For as long as there have been sports competitions between countries, the United States has put together amazing efforts, leading to incredible successes and iconic moments. 

No matter the sport or competition, Team USA has some memorable leaders who have guided the country to seismic wins and monumental upsets. The history of Team USA’s play is incredibly rich with talent. If you ask someone what the best performance from the U.S. is on the world stage, you’ll likely get a few different answers. 

That said, FOX Sports Research is here to help sort through America’s undeniably rich and successful history.

10 Best Team USA Performances

10. Michael Johnson at the 1996 Olympics

Johnson delivered an all-time Olympic performance in 1996, becoming the first male athlete to claim gold in both the 200-meter and 400-meter races. That would even undersell his dominance. Johnson, at the time, would set an Olympic record in the 400-meter race, winning by nearly a full second.

Few moments can match the pure adrenaline and excitement of Donovan’s 2010 World Cup goal. With the U.S. needing a win to advance, Donovan came through. With just one minute of stoppage time added to the end of the match, Donovan scored the game-winner, sending Team USA to the next round with one emphatic kick.

One of the most efficient performances in World Cup history belongs to Lloyd. In the biggest match of the year, she delivered, punctuating the final with a hat trick — and in just 16 minutes of game action. That 16-minute hat trick is a record for the fastest in a World Cup, and Lloyd is one of only two players to score a hat trick in a World Cup final at all.

7. Mark Spitz at the 1972 Olympics 

There’s no possible way to do any better than Spitz did in 1972. After feeling like he had a subpar performance in the previous Olympic run, Spitz crushed it in 1972. He competed in seven swimming events in those Olympics and won all seven, doing so by setting a world record in each of the contests.

6. Simone Biles at the 2024 Olympics 

The hype around Biles returning to the Olympics in 2024 was at an all-time high, and she delivered. In the end, she finished the competition with four medals, three golds and one silver. Moreover, that gave her an eye-popping 11 medals total in her illustrious gymnastics career, one that leaves her as the most decorated American gymnast of all time.

5. Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympics

Driven by his determination to better the performance of Spitz in the Olympics, Phelps had his eyes on the prize in 2008. He competed in eight different swimming competitions, collecting gold in all of them, while setting world records in seven. His eight gold medals are still the record for the most for an athlete in a single Olympics. 

4. Brandi Chastain in the 1999 World Cup Final vs. China

Perhaps the most indelible image in sports history, Chastain came through clutch in the 1999 World Cup, which was played on the home soil of the United States. With the final game pushing all the way to penalty kicks, Chastain stepped up and drilled the game-winner to seal the home victory for the team and country.

3. “Dream Team” at the 1992 Olympics 

The 1992 Olympics marked the first time that NBA players were allowed to suit up for their home countries. That year, the U.S. put together one of the greatest rosters of all time. The squad consisted of 12 players, and 11 of them went on to make the Professional Basketball Hall of Fame. The “Dream Team” easily won the gold medal, beating opponents by an average of 43.8 points per game during the tournament.

2. Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics

At a time in history filled with turmoil, Owens was a shining star. He showed up for the U.S. and delivered with four track and field gold medals, setting three Olympic records and one world record over the course of those four events. Owens became the first track and field athlete to collect four or more gold medals in a single Olympics.

1. “Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Olympics

This one needs no introduction. The Soviet Union was considered the international powerhouse for ice hockey and deemed unbeatable, while the U.S. was a scrappy group of junior players — a team no one thought could contend with the full roster of Soviet Union pros. Team USA was down 3-2 entering the final 20 minutes before netting two goals in the final frame to seal the 4-2 victory, birthing the now-famous television call, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”

Honorable mentions:

• Kerri Strug at the 1996 Olympics
• “Redeem Team” at the 2008 Olympics
• Katie Ledecky at the 2024 Olympics
• Stephen Curry at the 2024 Olympics vs. France

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