Why isn't Christian Pulisic playing for the U.S. men's soccer team at the Olympics? (2024)

A U.S. men’s soccer team is competing at the Olympics for the first time since 2008.

The Americans opened with a 3-0 defeat against France on July 24 in Marseille. The U.S. will then take on New Zealand on July 27, again in Marseille, at 1 p.m. ET and finish the group stage against Guinea on July 30 at 1 p.m. ET.

The 18-man roster looks very different to the players selected for the U.S. men’s national team at the recent Copa America, with players such as Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Weston McKennie not featuring in France.

This is for two reasons. Firstly, men’s Olympic soccer is restricted to players under the age of 23, with an allowance for three overage players. Defender Walker Zimmerman, who joined the team’s June camp as its first overage player, defender Miles Robinson and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic were selected for the overage spots at the Paris Games.

Secondly, professional players should have a three-week break between seasons, and international federations are reliant on players’ domestic teams to release them for Olympic competition, rather than it being mandatory for clubs to let footballers represent their country at the Olympics.

The U.S.’ disappointing Copa America ended in the group stage on July 1 but these were always going to be very separate rosters with different ambitions and different managers — Marko Mitrović is in charge of the men’s Olympic side while the USMNT is looking for a new head coach after Gregg Berhalter was sacked.

Why do the men’s Olympic teams have an age limit?

The women’s soccer tournament at the Olympics consists of fully open-age international sides, in keeping with other major international tournaments. As a result, the Olympics remains one of the most prestigious major tournaments in the women’s game.

However, teams participating in the men’s soccer tournament at the Olympics consist of under-23 sides, with up to three overage players permitted. The age limit was introduced in 1992 and the three overage players caveat was added four years later.

The age limit introduction came about as the Olympics moved from a strictly amateurs-only event to one that permitted professional athletes to compete. Soccer’s world governing body FIFAdid not want the Olympics to rival the men’s World Cup as the primary major football tournament and therefore introduced various caveats to differentiate the Olympics from the men’s World Cup.

In the 1984 Olympics, European and South American players — the two continents considered football’s strongest as they had provided all 12 previous World Cup winners — could only select players who were yet to make a World Cup appearance. Similar restrictions were in place for the 1988 Olympics, before the age limit was introduced four years later.

Ali Rampling

Analyzing the U.S. overage player picks

Inevitably, the squad for a major youth tournament like the Olympics or a U-20 World Cup provides an opportunity to assess the state of the player pool at different stages of development. The fact that two of three overage picks were used on center backs is a cause for concern.

Perhaps if Jalen Neal hadn’t missed the first few months of the 2024 MLS season, it would have been a different story.

These picks are still wise, mind you: Zimmerman and Robinson partnered often during the 2022 World Cup qualification, which provides a stable bedrock for Mitrović’s side. Still, it’s an admittance that there isn’t a healthy number of young central defenders rising through the ranks — but that’s a headache to address in later years.

It’s a bit of a surprise to see Mitrović use his third overage pick on an attacking midfielder rather than a striker. Djordje Mihailovic has been back to his best since signing with the Colorado Rapids this winter. However, his involvement coincides with the roster’s most surprising omission: Diego Luna, the dynamic attacking midfielder for Real Salt Lake. Luna seemed destined to not just make this squad, but be among its most important players given his chance creation prowess and eye for a long shot.

Further up the pitch, Duncan McGuire projects to lead the line without an obvious alternative, with Aaronson having only minimally logged time at striker. — Rueter

Introducing your 2024 #OlyMNT Olympic Roster, as called by Marko Mitrović 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/x6M4DjQOX3

— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) July 8, 2024

Jeff Rueter

Players based in Europe offer encouragement

The roster contains a clutch of players who will arrive in Paris on the back of hugely promising seasons at their European clubs.

Kevin Paredes made 26 appearances in Bundesliga for Wolfsburg, and along the way was named 2023 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year.

A tactically astute left-footed midfielder, he operated across six positions for the German club, including left-back, and the 21-year-old scored three goals.

In Italy, Venezia’s Tanner Tessmann and team-mate Gianluca Busio helped the club win promotion to Serie A, while putting themselves on the radar of bigger clubs across the continent.Tessmann made 42 appearances for Venezia, scored in their play-off semi-final win, and is regarded as one of the division’s most-coveted young defensive midfielders.

Busio, 22, created the solitary goal that clinched promotion, and was another near ever-present during the campaign with 42 appearances, seven goals and five assists from midfield.

Paxten Aaronson will link-up with international team-mate Taylor Booth at FC Utrecht next season, hoping to flourish in the same style Booth managed in the Netherlands.

Despite injury problems Booth made 21 appearances and scored six goals. Aaronson struggled for game time in Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt, but the 20-year-old’s January loan to struggling Vitesse Arnhem saw him gain vital top-flight experience. He started all but one of the club’s 15 games during his time in Holland and scored four goals in the pressure of a relegation battle.

Collectively their experience in different but equally challenging environments across Europe should put them in good stead to make an impact at the games.

Greg O’Keeffe

U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea)

DEFENDERS (6): Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia)

FORWARDS (5): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt), Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo)

ALTERNATES (4): Josh Atencio (Midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC), Jacob Davis (Defender, Sporting Kansas City), Johan Gomez (Forward, Eintracht Braunschweig), John Pulskamp (Goalkeeper, Sporting Kansas City)

Required reading

• How USMNT newcomer Taylor Booth could fit in as a midfielder or winger
• Eintracht Frankfurt CEO on Paxten Aaronson, the U.S. as their top scouting area and more
• This USMNT isn’t a ‘golden generation’ – the data shows it lacks top-end talent
• Your USMNT questions answered: Will Berhalter be fired? Do players need to find other clubs?

(Top photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)