Who is the all-time leading scorer for Team USA in Olympic soccer?

The Olympic Games has always been a rewarding event for Team USA, no other nation on Earth has amassed as many Olympic medals as the United States - 2,959 in total between the summer and winter Games, and over a third of that (1,175), gold medals. That success has been reflected in the soccer event - for the USWNT.

The women have fared infinitely better than the men out on the pitch - even though the women’s soccer event was only introduced in 1996. In the seven editions of the Games since then, the USWNT have only failed to make it onto the podium once - they were eliminated by Sweden on penalties at the quarter final stage at Rio 2016. Apart from that, their honors are very impressive - four gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012), one silver (2000) and one bronze (2020).

In contrast, the USMNT have yet to make their mark on the Olympic stage. Two US men’s teams picked up silver at bronze at the 1904 Games, when clubs competed rather than nations - but only three teams took part in that edition, two from the United States (Christian Brothers College and St. Rose Parish) and one from Canada (Galt FC).

Since their first participation as Team USA in 1924, the USNMT has played a total of 32 games at the Olympic Games and scored 34 goals in total, so far... Compare that to the women’s team, who have played 39 games in total and scored 75 goals, so far... So in the Olympic soccer event, Team USA’s top scorer of all-time is a USWNT.

Carli Lloyd, Team USA’s top goal scorer in Olympic history

Carli Lloyd has the honor of being Team USA’s maximum goal scorer in Olympic history between both the men and women’s teams. Carli opened her account by scoring the winner in the Group G game against Japan at the Beijing Games in 2008 and her second strike at the tournament was even more decisive - a fierce drive from the edge of the box six minutes into extra-time in the final against Brazil, the only goal of the game, and enough to give the US the gold medal.

United States women dominate Olympic soccer

She took her personal tally to six with four goals at the following Games in London. Two group stage goals, against France and Colombia and a brace in the final against Japan.

Lloyd found the target twice at Rio 2016 - both during the group stage. She scored the opener in the USWNT’s debut against New Zealand, then hit the winner against France three days later.

Tokyo 2020 turned out to be Carli’s fourth and final Olympics and she was a sub for three of the five appearances she made. A brace in the bronze medal match against Australia (which the USWNT won 3-4) took her overall tally to 10 goals - a Team USA record and joint-fourth in the all-time women’s ranking alongside Germany’s Birgit Prinz and the Netherlands’ Vivianne Miedema.

After Carli, is Abby Wambach on nine goals and Alex Morgan on six but seeing as the former has retired and the latter was not selected in the 18-player roster for Paris 2024, Lloyd’s record looks safe for now.

Who is the USMNT top scorer of all-time at the Olympic Games?

As the men, the goals have been distributed more evenly. Peter Vagenas is the USMNT’s top scorer of all-time at the Olympic Games with three goals - all scored at Sydney 2000 and all from the penalty spot.

Vagenas scored the equalizer against Cameroon in the group stage and hauled the team back level in the last minute of the quarter final against Japan (and slotted from the spot in the shootout). He set the record in the 3-1 semi-final defeat to Spain.

Behind him are six players all on two goals. After opening their Paris 2024 campaign with a 3-0 defeat to the hosts, the USMNT have some ground to make up but who knows if someone will match or take Vagenas’ record in the next two games against New Zealand and Guinea.