Soccer in the United States has taken a long and winding path. At first, the words “USA” and “soccer” rarely went together. The game struggled for recognition, competing with sports like baseball, basketball, and American football. Yet from the 19th century to today, soccer has developed deep roots because of immigrant communities, international tournaments, professional leagues, and the rise of both men’s and women’s national teams.
Now, with more than 85 million fans and the fastest-growing team sport in the nation, U.S. soccer is preparing for its biggest moment yet: co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
- Soccer in the U.S. began in the 1800s with immigrant clubs, the Oneida Football Club in 1862, and the first organized match in Wisconsin in 1866, leading to the creation of the United States Football Association in 1913.
- The U.S. Men’s National Team had early highs like the 1930 World Cup bronze and the 1950 win over England, but faced decades of decline before revival in 1990 and 1994, while the U.S. Women’s National Team, founded in 1985, became the most successful in the world with 3 World Cups, 4 Olympic golds, and 8 CONCACAF titles.
- U.S. pro soccer has seen rises and collapses, from the NASL (1968–1984) to today’s thriving MLS with 30 teams, and the women’s game found stability with the NWSL (2013–present) after earlier failed leagues.
Early Beginnings of Soccer in the U.S.
The origins of soccer in the United States date back to the 1850s, when Scottish, Irish, German, and Italian immigrants brought the modern English game to New Orleans. Before then, records show that kicking games were played as early as 1685. In 1734, freshmen at Harvard University were required to bring “foot-balls.” These games were rough, violent, and lacked uniform rules.
The first organized team was the Oneida Football Club, formed in 1862 in Boston by Gerrit Smith “Gat” Miller, a graduate of Boston’s Latin School. The club played the “Boston Game,” a hybrid of rugby and association football, and reportedly never lost or conceded a goal.
On October 11, 1866, the first known organized soccer match under London Football Association rules took place in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Carroll College defeated Waukesha Town 5–2. A newspaper reported, “Seven games were played, of which the college boys won five. The whole game was well contested and lasted nearly an hour and a half.”
In 1869, Rutgers University and Princeton University played a hybrid match that is often cited as a landmark in both American football and soccer history. While American football took dominance at schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, soccer became popular at institutions such as Haverford, Columbia, Cornell, and Penn.
Growth Through Immigrant Communities and Early Leagues
By the late 19th century, soccer spread widely in communities with large immigrant populations.
- In Kearny and Paterson, New Jersey, British-run textile factories supported teams and helped establish the National Association Football League in 1895.
- In Fall River, Massachusetts, leagues like the Bristol County League (1886) and Southern New England League (1914) thrived.
- In St. Louis, the Catholic Church promoted soccer in recreational programs, leading to the St. Louis League (1886) and the St. Louis Soccer League (1903).
- Other soccer hubs included Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The country’s first governing body, the American Football Association (AFA), was founded in 1884. It created the American Cup a year later, the first non-league soccer competition in the U.S. In 1894, baseball club owners launched the American League of Professional Football (ALPF), but the league folded after only 17 days despite heavy financial backing.
By 1911, the American Amateur Football Association (AAFA) was formed and created the AAFA Cup in 1912. On April 5, 1913, the AAFA reorganized as the United States Football Association (USFA), which FIFA quickly accepted. That same year, the National Challenge Cup was launched, which soon overshadowed the American Cup.
The Soccer Wars, the Great Depression, and World War II
The late 1920s brought the “Soccer Wars,” a conflict between the American Soccer League (ASL) and the USFA over which would control the game. Disputes about scheduling and player contracts escalated, and in 1928, clubs like Bethlehem Steel, the New York Giants S.C., and the Newark Skeeters were suspended and fined $1,000 for defying ASL orders.
The ASL was suspended by the USFA, leading to rival competitions, but by 1929, the league collapsed. Just two weeks after the settlement, the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression further crippled the sport. Many clubs folded, and professional soccer nearly disappeared by the early 1930s.
During these decades, the game survived primarily in ethnic and expatriate communities in New England, New York, and St. Louis, while amateur and semi-professional clubs carried on.
