United States Soccer Federation
The national governing body for soccer in the United States.
Last updated October 21, 2026
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Overview
The United States Soccer Federation, commonly known as U.S. Soccer or USSF, is the official national governing body for soccer in the United States. Organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it administers and promotes the sport across international, professional, amateur, youth, collegiate, referee, coaching, and grassroots settings. The federation is a full member of FIFA and a founding member of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, or CONCACAF. U.S. Soccer was established in New York City on April 5, 1913, as the United States Football Association. It joined FIFA provisionally later that year and received full membership in 1914, making it one of the early national associations affiliated with world soccer's governing body and the first from the North and Central American region to join. In 1945, the organization adopted the name United States Soccer Football Association, reflecting the growing need to distinguish association football from American football. In 1974, it became the United States Soccer Federation. The federation's responsibilities extend well beyond the senior men's and women's national teams. It sanctions competitions and leagues, establishes standards for referees and coaches, supports youth development, and works with affiliated state, adult, youth, professional, disability, futsal, beach soccer, and deaf-soccer organizations. It also administers the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the country's oldest continuing national soccer competition, and operates the SheBelieves Cup, an international women's tournament hosted in the United States. U.S. Soccer has played a central role in the development of the modern American professional game. Its planning and regulatory work helped establish conditions for Major League Soccer, which began play in 1996 after the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup. That tournament produced record attendances and substantially raised the sport's national profile. The federation has also overseen the United States men's and women's national teams through major competitive cycles, including the women's team's World Cup victories and the men's team's return to the World Cup in 2022 after missing the 2018 tournament. The organization has supported national-team programs across multiple formats and levels, including senior and youth teams, futsal, beach soccer, Paralympic soccer, and deaf soccer. Its coaching and referee education systems provide standardized pathways for participants and officials. Development initiatives have included the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, the former U-17 residency program in Bradenton, Florida, and Project 2010, a late-1990s plan intended to improve the men's national team's competitiveness by expanding elite player development. U.S. Soccer was headquartered in Chicago for much of the modern professional era, first at U.S. Soccer House and later in temporary downtown offices. It subsequently pursued a headquarters and national training-center project in Georgia, supported in part by Arthur Blank and associated with the Atlanta sports community. The federation's governance is conducted through a board of directors and a national council representing member organizations. The president and vice president are elected through the federation's membership structure, while the chief executive officer and secretary general manage day-to-day operations. In addition to its domestic governance role, U.S. Soccer bids for and helps organize major international events. The United States hosted the 1994 men's World Cup, the 1999 and 2003 women's World Cups, and Olympic soccer tournaments in 1984 and 1996. It is also a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico. Through these activities, U.S. Soccer combines the functions of a national sports governing body, event organizer, development institution, competition regulator, and representative of American soccer within the international football system.
History
The federation was created on April 5, 1913, at the Astor House Hotel in Lower Manhattan under the name United States Football Association. Its formation provided a national structure for a fragmented American soccer environment and gave the country a formal representative in international football. The association was provisionally admitted to FIFA on August 15, 1913, and its membership became full at the FIFA Congress in Oslo on June 24, 1914. It was also among the founding members of CONCACAF when that regional confederation was formed in 1961 through the combination of existing North American, Central American, and Caribbean football organizations. The organization changed its name as terminology and domestic institutions evolved. In 1945, it became the United States Soccer Football Association. In 1974, it adopted the current name, United States Soccer Federation, generally shortened to U.S. Soccer. Throughout the twentieth century, the federation governed national teams and competitions while working to establish stronger domestic structures for youth and adult participation. The men's national team appeared at the inaugural 1930 World Cup and reached the semifinals, officially finishing third in the 13-team tournament. It also produced a famous 1–0 victory over England at the 1950 World Cup, although the sport remained comparatively marginal in the United States for much of the following decades. A major institutional turning point came with the successful American bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The tournament generated exceptional attendance and helped demonstrate the commercial and spectator potential of soccer in the United States. Its success contributed to the creation of Major League Soccer in 1996, providing a more