The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of soccer in the United States. It is a full member of FIFA and governs American soccer at the international, professional, and amateur levels, including: the men's and women's national teams, Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), youth organizations, as well as the beach soccer, futsal, Paralympic, and deaf national teams. U.S. Soccer sanctions referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States. It also administers and operates the U.S. Open Cup and SheBelieves Cup. U.S. Soccer is headquartered in and has a consolidated training facility in the Atlanta suburb of Fayetteville, Georgia.
History
The United States Soccer Federation was originally established as the United States Football Association on April 5, 1913, at a meeting held in the Astor House Hotel in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Shortly after its creation, on August 15, 1913, the USFA was provisionally accepted as a member association of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), becoming one of the earlier federations to affiliate and the first from the North and Central American region to join FIFA's global governing structure. At the FIFA Congress in Oslo, Norway, on June 24, 1914, this provisional status was elevated to full membership.Spalding's Official Soccer Football Guide 1914–15, p. 44
Over the decades, the organization underwent several name changes reflecting both the evolution of the sport domestically and linguistic differences in how “football” and “soccer” were used in the United States in comparison to the rest of the world. In 1945, the word “soccer” was formally incorporated into its title — becoming the United States Soccer Football Association — as the term “football” in the U.S. increasingly referred to American football rather than association football. Later, in 1974, the federation dropped “football” entirely and adopted its current name, the United States Soccer Federation, often abbreviated as U.S. Soccer.
Beyond FIFA membership, the United States Soccer Federation was a founding member of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) when the confederation was established in 1961. CONCACAF was formed through the merger of the North American Football Union (NAFU) and the Football Confederation of Central America and the Caribbean (CCCF), creating a unified governing body for football in the region and expanding organized competition and development across member associations.
Project 2010 Project 2010 was a blueprint that United States Soccer Federation executives created in 1998 to ensure that the U.S. men's national soccer team could become a plausible contender to win the FIFA World Cup by 2010. The Q-Report, the jumping-off point for Project 2010, was written by Carlos Queiroz.SI.com - Writers - Golden goal (cont.) - Friday July 14, 2006 5:16PM The $50 million development plan was started just before the start of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. While referred to less often in recent years, Project 2010 did propagate two programs which continued for some time to help produce professional standard talent: Generation Adidas (previously called Project-40 when sponsored by Nike) and U.S. Soccer's U-17 residency camp in Bradenton, Florida. However, the residency camp closed in 2017 due to the proliferation of U.S. Development Academy programs.
International tournaments hosted U.S. Soccer has been instrumental in bringing international soccer tournaments to the United States, significantly influencing the sport's visibility and popularity domestically, such as when the federation successfully bid for the FIFA World Cup and hosted it in 1994. The edition broke attendance records for the tournament and provided a major catalyst for growth in the sport nationwide, and its success contributed directly to the founding of MLS in 1996. The United States will again be in the global spotlight as a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico, in a tournament that will feature an expanded field of 48 teams.
The US has also hosted two editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup: in 1999 and 2003, both of which helped elevate the women's game to new heights in the United States and around the world.
U.S. Soccer also served as the organizing host for the Olympic soccer tournaments during the 1984 edition (held in Los Angeles) and the 1996 edition, hosted in Atlanta and the first time a women's soccer tournament was held, integrating the sport into these high-profile global multi-sport events.
Headquarters and national training center Originally based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. Soccer headquarters were moved to Chicago in 1991 under the leadership of former secretary general, Hank Steinbrecher From 1991 to 2022, the organization was based out of U.S. Soccer House, two refurbished mansions at 1801 South Prairie Avenue in Chicago. In 2022, they moved to temporary quarters at 303 East Wacker Street in Chicago in anticipation of a permanent relocation to new facilities in Fayetteville, Georgia.
In 2003, U.S. Soccer opened its National Training Center at Dignity Health Sports Park (then named Home Depot Center) in Carson, California. The $130 million facility includes a soccer-specific stadium, home to the MLS team Los Angeles Galaxy. Additionally, four grass soccer fields, a FieldTurf soccer field, and a general training area are specifically dedicated to U.S. Soccer. Both the senior and youth men's and women's U.S. national teams hold regular camps at Dignity Health Sports Park.
