U.S. Soccer backs Sullivan and Hall to lead Olympic gold push at LA28

U.S. Soccer is channelling the momentum of its 2026 FIFA World Cup run into a serious Olympic medal bid at LA28, with COO Dan Helfrich identifying teenage prospects Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall as potential cornerstones of the men’s squad that will compete on home soil in 2028.

The optimism follows a promising post-World Cup stretch in which a young U.S. men’s side won all four of its first games since the tournament, a run that reinforced confidence inside the federation about the depth of talent coming through. Helfrich, a former Deloitte executive who has overseen day-to-day federation operations since January, told Fox Sports that an Olympic medal is “very realistic” for the men’s programme.

“This summer was the biggest and broadest demonstration of what large-scale public love of the sport can look like in our country,” Helfrich said, referencing a World Cup that Nielsen Media Research estimates generated 10 million new U.S. Soccer supporters.

To lead the Olympic charge, Helfrich spearheaded the recruitment of Steve Cherundolo — a three-time World Cup defender and MLS Cup-winning coach with LAFC in 2022 — as head coach of the men’s Olympic team. Separately, Helfrich and CEO JT Batson committed to the senior programme by signing Mauricio Pochettino to a new four-year contract after the Stars and Stripes reached the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.

The context matters. The men’s Olympic tournament is primarily an under-23 competition, with each nation permitted three overage players, which levels the playing field considerably compared to the senior World Cup. Mid-major footballing nations have won Olympic gold before — most notably Mexico, who beat Brazil in the final at London 2012. The U.S. men have never claimed the title.

LA28 will feature a 12-team men’s tournament, meaning the hosts would need just one knockout-stage victory after the group phase to reach the medal round. The Rose Bowl, which holds around 90,000 spectators, is expected to host the men’s and women’s finals in the final weekend of July 2028 — a prospect Helfrich believes could further accelerate soccer’s growth in the United States.

The U.S. women’s programme provides a blueprint. They have won Olympic gold five times in eight tournaments, including in Paris in 2024. For the men, LA28 represents the most realistic opportunity in a generation to match that legacy on the sport’s second-biggest stage.