Team USA will have a men’s soccer team at the Olympics for the first time since 2008 and just the second occasion in the last six cycles.
That is reason enough for celebration after the Yanks faltered and flopped over three-straight CONCACAF qualifying tournaments under Caleb Porter, Andi Herzog, and Jason Kreis.
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Now it’s Marko Mitrovic taking the team into the tournament after Mikey Varas led the team to qualification in 2020.
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The Americans will be expected to contend for a medal but will not be the favorites given both the strength at the top of the tournament and the draw.
So who can win this thing? Let’s rank ‘em.
2024 Paris Olympics men’s soccer power rankings
British Virgin Islands’ defender Joshua Bertie (L) and Dominican Republic’s midfielder Junior Firpo (R) fight for the ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Concacaf qualifier football match between the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands at the Panamerican Stadium in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, on June 11, 2024. (Photo by Felix Leon / AFP) (Photo by FELIX LEON/AFP via Getty Images)
Group 5: Thanks for coming
Iraq — Won its group over Saudi Arabia, then slipped by Vietnam before losing to Japan and beating Indonesia in the third-place game to reach Paris.
Dominican Republic — Junior Firpo is a name that pops off the page but almost everything else feels a bit unknown. Did win one of two friendlies away to Paraguay in March.
New Zealand — Relatively unchallenged in qualifying and chock full of unknowns aside from veteran overage back Michael Boxall. Being grouped with Team USA and France is too big of an ask.
Group 4: The longshots
Israel — Did well to get out of a qualifying group with Germany and needed penalties to get out of a fortunate quarterfinal with Georgia.
Uzbekistan — Streaky but dangerous Eldor Shomurodov can take over a game, but the 29-year-old needs help at the nation’s first Olympics after impressing in qualifying but falling to Japan in the final.
Egypt — Ex-Arsenal star Mohamed Elneny gives Egypt a chance to control the game with a squad that, like Mali below, sees leadership and unity as a way out of a group with Spain, Dominican Republic, and Uzbekistan.
Mali — Boubacar Traore will be a big asset in the midfield and anyone can come out of this group with Japan, Paraguay, and Israel.
Group 3: The dark horses
Guinea — Tough group but can get hope by playing New Zealand first while Team USA play France. Naby Keita and Amadou Diawara give them a chance to win any midfield but — again — have to pass the French or Americans in group play.
Ukraine — A good-looking team but the path is fraught. Can Ukraine beat Iraq to start the tournament and get an Argentina-Morocco draw?
Paraguay — It’s a first Olympics since 2004 for Paraguay, who beat Brazil and Uruguay in the Pre-Olympic tournament. Ex-West Ham man Fabian Balbuena helps steady the back line and there’s a midfield here with Diego Gomez and Enso Gonzalez that on its day can play well enough to crash the podium.
DR Congo’s forward #11 Silas (R) fights for the ball with Guinea’s midfielder #8 Naby Keita (C) during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 quarter-final football match between DR Congo and Guinea at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan on February 2, 2024. (Photo by SIA KAMBOU / AFP) (Photo by SIA KAMBOU/AFP via Getty Images)
Group 2: Medal hopefuls
Morocco — An up-and-down series of performances make this side a head scratcher but throw-in veteran goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi and all-world defender Achraf Hakimi and you’d bet on more evenness in the team. Can they get something from Argentina on matchday 1? If so, look out.
United States — A strong team with terrific experience in two center backs — Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson — is given power by its bevy of experienced young players. Tanner Tessmann and Gianluca Busio helped Venezia to promotion, Kevin Paredes is a valued young player at Wolfsburg, and there are no shortage of players on the cusp of full national team status (or with experience already). Gaga Slonina at the back could really make his star in this tournament.
Japan — A true U-23 side, but probably should waltz out of its group and winning Group D means the runner-up of C with Uzbekistan, Spain, Dominican Republic, and Egypt.
Group 1: The favorites
Argentina — Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Otamendi comprise a team with no less than four World Cup winners and a young group that includes Lucas Beltran, Giuliano Simeone, and highly-touted Man City signee Claudio Echeverri.
Spain — There’s a heavy Barcelona taste to the side with young Pau Cubarsi at the back with La Masia alums Eric Garcia and Juan Miranda. Fermin Lopez may make his star even brighter at this tournament and Spain should skate out of its group and meet a favorable Group D runner-up in the quarterfinals.
France — Yes, the USA scrap to start the tournament won’t be easy. But France is just comically-loaded for this home soil tournament as Alexandre Lacazette, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Michael Olise alone are enough to make it out of an Olympics group. Then there’s Sevilla back Loic Bade, Gladbach mid Manu Kone, Lyon trickster Rayan Cherki, and transfer rumor mill magnet Desire Doue. Anything but the gold medal game would be a stunner but the quarterfinal match-up could mean Morocco, Argentina, or Ukraine (or Iraq). You never know.