U.S. Men’s National Team: Breakthroughs and Setbacks
The U.S. men’s team played its first international match in 1888 against Canada in Newark, New Jersey, losing 1–0.
At the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, American sides won silver and bronze medals. The U.S. made a historic impact at the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, defeating Belgium 3–0 and Paraguay 3–0. Forward Bert Patenaude scored a hat trick against Paraguay, which waslater confirmed by FIFA in 2006 as the first in World Cup history. The U.S. lost 6–1 to Argentina in the semifinals and was awarded third place, still its best-ever finish.
The team’s most famous upset came at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, where the U.S. defeated England 1–0. However, momentum faded, and the team did not qualify for another World Cup for nearly 40 years.
The North American Soccer League (NASL), founded in 1968, brought star players such as Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, and George Best. The New York Cosmos became the league’s powerhouse, attracting 40,000+ fans per game and selling out Giants Stadium for their 1978 championship. But over-expansion to 24 teams, high salaries for aging stars, and poor TV ratings led to the league’s collapse in 1985.
Revival came when the U.S. qualified for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Hosting the 1994 World Cup further boosted the sport’s profile. The U.S. tied Switzerland, defeated Colombia, and narrowly lost to eventual champions Brazil in the Round of 16.
In 2002, the U.S. reached the quarterfinals, losing to Germany, its best modern run. The team also won its first CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991 and has since earned multiple titles. However, failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after a 2–1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago was a major setback.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the U.S. finished second in Group B behind England, ahead of Iran and Wales, before losing 3–1 to the Netherlands in the Round of 16. The group-stage clash between the U.S. and England drew 15.4 million U.S. viewers, setting a record for men’s soccer on American television.
U.S. Women’s National Team: A Global Powerhouse
The U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) began with a friendly against Italy in 1985. In the decades since, it has become the most successful women’s team in history, with three FIFA World Cups, four Olympic gold medals, and eight CONCACAF Championships.
The 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted in the U.S., was a turning point. Coached by Anthony D. DiCicco Jr., the team beat Denmark, Germany, and Brazil to reach the final against China. At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, in front of more than 90,000 fans, the match went to penalties after a scoreless draw. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry made a crucial save, and Brandi Chastain scored the winning spot kick, creating one of the most iconic moments in women’s sports history.
Stars such as Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, Brandi Chastain, and Hope Solo became household names. Title IX legislation, which banned sex discrimination in federally funded education, allowed women to play soccer freely, giving the U.S. a competitive edge at a time when the sport was restricted in many countries.
Today, the U.S. remains a leader, but nations like Germany, England, and France are closing the gap.
Women’s Professional Soccer Leagues
Women’s professional leagues have had a turbulent but persistent history in the U.S.:
- W-League (1995) and Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) (1998) were early national leagues.
- The Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) launched in 2001 with eight teams, becoming the world’s first fully professional women’s league. It suspended operations in 2003 due to financial struggles.
- The Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league began in 2009, featuring seven teams, but ceased operations in 2012 after organizational and legal disputes.
- The WPSL Elite ran briefly in 2012, hosting former WPS clubs and some fully professional sides.
- The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was created in 2013 with backing from the USSF, Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), and Mexican Football Federation (FMF). It added the Houston Dash in 2014 and the Orlando Pride in 2016. The NWSL became self-governing in 2020 and expanded to 12 teams by 2022. It is the first U.S. women’s league to achieve lasting stability.
U.S. Soccer Federation: The Governing Body
The national governing body was founded in 1913 as the United States Football Association. Its names over time:
- U.S. Football Association (1913–1944)
- U.S. Soccer Football Association (1945–1973)
- U.S. Soccer Federation (1974–present)
It became one of FIFA’s earliest affiliates and established a framework for player development. U.S. teams qualified for 19 consecutive FIFA outdoor world championships until the U-23s missed the 2004 Olympics.
In 2003, the federation opened its National Training Center at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The $130 million facility included a stadium for the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA and provided a permanent base for national teams.
