Even soccer purists have trouble “getting” some tournament structures. There’s a reason that such thorough explanations are necessary prior to a group stage draw: there’s a lot to “get” to get into the game! It's been 16 years since a men's team has represented the United States in soccer at the Summer Olympics. Governed by FIFA and run under the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic men’s soccer tournament uses a different structure than many other world and regional competitions in the sport. At the Olympics, an Under-23 squad will represent the U.S. on the men's side rather than a full Senior National Team. The caveats don't stop there. Of the 18 players selected for the final roster, three can be over 23, making the roster selection even more atypical. So, here’s a look at why and how this age group structuring came to be.
It was the Barcelona Games of 1992 that brought a wealth of changes to Olympic soccer. Barça ‘92 was the last Olympic tournament without women’s soccer squads, the new “back pass” rule was introduced and enforced internationally, and the now standard U23 age limit for male squads debuted.
But why? For many sports, the four-year wait for the Olympics is one of few opportunities for international competition. Soccer is spoiled with many tournaments, not just within each federation, but with the FIFA World Cup every four years. Once the men’s competition was no longer limited to amateur players in Los Angeles 1984, suddenly global soccer’s two biggest tournaments would become eerily similar. Since the Barça 1992 Games, instead of having two tournaments drawing from the same players, soccer’s governing body implemented the under-23 age requirement to feature the next generation of talent and allow them to compete for Olympic medals.
To compete in Paris 2024, players must be born no earlier than Jan. 1, 2001, with three overaged player exceptions, a rule amendment added for the 1996 Atlanta Games. And for the first time in the run-up to Paris, U.S. Men’s Olympic Team head coach Marko Mitrović has called up an overage player in defender Walker Zimmerman. The center back brings loads of experience with 41 senior caps and a World Cup inclusion under his belt.
Since ’96, the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team has used eight of its nine eligible overage players. Let’s take look back at the senior players included in past U.S. Olympic runs:
