USA soccer history at the Olympics: USWNT’s success defines them, USMNT return after 16 years

The U.S. will be represented in both soccer competitions at the Olympics for the first time in 16 years, with the U-23 U.S. men’s national team joining the four-time gold-winning U.S. women’s national team in Paris.

It will mark just the fourth time both soccer teams will be at the Olympics at the same time, roughly 30 years after women’s soccer was added to the Games’ lineup in 1996. Both teams have hit some highs at the Olympics during that span but each team’s journey has been a different one. While the U-23 men’s team have missed out on a string of trips to the Games, the women’s team have medaled all but once at the event.

Here’s a look back at the U.S. teams’ history at the Olympics.

USWNT’s history of success

• Atlanta 1996: Gold medal
• Sydney 2000: Silver medal
• Athens 2004: Gold medal
• Beijing 2008: Gold medal
• London 2012: Gold medal
• Rio de Janeiro 2016: Quarterfinals
• Tokyo 2020: Bronze medal

The USWNT are the most accomplished women’s soccer team in the history of the Olympics with four gold medals, meaning most of the team’s iconic players have earned the Games’ highest distinction during their careers.

In the first-ever women’s soccer event at the Olympics, the USWNT beat China 2-1 in the final — three years before they did so at the 1999 World Cup. They fell short to Norway in Sydney when the European side won their only gold medal in the event to date but came back for a three-peat, culminating with a win in London. The 2012 tournament also delivered one of the best games in recent history, a 4-3 semifinal win over Canada that saw the U.S. come from behind three times before Alex Morgan scored the game-winning header in extra time.

Things have been less straightforward since, with the influx of investment and intention for the women’s game creating more competitive tournaments. The USWNT were ousted by Sweden in the quarterfinals in Rio de Janeiro but rebounded in Tokyo with a bronze medal despite playing unimpressive games during the tournament.

U-23 USMNT’s return to the Games

• Barcelona 1992: Group stage
• Atlanta 1996: Group stage
• Sydney 2000: Fourth place
• Athens 2004: Failed to qualify
• Beijing 2008: Group stage
• London 2012: Failed to qualify
• Rio de Janeiro 2016: Failed to qualify
• Tokyo 2020: Failed to qualify

The U-23s have been only occasional participants at the Olympics, advancing out of the group stage just one time in 2000. This tournament has frequently been a showcase for some of the senior national team’s up-and-comers, including in 1992 when Brad Friedel and Claudio Reyna made the cut. Future USMNT legends Landon Donovan and Tim Howard were part of the team that played in the bronze medal match in 2000, two years before Donovan was a breakout star in the 2002 World Cup where the U.S. went to the quarterfinals.

At the U-23’s last trip to the Olympics in 2008, six players who were rostered went on to play at the 2010 World Cup — Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Brad Guzan and Stuart Holden.