CHICAGO (July 8, 2024) – U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer head coach Marko Mitrović has announced the roster of 18 players plus four alternates for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This summer, the U.S. men’s national soccer team will return to the Games for the first time since 2008.
The Olympic men’s soccer tournament is limited to players under 23 years of age, with an allowance for three players over 23. The competition is an important part of the Federation’s mission to develop winning teams as it offers some of the country’s best young talent the opportunity to compete against elite opponents on the world stage after rising through the ranks of American soccer development.
Fifteen of the 18 players have been selected for the full U.S. men’s national team, led by aging defender Walker Zimmerman with 42 international appearances. Midfielder Gianluca Busio’s 13 international appearances lead the under-23 selection.
Seventeen of the 18 players on the Olympic roster played in MLS or developed within an MLS academy, demonstrating the productivity of the U.S. player development program.
2024 US OLYMPIC MEN’S SOCCER TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; HOMETOWN)
Goalkeepers (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; St. Charles, Missouri), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Illinois)
Defenders (6): Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth/GER; Frankfurt, Germany), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; Oldsmar, Fla.), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; Arlington, Mass.), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, N.J.), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; Lawrenceville, Ga.)
Midfielders (5): Gianluca Busio (Venice/ITA; Greensboro, NC), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Key Biscayne, Fla.), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Queens, NY), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids; Jacksonville, Fla.), Tanner Tessmann (Venice/ITA; Birmingham, Ala.)
Attackers (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED; Medford, NJ), Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht/NED; Eden, Utah), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC; Omaha, Neb.), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; South Riding, Va.), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo/BEL; Clifton, Va.)
Alternatives (4): Josh Atencio (midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC; Bellevue, Wash.), Jacob Davis (defender, Sporting Kansas City; Rochester, Mich.), Johan Gomez (forward, Eintracht Braunschweig/GER; Keller, Texas), John Pulskamp (goalkeeper, Sporting Kansas City; Bakersfield, Calif.)
“We couldn’t be more excited to have this group of great players and great people representing us at the Olympics,” said head coach Marko Mitrović. “It’s a special moment for all of us, as they have worked their entire lives to get to this stage. Virtually every player has come through our American soccer path, has progressed to professional level and will now fulfill their dream of competing in the Olympics. We are grateful to the clubs who released their players in support of our mission. Our goal is to make our country proud and we will give everything for the United States.”
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the U.S. will kick off its return to the Games on Wednesday, July 24 – two days before the Opening Ceremony – against host nation France (9 p.m. local time / 3 p.m. ET) at the Stade de Marseille in Marseille. The U.S. will then take on New Zealand on Saturday, July 27 in Marseille (7 p.m. local time / 1 p.m. ET) and close out the group stage against Guinea on Tuesday, July 30 (7 p.m. local time / 1 p.m. ET). Marseille, located 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of Nice, is France’s second-largest city. Saint-Etienne is 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Lyon.
The US will prepare for the Games at FC Girondins de Bordeaux in Bordeaux from July 9-20, after which they will travel to Marseille for the opening match against France.
REPPIN’ FROM NEAR AND FAR
The squad includes players from 15 clubs, including nine from Major League Soccer. Two players come from the Philadelphia Union: defender Nathan Harriel and midfielder Jack McGlynn.
Eight players are plying their trade abroad, in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands (two each), and Belgium and England (one each). The list includes two pairs of European club teammates – Venice’s Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann – who recently brought the team back to the Italian top flight from Serie B. Two Olympic team forwards will play together at FC Utretcht in the Netherlands next season – Taylor Booth, who recently extended his contract with the club, and Paxten Aaronson, who joined the Dutch club on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer.
Twelve states are represented on the list, led by three players from Florida. Two players each come from Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia.
ROAD TO THE GAMES
Seventeen of the 18 players on the Olympic roster either played in Major League Soccer or developed through an MLS academy, a testament to the productivity of the U.S. player development pipeline. U.S. Soccer launched the Development Academy in 2007 to enhance youth development, and MLS NEXT has continued that work by developing the next generation of players for the U.S. men’s national team program.
In addition to their current MLS clubs, the roster members also played for the following MLS or MLS Next clubs: Aaronson (Philadelphia Union), Taylor Booth (Real Salt Lake), Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City), Benajmin Cremaschi (Weston FC), Nathan Harriel (Chargers SC), Jack McGlynn (BW Gottschee), Djordje Mihailovic (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 Tessmann (FC Dallas), Griffin Yow (DC United) and Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas, LAFC).
Five players have appeared in MLS NEXT Pro, the professional league launched by MLS in 2022 that completes the path of professional players from MLS NEXT to MLS first teams: Aaronson (Philadelphia Union II), Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF II), Harriel (Philadelphia Union II), McGlynn (Philadelphia Union II) and Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew 2). Schulte helped Crew 2 to the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro championship and won the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year award before leading the Crew to the 2023 MLS Cup.
OVERAGE REINFORCEMENTS
After becoming the first over-age player to join the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team in June, Walker Zimmerman is now joined by defender Miles Robinson and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic to bolster the roster. Zimmerman represented the United States at the 2022 World Cup, appearing in all four games and starting three. Robinson was a key part of the team’s run to Qatar, appearing in 11 games during World Cup qualifying and scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against Mexico in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup final. He has 29 caps to his name, while Mihailovic has made 11 senior appearances for the USMNT. The midfielder has made two Concacaf Gold Cup rosters and is coming off a strong return to MLS as a designated player with the Colorado Rapids, scoring 10 goals and adding six assists.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Players born on or after January 1, 2001 are eligible under the age of 23 for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Of the 15 players under the age of 23, Mitrović selected five players born in 2001, four in 2002, three in 2003, two in 2004 and one in 2005.
- At 19, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi is the youngest player on the roster and is also eligible for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
- Eight players have played for the U.S. in a FIFA Youth World Cup tournament: Taylor Booth (2017 U-17 World Cup), Gianluca Busio (2019 U-17 World Cup), Dietz (2019 U-17 World Cup), McGlynn (2023 U-20 World Cup), Kevin Paredes (2023 U-20 World Cup), Gaga Slonina (2023 U-20 World Cup), Caleb Wiley (2023 U-20 World Cup) and Griffin Yow (2019 U-17 World Cup).
- Four players have represented the United States men’s national team at major international tournaments: Busio (2021 and 2023 Concacaf Gold Cups), Djordje Mihailovic (2019 and 2023 Concacaf Gold Cups), Miles Robinson (2021 Concacaf Gold Cup), Slonina (2023 Concacaf Gold Cup) and Walker Zimmerman (2022 FIFA World Cup, 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup).