Although mostly a backup to Tim Howard, Rimando played for the United States at the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria. He earned his first senior team cap on November 17, 2002 against El Salvador. After that, he did not receive much attention from the national team until his outstanding play in MLS in 2009 caught the attention of U.S. coach Bob Bradley. Rimando was invited to train with the senior team in 2010 in preparation for the World Cup, although he was not selected for the tournament. He has made some international appearances since then, including a standout performance in a friendly against Panama on January 25, 2012. He was consistently the third-choice keeper under former manager Jurgen Klinsmann, and was the first-choice keeper at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.