Dempsey made his national team debut on November 17, 2004, during a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica in Columbus, Ohio; the call-up came after his rookie season in Major League Soccer with the New England Revolution, where he recorded seven goals and one assist on the way to being named MLS Rookie of the Year.
Dempsey membuat debut tim nasionalnya pada 17 November 2004, pada kualifikasi Piala Dunia melawan Jamaika di Columbus, Ohio; panggilan datang setelah musim rookie-nya dalam Major League Soccer dengan New England Revolution, dimana ia mencetak tujuh gol dan satu assist sehingga ia diangkat menjadi MLS Rookie of the Year.