Walker Zimmerman to headline US men’s soccer team roster at Paris Olympics

Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic and defenders Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson will headline the U.S. men’s soccer team at the 2024 Paris Olympics as overage players on the 18-player roster announced Monday morning.

The U.S. men's team has historically struggled at the Olympics with the Paris Games marking the first time the American men have qualified for the tournament since 2008, when they finished ninth. The team will be managed by Marko Mitrović, head coach of the U.S. men's under-23 team.

"We couldn’t be more excited to have this group of great players and great people represent us at the Olympic Games," Mitrović said. "It’s a special moment for all of us as they have worked their entire lives to reach this stage.

"Our goal is to make our country proud and we will give everything for the United States," Mitrović added.

The team qualified for Paris by winning the 2022 Concacaf Under-20 Championship.

The men’s Olympic tournament is restricted to under-23 players and clubs are not obligated to release their players for the games. With the exception of three roster spots open to older players, rosters must be comprised of athletes born on or after Jan. 1, 2001. The overage players will be: Zimmerman, 31; Robinson, 27; and Mihailovic, 25.

Benjamin Cremaschi is the youngest player on the roster at 19 years old and will remain age-eligible for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Despite the young lineup, 15 of the 18 players named to the roster have already earned caps on the senior U.S. men’s national team (USMNT). Zimmerman will lead the team as the most-capped USMNT player with 42 international appearances, including all four of the USMNT's games at the 2022 World Cup. Robinson also brings experience at major international tournaments having been selected to the roster for the USMNT's disastrous campaign at the 2024 Copa América tournament, which resulted in the team's group stage elimination.

MLS players feature heavily on the roster with 10 of the 18 athletes currently playing in the league and the remainder playing across Europe. Additionally, all players except defender Maximilian Dietz either played in the MLS or developed in an MLS academy set-up.

"Almost every player developed through our American soccer pathway, rising to become professionals and now they will live their dreams of competing at the Olympics," Mitrović said.

The U.S. will play its first game against host nation France at 3 p.m. ET on July 24 at Stade de Marseille in Marseille before facing New Zealand and Guinea in Group A. Here’s a full schedule for the U.S. men’s and women’s soccer teams at the Paris Olympics.

Full roster for the U.S. men's soccer team at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Goalkeepers (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG)

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

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

Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED), Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo/BEL)

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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson lead US men’s Olympics soccer roster