USFA is Founded

On This Day in 1913, United States Football Association Formed

April 5, 1913, was a watershed moment for American soccer. In a meeting room at the prestigious Astor Hotel in New York City, representatives from various soccer organizations gathered with a singular purpose: to finally establish a unified national governing body for the sport. The tension in the room was palpable—years of jurisdictional rivalries and competing visions for American soccer had created a fractured landscape that desperately needed cohesion.

G. Randalf Manning, a physician with impressive soccer credentials, stood before the assembled delegates. Born in England and educated in Germany, Manning helped establish the German Football Association in 1900 before emigrating to New York five years later. As he called the historic meeting to order, his vision for American soccer was about to become reality.

The path to this moment had been turbulent. For years, two rival organizations—the American Football Association (AFA) and the newer American Amateur Football Association (AAFA)—had struggled for legitimacy. Both sought FIFA recognition in 1912, but the international body refused to choose sides, instead instructing them to resolve their differences domestically.

The brewing conflict reflected deeper tensions within American soccer. Established decades earlier, the AFA had effectively become a U.S. branch of the British Football Association. Despite its longevity, its influence remained limited to the Northeast, and it struggled to adapt to the changing soccer landscape. The AAFA, meanwhile, represented a growing coalition of state associations seeking more inclusive governance of the sport.

Thomas W. Cahill, who had served as secretary to the AAFA and represented them at FIFA's 1912 Stockholm Congress, was mainly instrumental in these efforts. Despite FIFA's rejection, Cahill had established valuable personal relationships with international delegates during his European tour following the congress.

Attempts to merge the organizations had initially failed in October 1912 when the AFA narrowly voted against unification. However, by early 1913, several key organizations had defected from the AFA to the AAFA, decisively tilting the balance of power. With this strengthened position, the AAFA convened the April meeting at the Astor Hotel.

The outcome was decisive: the United States of America Football Association (USFA) was established, with Manning elected its first president and Cahill its first general secretary. The founding delegates recognized the urgent need for centralized governance. The American soccer landscape was chaotic, with disparate state associations using inconsistent methods and rules, new leagues emerging rapidly, and waves of European immigrants bringing diverse soccer traditions to American soil.

At its inception, the USFA encompassed seven state associations. The new organization immediately implemented standardized game rules, established protocols for communication and governance, and created a system for player transfers. Later that year, the AFA, at the prodding of its president, Andrew M. Brown, finally relented and joined the USFA.

The organization's rapid progress continued when, in August 1913, FIFA granted the USFA provisional recognition as America's official soccer governing body. The following year, at the June 1914 FIFA Congress in Oslo, Norway, the USFA was unanimously accepted as a permanent member, becoming one of FIFA's earliest member organizations and the first from North and Central America.

Manning's acceptance speech reflected the optimism of the moment. He highlighted soccer's rapid growth across the United States and announced ambitious plans to send an American team to the 1916 Olympics in Berlin. He invited international teams to visit America, confidently predicting they would "meet worthy opponents."

The USFA resolved to work through state associations rather than directly with leagues or teams. It established national protocols for interstate competition and player transfers, and began planning a national championship. In the fall of 1913, the National Challenge Cup (now the U.S. Open Cup) was established, open to both professional and amateur clubs. The Dewar Challenge Trophy, previously donated for the AAFA championship, would henceforth be awarded to the winner of this new national competition.

The organization that began that spring day in Manhattan would evolve through several name changes—from the United States of America Football Association to the United States Soccer Football Association, then the United States Soccer Federation, and finally to U.S. Soccer—but its essential mission remained consistent. From its early offices in the Empire State Building to its current headquarters in Chicago, the legacy of that April meeting continues to shape American soccer to this day.