The Biggest and Most Important USA Soccer Team Wins

The US men’s soccer team may not be the first people think of when it comes to sporting domination, but from Team USA soccer world cup wins to surprise upsets against global powerhouses, there are many stories to be told.

We’re here to break down some of the best USMNT wins to date, covering almost 100 years of incredible individual and team performances to create an intriguing and rich history. From 1930 to the present day, if the USMNT are playing, an epic result is possible.

• USMNT’s Greatest Moments
• The Best USMNT World Cup Wins
• The Miracle on Grass
• US Men’s Soccer’s Biggest Upsets

US Men’s Soccer Greatest Moments

The most important USA soccer team wins spread across a history nearly a century long, dating all the way back to the first ever World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay. Wins against Paraguay and Belgium were enough to see the USMNT all the way to the semi-finals before losing to Argentina.

The USA World Cup victories stand out due to the global importance of the competition. But, there are other hugely important wins in the history of the men’s national team. Matches like the come-from-behind victory in a 2-1 thriller against Mexico to win the 2009 Gold Cup will stick in US sports betting fans’ memories for many years to come.

The USMNT lags behind the US women’s soccer team in terms of big victories. The women’s team have won four World Cup Finals, in 1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019 as well as Olympic gold medals in 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012. However, that doesn’t mean the USMNT has nothing to show.

Here are a few more of the USMNT biggest wins and the story being them. With the US men’s soccer team becoming increasingly consistent, we expect more important victories to be added to this list in the years to come. If you’d like to get in on the action, you can check out the sportsbooks in New York for betting opportunities.

Biggest Team USA Soccer World Cup Wins

The World Cup is unquestionably the biggest soccer tournament on earth. While the USA are yet to have won the men’s version of this epic competition, the USMNT has a storied history in world cups, including some huge wins. Here are some of US soccer’s best World Cup wins:

1994 World Cup vs Colombia

One of the best USMNT wins came on home turf in the 1994 World Cup. Playing against Colombia, a team coming in on a 28-game winning streak and hotly tipped to make waves in the later rounds, not much was expected of the host country. That changed rapidly, however, as the USA were 2-0 up by the 52nd minute. A last gasp goal for Colombia was not enough and the final result was 2-1. Combined with a loss and a draw in the other group games, this result was enough to see the USA through to the round of 16, where they would lose a tight game to eventual champions Brazil.

2002 World Cup vs Mexico

Another of the USMNT biggest wins came in 2002 against neighboring Mexico, a rare derby in World Cup soccer, and another match that the USA were not expected to win. When Brian McBride scored in just the eighth minute of the match, it became apparent that things may not turn out as the pundits predicted.

The upset was cemented in the 65th minute with a Landon Donovan header setting the score at 2-0, where it would stay until the final whistle, thanks to a heroic performance from US goalkeeper Brad Freidel.

The Miracle on Grass

For the biggest upset in USMNT soccer, we must travel all the way back to the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. Still referred to as ‘The Miracle on Grass’ some 70-plus years later, a team of amateur players from the US took on the hotly tipped England squad, a team most expected to at least reach the semi-finals if not win the entire competition.

Despite England dominating play throughout the game, it was the US who took a one-goal lead, and they hung onto it for the entire game, taking a 1-0 win and one of the most memorable upsets in World Cup history.

USMNT’s Greatest Upsets

While the 1950 miracle is yet to be beaten in terms of the size of an upset, there are several more recent matches that come close. Here are some of the USMNT’s biggest upset wins:

2002 World Cup vs Portugal

The US shocked Portugal in the 2002 World Cup, scoring three goals in under 40 minutes, going on to win the game 3-2. The Portuguese were many people’s dark horse pick to win the whole competition, and the US win took everyone by surprise.

1998 Gold Cup vs Brazil and 1995 Copa America vs Argentina

In the 1998 Gold Cup Semi-Final, the US shocked soccer superpower Brazil with a 1-0 win, a few years after surprising the world during the Copa America in 1995 by obliterating the mighty Argentina 3-0.

2009 Confederations Cup vs Spain

Perhaps the biggest recent USMNT upset came in the 2009 Confederations Cup semi-final when a 2-0 win saw the US break Spain’s 35-win streak and qualify for the tournament final. While the team would go on the lose the final, the win over Spain is still one of the biggest USA soccer team wins.