United States Soccer Federation

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly called U.S. Soccer, is a nonprofit group that oversees all of soccer in the United States. It is part of a special group of organizations called 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is the main governing body for soccer in the United States. U.S. Soccer belongs to a big worldwide group called FIFA and looks after many different types of soccer, from international games to teams for men and women, professional leagues like Major League Soccer and the National Women's Soccer League, and activities for young players, beach soccer, futsal, and teams for players with special needs like the Paralympic and deaf teams.

U.S. Soccer makes sure there are fair rules for games and helps choose and train referees for most soccer leagues in the country. It also organizes big tournaments such as the U.S. Open Cup and the SheBelieves Cup. The main office and training center for U.S. Soccer is located near Atlanta in the town of Fayetteville, Georgia. This organization plays a big role in supporting and growing the love for soccer all across America.

History

See also: Names for association football § North America, and History of soccer in the United States

The United States Soccer Federation started as the United States Football Association on April 5, 1913, in New York City. It joined FIFA, the group that controls soccer worldwide, in 1913 and became a full member in 1914.

Over the years, the group's name changed to match how people in the U.S. talked about the sport. In 1945, it became the United States Soccer Football Association because "football" in the U.S. usually meant American football. In 1974, it changed to the United States Soccer Federation, which is still its name today.

The U.S. Soccer Federation helped bring big soccer tournaments to the United States. It hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994, which was very popular and helped start Major League Soccer in 1996. The U.S. will also co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico.

U.S. Soccer has also hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup twice and helped organize Olympic soccer tournaments.

The group's headquarters moved from Colorado Springs to Chicago in 1991 and then to a new location near Atlanta in 2026. It also has a big training center in California where the national teams practice.

Organization and governance

U.S. Soccer is the main group that runs soccer in the United States. It helps organize the national teams, supports professional and amateur leagues, and makes sure there are good rules for referees and coaches. It works with local groups to help kids and adults play soccer all over the country. Over time, U.S. Soccer has helped soccer grow from small local games to big professional leagues like Major League Soccer and the national teams.

U.S. Soccer holds a big meeting every year, usually in February. Every four years, people meet to choose the leader of U.S. Soccer. It is part of bigger groups like FIFA and CONCACAF, which help run soccer around the world and in North America. The group is led by a board of directors, and Cindy Parlow Cone has been the president since 2020.

Members of the U.S. Soccer Federation

U.S. Soccer has many different groups that join together to help run soccer. These include groups for professional leagues like Major League Soccer and National Women's Soccer League, adult soccer, youth soccer, and special groups for people with disabilities. There are also state groups and other special teams that work with U.S. Soccer to make soccer fun for everyone.

National teams

U.S. men's national team

Main article: United States men's national soccer team

The United States men's national team started in 1885 with a match against Canada. They joined the first FIFA World Cup and made a surprising win against England in 1950. The team later qualified for several World Cups, including hosting the event in 1994 and reaching the second round. They faced challenges in later years but returned to the World Cup in 2022 and will co-host the 2026 tournament with Canada and Mexico.

U.S. women's national team

Main article: United States women's national soccer team

The United States women's national team is very successful, winning four FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments and several Olympic gold medals. They were the first winners of the Women's World Cup in 1991 and hosted the event in 1999, drawing huge crowds.

Youth national teams

U.S. Soccer Federation supports many youth teams for both men and women, from under-23 down to under-15 levels. Some programs were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, but many have since resumed.

Extended national teams

The U.S. Soccer Federation looks after nine special national teams that play different types of soccer. These teams include beach soccer, futsal, cerebral palsy soccer, deaf soccer, and power soccer.

These teams compete in international tournaments under different organizations. U.S. Soccer helps them with money and training and celebrates their achievements with awards and camps.

Coaches and technical staff

As of January 8, 2026

Refereeing staff

As of August 18, 2021

Referee programs staff

Referee development staff

Name	Position
Kelly Murphy	Director of Referee Operations
Tyler Amorese	Referee Operations Coordinator
Hannah Duerr	Referee Operations Coordinator

Name	Position
Rick Eddy	Director of Referee Development
Pedro Trejo	Referee Operations Coordinator

Professional leagues

There are many soccer leagues in the United States for both men and women. While many people play soccer as kids in local teams, there are also special leagues for grown-ups.

