Steve Cherundolo has been appointed as the head coach of the U.S. under-23 men’s soccer team for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 47-year-old previously managed Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer from 2022 to 2025, where he led the team to victory in the MLS Cup in 2022.
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As a player, Cherundolo was a defender for the U.S. team in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and was selected for the 2002 World Cup squad, although he did not participate due to injury.
The U.S. men’s team reached the quarterfinals at the 2024 Olympics, where they suffered a 4-0 defeat to Morocco, marking their first Olympic qualification since 2008.
Marko Mitrovic was the head coach for the U.S. team during the recent Paris Games and has since transitioned to coach the U20 team.
The U.S. automatically qualifies for the 2028 Olympics as the host nation.
In Olympic soccer for men, teams primarily consist of under-23 players with the allowance of three over-age players per roster. If any members from the 2026 U.S. World Cup roster qualify for the 2028 Olympic team, they will need to be those over-age players.
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The U.S. men’s soccer team has only earned one medal in Olympic history, which was at the 1904 St. Louis Games, where two out of the three competing teams were American.
U.S. men’s soccer team
How many U.S. men’s soccer players can transition from the 2026 World Cup to the 2028 Olympics?
Olympic soccer regulations will restrict the participation of players from the World Cup team in the LA Games.