The road to Olympic gold is set after the draw for the Paris 2024 Olympics men's soccer tournament was completed on Wednesday. The United States were drawn into group A alongside host France, New Zealand and the winner of the AFC versus CAF playoff. Drawn into the A2 position, the United States will kick off Olympic soccer by facing France in the opener for both teams. The Americans will play their group stage games in Nice and Marseille.
With the Olympics kicking off on July 24th, 16 teams will have their shot at gold including the United States U23s who qualified by virtue of their performance in the Concacaf U-20 tournament. Taking part in the tournament for the first time since 2008, it will be an important time for the squad's development as they can look to make history. Four places in the Olympic pool are still yet to be decided as Asian qualification and the continental playoff is still ongoing.
"It's an important day for every team to learn their opponents and the challenges that await in the Olympic Games," said USA head coach Marko Mitrović. "We know that this is an elite tournament, with 16 elite teams that are the best in their confederations. Now, we can picture the opponents, the cities and the stadiums where we'll play. The excitement is here. We will keep that excitement over the next four months of work, preparing in the best way possible to convert that excitement into achievement on the field."
While the U20s qualified for the tournament, most of those players may not be involved in the Olympic roster as the age cap is raised to 23 with exceptions made for three over 23 players who can be allowed per squad. Due to those restrictions, while it is rare for a player to take part in a tournament such as the Euros or Copa America and the Olympics, there is a chance that someone like Christian Pulisic or Tyler Adams could be involved for Marko Mitrovic's squad.
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Here are the draw results:
Groups
Group A
- France
- United States
- AFC vs. CAF playoff
- New Zeland
Group B
- Argentina
- Morocco
- AFC 3
- Ukraine
Group C
- AFC 2
- Spain
- Egypt
- Dominican Republic
Group D
- AFC 1
- Paraguay
- Mali
- Israel
Currently in the midst of Olympic prep that will see them face Thierry Henry's France squad on Monday in a friendly, players like Gianluca Busio, Kevin Paredes, Duncan McGuire, and Aidan Morris will have a chance to show what they can do against the worlds best. The United States men haven't won a medal in Olympic soccer since 1904 leading to the question of what does a successful Olympic journey look like for the U-23s? There is a talented squad at Mitrovic's disposal but despite their domination within Concacaf, it would be quite a surprise for this team to win gold in Paris.
USMNT matches
All times Eastern
Wednesday, July 24
France vs. USA, 3 p.m.
Saturday, July 27
USA vs. New Zelalnd, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, July 30
USA vs. AFC-CAF Playoff Winner, 1 p.m.
What does success look like?
While being pitted against France could make it hard to win Group A, the top two teams in the group advance to the knockout stage. Taking on New Zealand and the winner between Guinea and the third-placed finisher at the U-23 Asian Cup, there is a fair expectation that the USA should advance from the group. But while advancement is the goal, testing the United States youth against the world's best is also critical. It's about establishing a clear playing style and showing that even if there is a perceived talent mismatch that the team will still fight for pride.
If they make it through the group, the USA will face the winner of Group B which includes Argentina, Morocco, an Asian team yet to be determined and Ukraine meaning that it's most likely that the USMNT will face at least two top sides in the tournament. While easy draws can be good in some cases, for development they'll get to face the world's best which is also important. Players who perform well can set themselves up well for a spot at the 2026 World Cup continuing the strong pipeline of U.S. youth development which is only getting better by the day.
