<Tr> <Th> Best result </Th> <Td> Runners - up, 2009 </Td> </Tr> <P> The United States men's national soccer team, often referred to as the USMNT, represents the United States in international soccer . It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football). The team has appeared in ten FIFA World Cups, including the inaugural edition, where they achieved their best result by reaching the semi-finals, placing third in modern rankings . The U.S. would go on to participate in the 1934 and 1950 World Cups, winning in a 1--0 upset over England in the latter . After the 1950 World Cup, the U.S. did not qualify for the World Cup again until 1990 . </P> <P> The U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup, where they advanced to the round of sixteen and lost to Brazil . The team qualified for five consecutive World Cups after 1990, becoming one of the tournament's regular competitors and often advancing to the round of sixteen . The U.S. reached the quarter - finals of the 2002 World Cup, where they lost to Germany . Another notable result came during the 2009 Confederations Cup, where they eliminated top - ranked Spain in the semi-finals before losing to Brazil in the final, their only appearance in a FIFA men's competition final . The team missed the 2018 World Cup after being eliminated in continental qualifying, ending the streak of consecutive World Cups at seven . </P> <P> The U.S. also competes in continental tournaments, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa América . The U.S. has hosted fourteen editions of the Gold Cup, winning six, and has achieved a fourth - place finish in two Copa Américas, including the 2016 edition that they hosted . The team's most recent head coach was Bruce Arena, who was hired in November 2016 and previously managed the team from 1998 to 2006 . </P>

When was the last time the us didn't qualify for the world cup