stable professional platform for players and national-team development. U.S. Soccer also supported the growth of the women's game. The United States hosted the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cups, while the women's national team became one of the country's most successful international sports programs. In the late 1990s, the federation developed Project 2010, a development blueprint intended to make the men's national team a plausible World Cup contender by the end of the following decade. Associated initiatives included the Project-40 program, later known as Generation Adidas, and the U-17 residency program in Bradenton, Florida. The residency model was eventually discontinued in 2017 as academy-based development expanded. U.S. Soccer also opened a national training center in Carson, California, in 2003, giving national teams dedicated fields and a soccer-specific stadium environment for camps and preparation. The men's team experienced several important competitive phases. It reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup under Bruce Arena, advanced from its group at the 2010 tournament before losing to Ghana, and progressed to the round of 16 in 2014 under Jürgen Klinsmann. The team then missed the 2018 World Cup, prompting changes in coaching and player development. Gregg Berhalter was appointed in 2018, and the United States qualified for the 2022 tournament with a young roster. These cycles reflected the federation's continuing effort to connect youth academies, Major League Soccer, European-based players, and national-team programs. U.S. Soccer has also administered domestic competitions. The U.S. Open Cup began in 1913 as the National Challenge Cup and remains open to eligible professional and amateur clubs. The competition was later renamed the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in honor of a major figure in American professional soccer. The federation sanctions leagues and tournaments, oversees referee and coaching standards, and works through professional, adult, youth, state, disability, futsal, and other affiliated organizations. The federation was based in Colorado Springs before moving its headquarters to Chicago in 1991. For many years it operated from U.S. Soccer House, a pair of renovated mansions on South Prairie Avenue. It later occupied temporary downtown Chicago offices while planning a permanent move to Georgia. In 2023, U.S. Soccer announced a selected site in Fayette County, south of Atlanta, for a combined headquarters and national training center. The project was associated with support from Arthur Blank and the Atlanta sports community and was planned in advance of the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. U.S. Soccer's continuing role is therefore both regulatory and developmental: it represents the country internationally while building the structures through which soccer is played, coached, officiated, and watched domestically.
- 2023
Georgia training-center site selected
[1]The federation announced a selected site in Fayette County for a consolidated headquarters and national training center.
- 2022
Headquarters enters transition period
[1]U.S. Soccer moved from U.S. Soccer House to temporary Chicago offices while preparing its Georgia relocation.
- 2022
Men's team returns to the World Cup
[3]The United States qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after its 2018 absence.
- 2020
Cindy Parlow Cone becomes president
[1]Cindy Parlow Cone assumed the federation presidency after Carlos Cordeiro resigned.
- 2018
Men's team misses the World Cup
[3]The United States failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, its first absence from the tournament since 1986.
- 2017
U-17 residency program closes
[1]The Bradenton residency program ended as academy-based development became more widespread.
- 2003
National Training Center opens in Carson
[1]A dedicated national training facility opened at what was then the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
- 1998
Project 2010 introduced
[1]U.S. Soccer introduced a long-term men's player-development plan designed to improve World Cup competitiveness.
- 1996
Major League Soccer begins
[4]MLS started play following the expansion of the American soccer infrastructure around the 1994 World Cup.
- 1994
United States hosts the FIFA World Cup
[5]The successful tournament increased soccer's national visibility and helped create conditions for Major League Soccer.
Products and positioning
The governing, regulatory, representative, and development institution for soccer in the United States.
National team · 1885
United States men's national team
The senior men's national team represents the United States in FIFA, CONCACAF, World Cup, Gold Cup, Nations League, and other international competitions. Its modern era expanded after World Cup qualification in 1990 and the domestic impact of the 1994 tournament. The team reached the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals, returned to the knockout stage in 2014, missed the 2018 tournament, and qualified again for 2022.
National team
United States women's national team
The senior women's national team is one of the most successful programs in international women's soccer. U.S. Soccer organizes its matches and competitions and has supported the team's participation in World Cups, Olympic tournaments, the SheBelieves Cup, and regional competitions. The team has also been a central driver of the visibility and professionalization of women's soccer in the United States.
Domestic cup competition · 1913
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The U.S. Open Cup is a national knockout tournament for eligible professional and amateur clubs. Founded in 1913 as the National Challenge Cup, it is the oldest continuing national soccer competition in the United States. The competition gives clubs from different levels of the American soccer pyramid an opportunity to meet in a single tournament.
