: 78.6%

USA's national football team: The legends

Would you like to find out who America's greatest footballer ever is? Scroll down and find out.

USA national football team's legends
Team USA football legends Landon Donovan and former #10 midfielder Claudio Reyna. Photo by Katharine Lotze and Ezra Shaw.
Source: Getty Images

Some of the greatest American football legends include forward Landon Donovan and retired midfielder Claudio Reyna. Both players received over 100 caps and are still regarded as the best soccer players in the US team to date.

USA's national football team: world rankings

Team USA is ranked at position 15 (as of March 2022) with 1633.72 points by FIFA. The club's current ranking fell two points down from position 13 in February 2022.

USA's national football team: trophies

Here are some of the USMNT awards and achievements:

  • CONCACAF Gold Cup winners: 2020/21, 2016/17, 2012/13, 2006/07, 2004/05, 2001/02, 1990/91
  • CONCACAF Fair Play award: 2002/03, 2008/09, 2016/17, 2018/19, 2020/21
  • CONCACAF Nation's League: 2019/20
  • FIFA World Cup third-place: 1930
  • PanAmerican Winners: 1990/91

The USA national football team is one of the best national football teams in the world. However, the club is yet to cement their status as a global champion in the World Cup tournaments. So, will the club finally live up to the expectations of its fans?

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Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.