Chicago (July 8, 2024) – U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team coach Marko Mitrovic has announced the 18 players and four reserves who will compete in the Paris Olympics in 2024. This summer, the U.S. men will return to the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
The Olympic Men's Football Tournament is open only to players under the age of 23, with only three players over the age limit allowed to participate. The tournament is the mission of the Football Federation Developing a winning team The tournament gives the nation's best young players who have come through U.S. Soccer's development hierarchy an opportunity to compete against top teams on the world stage.
Fifteen of the 18 players have played every minute for the U.S. Men's National Team, led by overage defender Walker Zimmerman with 42 appearances for the national team. Midfielder Gianluca Busio leads the U-23 team with 13 appearances for the national team.
Seventeen of the 18 players on the Olympic team have either played in MLS or been developed in an MLS academy, demonstrating the productivity of the American player development path.
2024 U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team roster by position (club, hometown)
Goalkeeper (2) Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew, St. Charles, Missouri), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG, Addison, Illinois)
Defender (6) Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth/GER, Frankfurt, Germany), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union, Oldsmar, Florida), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, Arlington, Massachusetts), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls, Chatham, New Jersey), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC, Atlanta, Georgia), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC, Lawrenceville, Georgia).
Midfielder (5) Gianluca Busio (Venice/ITA, Greensboro, N.C.), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF, Key Biscayne, Fla.), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union, Queens, N.Y.), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids, Jacksonville, Fla.) and Tanner Tessman (Venice/ITA, Birmingham, Ala.).
Forward (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED, Medford, NJ), Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht/NED, Eden, UT), Duncan Maguire (Orlando City SC, Omaha, NE), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER, South Riding, VA) and Griffin Yeo (KVC Westerlo/BEL, Clifton, VA).
Alternative (4): Josh Atencio (midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC, Bellevue, Washington), Jacob Davis (defender, Sporting Kansas City, Rochester, Michigan), Johan Gomez (forward, Eintracht Braunschweig/Germany, Keller, Texas), John Parskamp (goalkeeper, Sporting Kansas City, Bakersfield, California)
“We couldn't be more excited to have such great players and great people representing us at the Olympics,” said coach Marko Mitrovic. “They've worked their whole lives to get to this stage, so this is a special moment for all of us. Nearly every player has followed our American Soccer path, gone professional and will now achieve their dream of competing in the Olympic Games. We're grateful to the clubs that have agreed to release their players to join our mission. Our goal is to make our country proud and we will give it our all for the USA.”
For the Paris 2024 Olympics, the United States will begin its return to the Olympics on Wednesday, July 24, two days before the opening ceremony, when it plays host France at the Stade de Marseille in Marseille (9 p.m. local time / 3 p.m. ET). The United States will then play New Zealand in Marseille on Saturday, July 27 (7 p.m. local time / 1 p.m. ET) and conclude the group stage against Guinea on Tuesday, July 30 (7 p.m. local time / 1 p.m. ET). Marseille, located 125 miles west of Nice, is the second largest city in France. Saint-Étienne is 40 miles southeast of Lyon.
The U.S. will continue its Olympic preparations at FC Girondins de Bordeaux in Bordeaux from July 9-20 before traveling to Marseille for the opening match against France.
Support from near and far
The roster features players from 15 clubs, including nine from Major League Soccer, and two players from the Philadelphia Union, defender Nathan Harriel and midfielder Jack McGlynn.
Eight players are playing overseas in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands (two each), Belgium and England (one each). There are two pairs of European club teammates on the roster: Venezia's Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tesman recently led the team back to the Italian top flight from Serie B. Two of the Olympique team's attacking players will play together at FC Utrecht in the Netherlands next season: Taylor Booth, who recently extended his contract with the club, and Pakste Aaronsson, who was loaned to the Dutch team from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer.
Twelve states are represented on the roster, led by Florida with three players, while Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia each have two players on the roster.
The Road to Gaming
Seventeen of the 18 players on the Olympic Team have either played in Major League Soccer or been developed through MLS Academy programs, demonstrating the productivity of player development in the U.S. U.S. Soccer established its Development Academy in 2007 to improve youth development, and MLS NEXT continues that work by developing the next generation of players for the U.S. Men's National Team.
In addition to their current MLS clubs, team members have also spent time with the following MLS or MLS Next teams: Aaronson (Philadelphia Union), Taylor Booth (Real Salt Lake), Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City), Benaymin Cremaschi (Weston FC), Nathan Harriel (Chargers SC), Jack McGlynn (BW Gotsche), Djordje Mihajlovic (Chicago Fire FC, Montreal Impact), Kevin Paredes (DC United, Bethesda SC), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United FC, FC Greater Boston Bolts), Gaga Slonina (Chicago Fire FC), Tanner Tessman (FC Dallas), Griffin Yeo (DC United), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas, LAFC).
MLS NEXT Pro, MLS's launching professional league in 2022, features five players completing the professional player pathway from MLS NEXT to MLS' first team: Aaronson (Philadelphia Union II), Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF II), Harriel (Philadelphia Union II), McGlynn (Philadelphia Union II) and Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew 2). Schulte led the Crew 2 to the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Championship and was named the league's Goalkeeper of the Year before leading the Crew to the 2023 MLS Cup.
Excessive reinforcements
Following Walker Zimmerman's inclusion as the first overage player on the U.S. Men's Olympic Team in June, defender Myles Robinson and midfielder Djordje Mihajlovic have been added to the squad to strengthen the squad. Zimmerman represented the U.S. at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, appearing in all four games and starting three. Robinson was a key member of the team leading up to Qatar, appearing in 11 World Cup qualifiers and scoring the game-winning goal in extra time against Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. Robinson has 29 national team caps, while Mihajlovic has 11 appearances for the U.S. Men's Senior National Team. The midfielder has appeared in two CONCACAF Gold Cups and is enjoying a strong season in his return to MLS as a designated player for the Colorado Rapids, scoring 10 goals and six assists.
Other notes
- Players born after January 1, 2001 are eligible to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics as players under the age of 23. Of the 15 players under the age of 23, coach Mitrovic selected five players born in 2001, four born in 2002, three born in 2003, two born in 2004, and one born in 2005.
- Midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi is just 19, making him the team's youngest player and eligible to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles without age restrictions.
- Eight players have played for the U.S. at FIFA Youth World Cup tournaments: Taylor Booth (2017 U-17 WC), Gianluca Busio (2019 U-17 WC), Dietz (2019 U-17 WC), McGlynn (2023 U-20 WC), Kevin Paredes (2023 U-20 WC), Gaga Slonina (2023 U-20 WC), Caleb Wiley (2023 U-20 WC) and Griffin Yeo (2019 U-17 WC).
- Four players have represented the Senior U.S. Men's National Team in major international tournaments: Bucio (2021 and 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup), Djordje Mihajlovic (2019 and 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup), Myles Robinson (2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup), Slonina (2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup) and Walker Zimmerman (2022 FIFA World Cup, 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup).