Men

The top men's soccer league in the U.S. is called Major League Soccer, or MLS. It has teams in both the United States and Canada. This league started growing in 2017 and now has many teams across the country.

There are also other men's leagues below MLS, such as the USL Championship, which is the second-highest level. These leagues give players chances to practice and improve their skills.

Women

For women, the top league is the National Women's Soccer League, or NWSL. It started in 2013 and has teams in different cities. Before NWSL, there were other women's leagues, but NWSL is the main one today.

There are also lower-level women's leagues, like United Women's Soccer and the Women's Premier Soccer League, where many players, including college students, get to play and show their talents.

Controversies

Concussions

In 2014, some parents and former players said that the United States Soccer Federation and other soccer groups did not do enough to protect players from head injuries. Soccer has many head injuries each year, second only to American football.

MLS relationship

Some people said the United States Soccer Federation favored Major League Soccer (MLS) too much. They thought the USSF made deals with MLS that gave it more money and power than other leagues. This made it harder for other leagues to grow and compete.

International competitiveness

Some famous soccer coaches thought the way soccer is organized in the United States made it harder for the national teams to do well in international games. They believed that keeping top American players in MLS instead of letting them play in better leagues overseas was a problem.

Women's national team lawsuit

In 2019, the women’s national soccer team said they were treated unfairly compared to the men’s team. They said they got less money, worse travel and hotel arrangements, and different medical care. In 2022, the United States Soccer Federation agreed to pay $24 million to settle the lawsuit. Both men’s and women’s teams will now be paid the same for games like the World Cup.

Reports

Garcia Report

Main article: Garcia Report

In 2012, a leader of the world's soccer organization asked a U.S. lawyer to look into how two countries were chosen to host big soccer events. The lawyer finished a big report in 2014, but it was not shared publicly. A shorter version said there were no problems, but the lawyer disagreed and said it did not tell the full story. He later left his job because he did not trust the process.

Yates Report

On October 3, 2022, the U.S. Soccer Federation shared a long report about concerns of harmful behavior in women's professional soccer. The report was led by a lawyer and looked into these issues carefully.

Leadership

Current Board

As of March 8, 2024^[update]

Presidents

United States Soccer Football Association (until 1974)

• Gustav Randolph Manning (1913–1915)
• John A. Fernley (1915–1917)
• Peter Peel (1917–1919)
• George Healey (1919–1923)
• Peter Peel (1923–1924)
• Morris W. Johnson (1924–1926)
• Andrew Brown (1926–1928)
• Armstrong Patterson (1928–1932)
• Elmer A. Schroeder (1933–1934)
• Joseph J. Barriskill (1934–1936)
• Joseph Triner (1936–1938)
• H. S. Callowhill (1938–1941)
• Thomas E. Sager (1941–1945)
• H. H. Fairfield (1945–1948)
• Walter Giesler (1948–1950)
• F. W. Netto (1950–1952)
• James McGuire (1952–1954)
• E. Sullivan (1954–1957)
• W. Rechsteiner (1957–1959)
• Jack Flamhaft (1959–1961)
• J. Eugene Ringsdorf (1961–1963)
• George E. Fishwick (1963–1965)
• F. E. Woods (1965–1967)
• Bob Guelker (1967–1969)
• Erwin A. Single (1969–1971)
• James McGuire (1971–1974)

United States Soccer Federation (1974–present)

• Gene Edwards (1974–1984)
• Werner Fricker (1984–1990)
• Alan Rothenberg (1990–1998)
• Robert Contiguglia (1998 – March 11, 2006)
• Sunil Gulati (March 11, 2006 – January 10, 2018)
• Carlos Cordeiro (January 10, 2018 – March 12, 2020)
• Cindy Parlow Cone (March 12, 2020 – present)

Current sponsorships

U.S. Soccer has many partners that help support the sport. Some of these partners include:

• Allstate
• American Airlines
• Anheuser-Busch
• AT&T
• Bank of America
• Chobani
• Coca-Cola
• CVS
• Deloitte
• Ferrara
• Haleon
• Henkel
• Home Depot
• Jim Beam
• Kellanova
• Marriott
• New York Life
• Purina
• Nike
• Ticketmaster
• Truly Hard Seltzer
• Visa
• Volkswagen