International tournament · 2016
SheBelieves Cup
The SheBelieves Cup is an international women's tournament organized and hosted by U.S. Soccer. It brings leading national teams to the United States in a compact competitive event and is connected to the federation's broader effort to promote women's soccer and the national women's team.
Education and certification
Coach education and licensing
U.S. Soccer provides a national coaching education framework that establishes courses, licenses, and development pathways for coaches working across grassroots, youth, amateur, and elite environments. The system is intended to create consistent technical standards while supporting the development of players and coaching professionals.
Education and certification
Referee development and certification
The federation sanctions referees and maintains education and certification structures used across much of organized soccer in the United States. These programs support match officials in youth, amateur, professional, and national-team environments.
Controversies
2020
US Soccer apologizes for court-filing language
US Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro apologized on behalf of the federation for language used in a court filing, stating that it did not reflect the organization's values. He said the organization was making immediate changes, including bringing in an outside law firm to guide its legal strategy.
2020
US Soccer sponsors condemn equal-pay court filing
In a 2020 controversy involving the United States Soccer Federation, Coca-Cola, Visa and other sponsors criticized the organization after its lawyers argued in a court filing that women players should be paid less than men. Some of the sponsors said they sought meetings with US Soccer. The dispute centered on the federation's legal position in an equal-pay case and drew public condemnation from commercial partners.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015National Training and Coaching Development Center planning
United States
U.S. Soccer pursued a centralized development-center concept intended to combine training, coaching education, and national-team infrastructure.
Outcome. The federation later selected a different consolidated headquarters and training-center site in Georgia.
- 1998Project 2010
United States
A strategic development blueprint sought to make the men's national team a credible contender for the 2010 World Cup. Its legacy included elite youth and professional development initiatives such as Project-40, later Generation Adidas, and the Bradenton U-17 residency program.
Outcome. Some associated programs continued for years, while the residency model was later replaced by broader academy development.
Brand decisions
2023
Select Georgia headquarters and training-center siteStrategyBackground
U.S. Soccer wanted to consolidate administrative offices and national-team training infrastructure in a purpose-built campus.
Action taken
The federation selected a 200-acre site in Fayette County, south of Atlanta, for a new headquarters and national training center.
Aftermath
The project was planned to support national teams and coaching development ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
2020
Cindy Parlow Cone assumes the presidencyOtherBackground
Carlos Cordeiro resigned as federation president.
Action taken
Cindy Parlow Cone became president of U.S. Soccer.
Aftermath
She continued to lead the federation through organizational modernization, national-team administration, and planning for the 2026 World Cup.
2018
Appoint Gregg Berhalter as men's head coachOtherBackground
The men's team had missed the 2018 World Cup and was entering a rebuilding cycle.
Action taken
U.S. Soccer appointed Gregg Berhalter as head coach in December 2018.
Aftermath
The team qualified for the 2022 World Cup with a young squad.
1998
Adopt Project 2010StrategyBackground
The federation sought a systematic way to improve the men's national team's long-term World Cup performance.
Action taken
It introduced a multi-year development plan supporting elite youth training, professional player pathways, and national-team preparation.
Aftermath
The plan helped sustain programs including Project-40, Generation Adidas, and the Bradenton residency camp, although later academy expansion changed the development model.
Recent events
US Soccer sponsors condemn equal-pay court filing[7]
Reported:
Coca-Cola, Visa and other US Soccer sponsors criticized the organization after its lawyers argued in a court filing that women players should be paid less than men, and some sponsors said they sought meetings with US Soccer.
US Soccer apologizes for court-filing language[7]
Reported:
US Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro apologized on behalf of the federation for language in the court filing, saying it did not reflect the organization’s values. He said the organization was making immediate changes, including bringing in an outside law firm to guide its legal strategy.
Sources7 sources
- 1United States Soccer Federationen.wikipedia.org
- 2U.S. Soccer official websiteussoccer.com
- 3United States men's national soccer teamen.wikipedia.org
- 4Major League Socceren.wikipedia.org
- 51994 FIFA World Cupen.wikipedia.org
- 6CONCACAF foundeden.wikipedia.org
- 7US Soccer apologizes for court-filing languagebuzzfeednews.com
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