U . S . Men team is back to the Olympics a�er 16 years . Their last par�cipa�on was in Beijing 2008 .
The US Olympic Men ’ s Soccer Team returned to the Olympic Games a�er a 16-year hiatus . And what comeback there is : They kicked off the compe��on against host France plus at Marseille ’ s historic Stade de Marseille on Wednesday , July 24 , two days before the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony .
Since the compe��on became a primarily Under-23 compe��on in 1992 , the tournament provides some of the na�on ’ s top young talents the opportunity to face elite opposi�on on the world stage and has served as a springboard for players ’ careers , leading many into important roles with the senior U . S . Men ’ s Na�onal Team .
The United States has competed in the men ’ s Olympic Games 11 �mes un�l 2000 ( Paris 1924 ; Amsterdam 1928 ; Berlin 1936 ; London 1948 ; Helsinki 1952 ; Melbourne 1956 ; Munich 1972 ; Los Angeles 1984 ; Seoul 1988 ; Barcelona 1992 ; Atlanta 1996 ) not coun�ng the 1980 Moscow Games that U . S . qualified for but didn ’ t compete following a boyco� by the U . S . Olympic Commi�ee .
The U . S . qualified for the 2024 Olympics by winning the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Honduras , which served as qualifying for both the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics . They showcased a dominant performance at defea�ng Honduras , the host na�on , by 3x0 in the tournament semifinals in front of an overcapacity crowd in San Pedro Sula .
US victory was boosted by an opening goal from Olympian Paxten Aaronson . Midfielder Jack McGlynn and Aaronson returned from that tournament roster . Aaronson won the Golden Boot as the compe��on ’ s best player and the Golden Ball as top scorer . to secure its Olympic berth .
The United States qualified for the Olympics for the first �me since 2008 .
U . S . Men ’ s soccer has been a part of the Olympic program since France 1900 . The tournament served as the sport ’ s world championship un�l the launch of the FIFA World Cup in 1930 . In 1992 , it became an Under-23 compe��on with an allowance for three overage players . The U . S . men ’ s best finish came at Sydney 2000 , when the likes of Landon Donovan , Brad Friedel , and Josh Wolff led the red , white and blue to fourth place .
The Men ’ s Olympic soccer is mostly a U-23
tournament , which means the birth date cut-off for Paris 2024 is January 1 , 2001 .
All teams that qualified for the Olympics are allowed to bring three overage players .
Club teams are not compelled by FIFA to release players for the Olympics , which are officially classed as a youth event , so don ’ t expect to see the best in the world . Or the best on the US roster .
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