What is success for the U.S. U23 men at the Olympic Games in Paris? Advance from the group and show growth

The United States U-23 men will kick off their Olympic Games on July 24 with quite a challenge against France. Making their first appearance at the Olympics since 2008, there’s a chance for this talented young team led by Marko Mitrovic to accomplish history by becoming the first U.S. men’s soccer side to secure a medal in the Olympics.

Following the disappointment from the USMNT at the Copa America, more eyes are on Mitrovic’s team than usual as not only are the Olympic Games a massive event, but getting to see the United States youth in a competitive tournament can provide a lens to look at some players who may be at the 2026 World Cup. This roster may be young but players like Jack McGlynn, John Tolkin, and Kevin Paredes are on the path to the senior team if they can continue their current progression. 

Glimpses like that offer excitement, but also make it tough to judge how to determine what a successful Olympic Games looks like. Sure, a medal would be excellent and an easy way to show that they’ve been successful, but that may be setting expectations too high for this group of players, a problem American fans know all too well after how the senior United States men’s national team were unceremoniously dumped out of Copa America in the group stage.

Let’s take a look at what success means for Mitrovvic and the squad:

Get out of the group

Playing in Group A, the United States will be alongside France, Guinea, and New Zealand. While France is the strongest team in the group, that shouldn’t stop the United States from making the knockout stage of the Olympics. The top two teams in each group and the two best third place finishers will also advance. In Thierry Henry’s France side, the United States will be guaranteed to have a marquee match, but advance and you have potential matches against the likes of Spain, Argentina, Morocco, and Japan who are all taking part in the tournament, so the knockouts are where things will get even tougher.

A favorable pairing could see the United States advance further in the knockout stage than expected, but that’s where their run will likely end without a medal. Being able to show improvement in an international tournament like this is something that can go a long way for young players. The United States will want to avoid blowout losses in the tournament but as long as there are competitive matches and they make it out of the group, the Olympics will be successful.

Show Progress

It’s important to win competitive tournaments, but it’s also important for players to have growth moments. People like McGlynn, Tolkin, and Paredes will be among the U-23s to watch who could take a step forward during the Olympics, but players can emerge from anywhere when faced with pressure situations.  Griffin Yow wasn’t even on the Olympic radar until his performances in the lead up to the tournament were so impressive that he couldn’t be benched.

As long as they don’t rely too much on the over-aged members of the squad, growth moments will come and those who take them will find themselves one step closer to the senior squad. If even a few of these players can make a difference there, then the job was done at the Olympics.