Taylor Booth will compete in the Paris Olympics this summer.
Booth is one of 18 players who will represent the U.S. as a member of the U.S. men’s soccer team at the Olympics. This summer will be the first time the U.S. men’s team has played in the Olympics since 2008.
“It’s a special feeling, for sure. I mean, it’s something you always watch as a kid, and it’s something if you get the opportunity, it’s a dream come true. So I’m looking forward to it,” Booth said of being an Olympian.
Who is Taylor Booth?
Booth is a professional soccer player from the small town of Eden, Utah, in Ogden Valley. He is the second-oldest child of parents Chad and Kelli Booth. His brothers are Carver, Zach and Tanner Booth.
The Booths are a soccer family. Both of his parents played collegiately in Utah. His older brother played at Weber High School. His younger brothers played for La Roca Futbol Club in Layton, Utah.
Zach Booth is a professional soccer player. He plays for Leicester City in England but spent the past season on loan playing for Volendam in the Dutch football league Eredivisie. He scored his first goal for Volendam in February 2024 while playing against his brother’s team, FC Utrecht.
Taylor Booth answered his brother with three goals of his own — his first hat trick.
“It was a special day. Thinking back on it, I kept saying it was written in the stars before it happened,” Taylor Booth said, as the Deseret News previously reported. “When he came out and scored first, I knew the pressure was on me.
“He was running back to the midline, and he gave me a little brother look of ‘I’ve really just done this’ and I kinda took it personal and I dropped the hatty on him. It was a special day and to have my dad in the stands and some other family. It was super special.”
Who does Taylor Booth play for?
Prior to playing internationally, Taylor Booth played for Utah’s La Roca for three years. He then left home at age 14 to pursue his soccer dreams.
He joined Real Salt Lake Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona, and then at age 16, he participated in the U.S.’ U-17 residency program at IMG Academy in Florida.
The next year, he was signed by Bayern Munich in Germany. He spent five years with the organization, developing in their youth teams before eventually making his senior team debut.
He has spent the past two seasons playing for FC Utrecht in the Netherlands and has one more season left with the team. Utrecht fans have a chant for the Utah native. They sing “Taylor, Taylor Booth” to the tune of ‘70s song, “Daddy Cool.”
How long has Taylor Booth played for the U.S. national team?
Taylor Booth has been involved with the U.S. national team since he was 14. He joined the residency program when he was 16. In 2017, he represented the U.S. in the U-17 World Cup in India.
He was called up to his first senior team roster in 2021 for a friendly but did not play. In 2023, he made his senior team debut during the CONCACAF Nations League.
When does Taylor Booth play in the Olympics?
Taylor Booth and the U.S. men’s soccer team will play at least three matches during the 2024 Olympics as part of the group stage of the tournament.
Here is the schedule for the U.S. men’s soccer team in the Olympics:
- U.S. vs. France on July 24 at 1 p.m. MDT
- U.S. vs. New Zealand on July 27 at 11 a.m. MDT
- U.S. vs. Guinea on July 30 at 11 a.m. MDT