U.S. Soccer was also exploring the possibility of building the National Training and Coaching Development Center in Kansas City, Kansas. On April 9, 2015, the Development Center received final approval from the local governments. U.S. Soccer agreed to a 20-year lease, with the project set to break ground in 2016 and finishing some time in 2017.
In September 2023, U.S. Soccer announced they were moving from Chicago to a new headquarters and training center south of Atlanta, which will be partially funded by Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS's Atlanta United. In December 2023, U.S. Soccer announced they had chosen a site for the new national training center in Fayette County, Georgia. The site is scheduled to be developed and opened before the 2026 FIFA World Cup; it is in the same metropolitan area as the headquarters of Coca-Cola, one of the founding partners for the training center. The new training center will be named after Arthur Blank to honor his involvement in the move. The National Training Center and headquarters opened on May 7, 2026.
Logos
Organization and governance
U.S. Soccer serves as the official governing body for soccer in the United States, and it is tasked with organizing national teams, sanctioning professional and amateur leagues, overseeing refereeing and coaching standards, and promoting the game at all levels across the country working closely with state and local level organizations for youth and amateur leagues. Throughout its history, U.S. Soccer has presided over a significant expansion of soccer's popularity and infrastructure, from grassroots youth participation to professional leagues such as Major League Soccer (MLS), and the national teams, youth and senior.
The federation has also established and supported national competitions, such as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, established in 1913 (as the National Challenge Cup), which is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States, open to all professional and amateur teams. The U.S. Open Cup later was renamed in honor of Lamar Hunt, a key figure in the development of American sports as a whole.
A board of directors governs and administers the affairs of U.S. Soccer. Cindy Parlow Cone, former 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup champion and long-time U.S. Soccer administrator, became president in March 2020 following the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro. JT Batson was named chief executive officer and secretary general in September 2022.
U.S. Soccer members are individuals and affiliate organizations. The national council is the representative membership body of the federation. It elects the president and vice president, amends the bylaws, approves the budgets, decides on policies adopted by the board, and affirms actions of the Board. The non-profit organization is a member of the worldwide soccer body FIFA and the North American soccer body CONCACAF, and also has a relationship with the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee.
The federation convenes an annual meeting, usually held in February. Every four years, the annual meeting's attendees hold an election for the federation's president and vice president.
Members of the U.S. Soccer Federation USSF recognizes the following members:
Professional councils Major League Soccer (MLS) National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) United Soccer League (USL)
Adult councils United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA)
Youth councils American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Soccer Association for Youth (SAY) United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) US Club Soccer
USSF state soccer associations Alabama Soccer Association Arizona Soccer Association Arizona State Soccer Association Arkansas State Soccer Association Colorado Soccer Association Connecticut State Soccer Association Eastern New York State Soccer Association Hawaii Soccer Association North Texas Soccer Association Utah Soccer Association
Other affiliate members American Amputee Soccer Association Armed Forces Sports Council United Soccer Coaches United States Futsal Federation United States of America Deaf Soccer Association (USA Deaf Soccer) United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA) United States Specialty Sports Association U.S. Soccer Foundation
National teams
U.S. men's national team
The United States men's national team was assembled in 1885 to play Canada in the first international match held outside the United Kingdom. The team was invited to the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930 and qualified for the World Cup in 1934, finishing third place (semifinals) in 1930 out of 13 teams participating. In 1950 the United States scored one of its most surprising victories with a 1–0 win over heavily favored England, who were amongst the world's best sides at the time. The United States did not reach another World Cup until an upstart team qualified for the 1990 World Cup with the "goal heard around the world" scored by Paul Caligiuri against Trinidad and Tobago, which started the modern era of soccer in the United States.
The United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, setting total and average attendance records that still stand, including drawing 94,194 fans to the final. The United States made a surprising run to the second round in 1994, but finished last among the 32 teams in the 1998 World Cup. The tournament was marred by poor team chemistry and leadership, which led head coach Steve Sampson to resign. Sampson was replaced by Bruce Arena, a two-time MLS Cup winner with D.C. United, in 1998. Arena led a mix of veterans and youth players to a quarterfinal appearance in the 2002 World Cup, defeating rivals Mexico in the Round of 16 before losing to eventual runners-up Germany.