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United States women's national soccer team

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United States
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Stars and Stripes
AssociationUnited States Soccer Federation (USSF)
ConfederationCONCACAF
Sub-confederationNAFU
Head coachEmma Hayes
CaptainLindsey Horan
Most capsKristine Lilly (354)
Top scorerAbby Wambach (184)
FIFA codeUSA
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 1 Increase 4 (August 16, 2024)[1]
Highest1 (various; most recently since August 2024)
Lowest5 (June 2024)
First international
 Italy 1–0 United States 
(Jesolo, Italy; August 18, 1985)
Biggest win
 United States 14–0 Dominican Republic 
(Vancouver, Canada; January 20, 2012)
Biggest defeat
 Brazil 4–0 United States 
(Hangzhou, China; September 27, 2007)
World Cup
Appearances9 (first in 1991)
Best resultChampions (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019)
Olympic Games
Appearances8 (first in 1996)
Best resultGold Gold (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2024)
CONCACAF W Championship / CONCACAF W Gold Cup
Appearances11 (first in 1991)
Best resultChampions (1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2024)
Websiteussoccer.com/uswnt
USWNT at a parade in their honor after the 2019 Championship

The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States of America in international women's soccer. The team is governed by United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football).

The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four Women's World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019), five Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2024), nine CONCACAF W Championship titles, and one CONCACAF W Gold Cup title. It has medaled in every Women's World Cup and Olympic tournament in women's soccer except for the 2016 Olympic tournament and 2023 Women's World Cup; on both occasions, they were eliminated by Sweden after a penalty shootout.

After mostly being ranked No. 2 from 2003 to 2008 in the FIFA Women's World Rankings,[2] the team was ranked No. 1 continuously from March 2008 to November 2014, the longest consecutive top ranking of any team.[3] Since FIFA rankings were established in 2003, the team has been ranked No. 1 for a total of 13 years; the team with the next-longest tenure, Germany, has been ranked No. 1 for a total of 412 years. The USWNT has never been ranked lower than fifth in the world.

The team was selected as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee's Team of the Year in 1997 and 1999,[4] and Sports Illustrated chose the entire team as 1999 Sportswomen of the Year for its usual Sportsman of the Year honor.[5] On April 5, 2017, USWNT players and U.S. Soccer reached a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement that would, among other things, lead to a pay increase.[6] In February 2022, numerous current and former members of the USWNT settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Soccer Federation for $24 million and a requirement that male and female soccer players be paid equally, regardless of the proportion of prize money they receive, making it the first such instance in the world.[7] FIFA still distributes significantly more funds to its member associations for the men's event.[8]

History

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Origins in the 1980s

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The passing of Title IX in 1972, which outlawed gender-based discrimination for federally-funded education programs, spurred the creation of college soccer teams across the United States at a time when women's soccer was rising in popularity internationally.[9] The U.S. Soccer Federation tasked coach Mike Ryan to select a roster of college players to participate in the 1985 Mundialito tournament in Italy, its first foray into women's international soccer.[10] The team played its first match on August 18, 1985, losing 1–0 to Italy, and finished the tournament in fourth place after failing to win its remaining matches against Denmark and England.[11][12]

University of North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance was hired as the team's first full-time head coach in 1986 with the goal of fielding a competitive women's team at the next Mundialito and at future tournaments.[12] In their first Mundialito under Dorrance, the United States defeated China, Brazil, and Japan before finishing as runners-up to Italy.[13] Dorrance gave national team appearances to teenage players, including future stars Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Kristine Lilly, instead of the college players preferred by the federation, and called into camp the first African-American player on the team, Kim Crabbe.[14][15] The United States played in the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in China, a FIFA-sanctioned competition to test the feasibility of a regular women's championship, and lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Norway.[12]

1990s: first World Cup and Olympic wins

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Following the 1988 tournament, FIFA announced plans for a new women's tournament, named the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup until it was retroactively named the "World Cup". The United States qualified for the tournament by winning the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Championship, hosted by Haiti in April 1991, outscoring their opponents 49–0 for the sole CONCACAF berth in the tournament.[12][16] The team played several exhibition matches abroad against European opponents to prepare for the world championship, while its players quit their regular jobs to train full-time with meager compensation.[17][18] Dorrance utilized a 4–3–3 formation that was spearheaded by the "Triple-Edged Sword" of forward Michelle Akers and wingers Carin Jennings and April Heinrichs.[19]

At the Women's World Cup, the United States won all three of its group stage matches and outscored its opponents 11–2. In the opening match against Sweden, the U.S. took a 3–0 lead early in the second half, but conceded two goals to end the match with a narrower 3–2 victory. The U.S. proceeded to win 5–0 in its second match against Brazil and 3–0 in its third match against Japan, clinching first place in the group and a quarterfinal berth.[20] The United States proceeded with a 7–0 victory in the quarterfinals over Chinese Taipei, fueled by a five-goal performance by Akers in the first fifty minutes of the match.[20]

In the semi-finals against Germany, Jennings scored a hattrick in the first half as the team clinched a place in the final with a 5–2 victory.[21] The team's lopsided victories in the earlier rounds had brought attention from American media outlets, but the final match was not televised live in the U.S.[20] The United States won the inaugural Women's World Cup title by defeating Norway 2–1 in the final, played in front of 65,000 spectators at Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, as Akers scored twice to create and restore a lead for the Americans.[22] Akers finished as the top goalscorer at the tournament, with ten goals, and Jennings was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.[23]

Mia Hamm with Kristine Lilly (left)

Despite their Women's World Cup victory, the U.S. team remained in relative obscurity and received a small welcome from several U.S. Soccer Federation officials upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.[24] The team were given fewer resources and little attention from the federation as they focused on improving the men's national team in preparation for the 1994 men's World Cup that would be hosted in the United States.[25] The women's team was placed on hiatus after the tournament, only playing twice in 1992, but returned the following year to play in several tournaments hosted in Cyprus, Canada, and the United States, including a second CONCACAF Championship title. The program was still supported better than those of the former Soviet Union, where soccer was considered a "men's game".[26][25][27]

The United States played in several friendly tournaments to prepare for the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup and its qualification campaign. The first was the inaugural staging of the Algarve Cup in Portugal, which saw the team win its two group stage matches but lose 1–0 to Norway in the final. It was followed by a victory in the Chiquita Cup, an exhibition tournament hosted in August on the U.S. East Coast against Germany, China, and Norway.[28][29] Dorrance resigned from his position as head coach in early August and was replaced by his assistant, Tony DiCicco, a former professional goalkeeper who played in the American Soccer League.[25][30] DiCicco led the United States to a berth in the Women's World Cup by winning the 1994 CONCACAF Championship, where the team scored 36 goals and conceded only one.[28]

In February 1995, the U.S. women's program opened a permanent training and treatment facility in Sanford, Florida, and began a series of warm-up friendlies that were paid for by American company Nike.[31] The team topped their group in the Women's World Cup, despite a 3–3 tie with China in the opening match and losing goalkeeper Briana Scurry to a red card in their second match. The United States proceeded to beat Japan 4–0 in the quarterfinals, but lost 1–0 to eventual champions Norway in the semifinals. The team finished in third place, winning 2–0 in its consolation match against China.

The team won the gold medal in the inaugural Olympic women's soccer tournament in the 1996 Summer Olympics, defeating China 2–1 in the final before a crowd of 76,481 fans.[32] An influential victory came in the 1999 World Cup, when the team defeated China 5–4 in a penalty shootout following a 0–0 draw after extended time.[33] Foudy, Lilly, and the rest of the 1999 team started a revolution towards women's team sports in America. With this win they emerged onto the world stage and brought significant media attention to women's soccer and athletics. On July 10, 1999, over 90,000 people (the largest ever for a women's sporting event and one of the largest attendances in the world for a tournament game final) filled the Rose Bowl to watch the United States play China in the Final. After a back and forth game, the score was tied 0–0 at full-time, and remained so after extra time, leading to a penalty kick shootout. With Scurry's save of China's third kick, the score was 4–4 with only Brandi Chastain left to shoot. She scored and won the game for the United States. Chastain dropped to her knees and whipped off her shirt, celebrating in her sports bra, which later made the cover of Sports Illustrated and the front pages of newspapers around the country and world.[34] This win influenced many girls to want to play on a soccer team.[35] In the 2000 Summer Olympics, the USWNT were close to defending their gold medal but were controversially defeated by Norway in the final with a golden goal in extra time, which involved an alleged handball in the lead-up.[36]

2000s: two Olympic gold medals

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A soccer game between the United States and Canada, seen from behind one of the goals
Abby Wambach plays off a corner kick at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup bronze medal game against Canada

In the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. defeated Norway 1–0 in the quarterfinals but lost 3–0 to Germany in the semifinals. The team then defeated Canada 3–1 to claim third place.[37] Abby Wambach was the team's top scorer with three goals, while Joy Fawcett and Shannon Boxx made the tournament's all-star team. In the 2004 Olympics, the last major international tournament for Hamm and Foudy, the U.S. earned the gold medal, winning 2–1 over Brazil in the final on an extra time goal by Wambach.[38]

At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. defeated England 3–0 in the quarterfinals but then suffered its most lopsided loss in team history when it lost to Brazil 4–0 in the semifinals.[39] The U.S. recovered to defeat Norway to take third place.[40] Wambach was the team's leading scorer with 6 goals, and Lilly was the only American named to the tournament's all-star team.

The team won another gold medal in the 2008 Olympics,[41] but interest in the Women's National Team had diminished since their performance in the 1999 World Cup. However, the second women's professional league was created in March 2009, Women's Professional Soccer.

2010s: Olympic and then World Cup triumphs

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The USWNT at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

In the quarterfinal of the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany, the U.S. defeated Brazil 5–3 on penalty kicks. Wambach's goal in the 122nd minute to tie the game 2–2 has been voted the greatest goal in U.S. soccer history and the greatest goal in Women's World Cup history.[42][43] The U.S. then beat France 3–1 in the semifinal, but lost to Japan 3–1 on penalty kicks in the Final after drawing 1–1 in regulation and 2–2 in overtime. Hope Solo was named the tournament's best goalkeeper and Wambach won the silver ball as the tournament's second-best player.

In the 2012 Summer Olympics, the U.S. won the gold medal for the fourth time in five Olympics by defeating Japan 2–1 in front of 80,203 fans at Wembley Stadium, a record for a women's soccer game at the Olympics.[44] The United States advanced to face Japan for the gold medal by winning the semifinal against Canada, a 4–3 victory at the end of extra time.[45] The 2012 London Olympics marked the first time the USWNT won every game en route to the gold medal and set an Olympic women's team record of 16 goals scored.[45]

A ticker tape parade in Manhattan celebrating the team's 2015 World Cup victory

The National Women's Soccer League started in 2013, and provided competitive games as well as opportunities to players on the fringes of the squad.[46][47] The U.S. had a 43-game unbeaten streak that spanned two years – the streak began with a 4–0 win over Sweden in the 2012 Algarve Cup, and came to an end after a 1–0 loss against Sweden in the 2014 Algarve Cup.[48][49]

The U.S. defeated Japan 5–2 in the final of the 2015 World Cup, becoming the first team in history to win three Women's World Cup titles. In the 16th minute, Carli Lloyd achieved the fastest hat-trick from kick-off in World Cup history, and Wambach was greeted with a standing ovation for her last World Cup match.[50] Following their 2015 World Cup win, the team was honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City, the first for a women's sports team, and honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.[51] On December 16, 2015, however, a 1–0 loss to China in Wambach's last game meant the team's first home loss since 2004, ending their 104-game home unbeaten streak.[52]

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, the U.S. drew against Sweden in the quarterfinal; in the following penalty kick phase, Sweden won the game 4–3. The loss marked the first time that the USWNT did not advance to the gold medal game of the Olympics, and the first time that the USWNT failed to advance to the semifinal round of a major tournament.[53]

After the defeat in the 2016 Olympics, the USWNT underwent a year of experimentation which saw them losing three home games. If not for a comeback win against Brazil, the USWNT was on the brink of losing four home games in one year, a low never before seen by the USWNT. 2017 saw the USWNT play 12 games against teams ranked in the top-15 in the world.[54]

Alex Morgan being challenged by Hikari Takagi (15) during a match against Japan in Cleveland on June 5, 2016

Throughout 2018, the U.S. would pick up two major tournament wins, winning both the SheBelieves Cup[55] and the Tournament of Nations.[56] The team would enter qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup on a 21-game unbeaten streak and dominated the competition, winning all five of its games and the tournament whilst qualifying for the World Cup as well as scoring 18 goals and conceding none.[57] On March 7, 2018, Alyssa Alhadeff, the captain of the Parkland Soccer Club, who was killed by gunman Nikolas Cruz in the Parkland High School shooting nearly three weeks earlier, was honored by the U.S. prior to a game against England in Orlando during the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. Alhadeff's teammates and family were invited to the game and presented with official jerseys that featured her name.[58] The U.S. won the game 1–0, winning its second SheBelieves Cup title in three years.[55] On November 8, 2018, the U.S. earned their 500th victory in team history after a 1–0 victory over Portugal.[59] The start of 2019 saw the U.S. lose an away game to France, 3–1, marking the end of a 28-game unbeaten streak and their first loss since a 1–0 defeat to Australia in July 2017.[60]

The USWNT started off their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign with a 13–0 victory against Thailand, setting a new Women's World Cup goal record. Alex Morgan equaled Akers' record of scoring five goals in a single World Cup match, while four of her teammates scored their first World Cup goals in their debut at the tournament.[61] The U.S. would win its next match against Chile 3–0[62] before concluding the group stage with a win of 2–0 over Sweden.[63] The team emerged as the winners of Group F and would go on to face Spain in the Round of 16, whom they would defeat 2–1 thanks to a pair of Megan Rapinoe penalties.[64] The team would achieve identical results in their next two games. With 2–1 victories over France[65] and then England[66] seeing them advance to a record third straight World Cup final, they played against the Netherlands for the title. They beat the Netherlands 2–0 in the final on July 7, 2019, becoming the first team in history to win four Women's World Cup titles.

On July 30, 2019, Jill Ellis announced that she would step down as head coach following the conclusion of the team's post-World Cup victory tour on October 6, 2019.[67]

Vlatko Andonovski was hired as head coach of the USWNT in October 2019, replacing Ellis.[68]

2020s: fifth Olympic gold

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The USWNT began the new decade by winning both the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament (which qualified the team for the 2020 Summer Olympics) and the 2020 SheBelieves Cup titles.[69][70][71]

In early March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USSF canceled previously scheduled USWNT friendlies against Australia and Brazil.[72] Later that same month, it was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that the 2020 Summer Olympics were to be postponed until July 2021.[73] The USWNT played their first game in eight months on November 27, 2020, when they took on the Netherlands in a friendly match. Rose Lavelle and Kristie Mewis scored, the team winning the game 2–0.

On July 21, 2021, the USWNT lost 3–0 against Sweden in the opening round of group stage at the 2020 Summer Olympics, thus ending a 44-match unbeaten streak.[74] The U.S. rebounded by winning their 2nd match against New Zealand, before concluding the group stage by drawing 0–0 with Australia. The team finished second in the group stage and qualified for the knockout stage. They first faced World Cup runners-up Netherlands, with whom they drew 2–2 after extra-time before winning the match in a penalty shootout. The USWNT advanced to the semifinals, where they faced Canada. However, the team lost to Canada 1–0 by a penalty scored by Jessie Fleming. They later faced Australia again in the bronze medal match in a rematch of their final group stage game. The U.S. won 4–3, making it the first time the team had won the bronze medal.[75]

In July 2022, the team competed in the CONCACAF W Championship. The USWNT won its group, outscoring opponents 9–0 in the group stage, and then won the semifinal 3–0 against Costa Rica and the final 1–0 against Canada.[76][77][78][79] It was their ninth CONCACAF championship title and earned automatic berths for the 2023 World Cup, the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, and the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.[80][81]

In November 2022, the USWNT's 71-game home unbeaten streak ended, after a 2–1 defeat in an exhibition game against Germany.[82]

Chaos in the USWNT's defense at the 2024 Olympics.

At the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the USWNT were in Group E along with Netherlands, Portugal and Vietnam. They had gone in hoping to be the first men's or women's team to pull off a three-peat at the World Cup.[83] The USWNT opened with a 3–0 win over Vietnam, followed this up with a 1–1 draw against Netherlands and finished up with a 0–0 draw against Portugal, to finish second in the group, avoiding elimination after a shot from Portugal struck the goalpost in injury time. This marked the fewest points the team has ever gained in a group stage (they won at least two group games in every other tournament including 1991 when only two points were awarded for a win) and set them up for a round of 16 match against Sweden, where they played out a goalless draw and lost 5–4 after a penalty shootout. This marked the first time since the 2016 Summer Olympics that the United States did not reach the semifinals of a major tournament.[84] It also marked the first Women's World Cup the United States would not finish in the Top 3, and their earliest elimination in either the Women's World Cup or the Olympics. On August 17, 2023, Andonovski resigned as head coach and Twila Kilgore became the interim head coach.[85] That August the team dropped to third in the FIFA Women's World Ranking, their worst ever position.[86]

The USWNT qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics by winning the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship. They were placed in Group B with Zambia, Germany, and Australia. They won all three group-stage games by scores of 3-0, 4-1, and 2-1, respectively.[87][88][89] In the knockout rounds, they defeated Japan 1-0 in extra time and then Germany in the semifinal, also 1-0 in extra time.[90][91] Commentators expressed concern that because of the two extra-time games in a tournament with a compressed schedule, the USWNT would be more fatigued than their opponent in the final, Brazil, who had beaten both of their knockout-round opponents in regulation time.[92] However, they prevailed 1-0 in the final to win the gold medal, their first since 2012 and fifth overall.[93] Ten of their twelve goals in the tournament were scored by the self-named "Triple Espresso" attackers Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith.[94]

Team image

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Media coverage

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U.S. television coverage for the five Women's World Cups from 1995 to 2011 was provided by ESPN/ABC and Univision,[95][96] while coverage rights for the three Women's World Cups from 2015 to 2023 were awarded to Fox Sports and Telemundo.[97][98] In December 2021, a deal was signed to broadcast TV coverage of other USWNT games between TNT and TBS and streaming on HBO Max through the end of 2030. The USWNT games in the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship and the 2015 Algarve Cup were broadcast by Fox Sports.[99][100] NBC will broadcast the Olympic tournament through 2032.[101]

The 1999 World Cup final set the original record for largest U.S. television audience for a women's soccer match, averaging 18 million viewers.[102][103] It was the most viewed English-language U.S. broadcast of any soccer match until the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final between the United States and Japan.[104]

The 2015 Women's World Cup Final between the United States and Japan was the most watched soccer match, men's or women's, in American broadcast history.[105] It averaged 23 million viewers and higher ratings than the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup finals.[105][106] The final was also the most watched US-Spanish language broadcast of a FIFA Women's World Cup match in history.

Overall, there were over 750 million viewers for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, making it the most watched Women's World Cup in history. The FIFA Women's World Cup is now the second-most watched FIFA tournament, with only the men's FIFA World Cup attracting more viewership.[107]

[edit]

A narrative nonfiction book covering the entire history of the team from 1985 to 2019 called The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer was named one of Vanity Fair's best books of 2019 and made NPR's 2019 year-end books list.[108][109] A book about the team's 1999 Women's World Cup campaign, Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World was released in 2001 and in 2020 Netflix announced a film based on the book.[110] In 2023, Netflix released a four-episode documentary series titled Under Pressure: The U.S. Women's World Cup Team which followed the team's progress at the 2023 Women's World Cup.[111]

In 2005, HBO released a documentary called Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.[112] In 2013, a documentary about the 1999 World Cup-winning team called The 99ers was produced by former player Julie Foudy and ESPN Films.[113]

Attendance

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The 1999 World Cup final, in which the United States defeated China, set a world attendance record for a women's soccer event of 90,185 in a sellout at the Rose Bowl in Southern California (until it was broken on March 30, 2022, with 91,553 people at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain in the second-leg of a UEFA Women's Champions League match).[114] The record for Olympic women's soccer attendance was set by the 2012 Olympic final between the USWNT and Japan, with 80,023 spectators at Wembley Stadium.[115]

[edit]

Pay discrimination

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Since 2016, the players of the U.S. team had waged an escalating legal fight with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) over gender discrimination. Central to their demands was equal pay. The players pointed to their lower paychecks as compared to their male counterparts despite their higher record of success in recent years.[116]

In April 2016, five U.S. team players filed a wage-discrimination action against the USSF with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.[117] The group consisted of Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Becky Sauerbrunn.

One year later, in April 2017, the U.S. team agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the USSF. The agreement stated that the U.S. team players would have an increased base pay and improved match bonuses. These changes could increase their previous pay from $200,000 to $300,000. However, the CBA did not guarantee equal pay compared to the men's team. The CBA's five-year term through 2021 ensured that the next negotiation would not become an issue for the team for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics. On top of this CBA, the USSF had agreed to pay the players for two years' worth of unequal per-diem payments.[118]

On March 8, 2019, 28 members of the U.S. team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the USSF.[119] The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accused the USSF of "institutional gender discrimination."[120] The lawsuit claimed that the discrimination affected not only the amount the players were paid but also their playing, training, and travel conditions. In May 2020, several key parts of the case were dismissed, with federal judge R. Gary Klausner noting that the team had agreed to take higher base compensation and other benefits in their most recent CBA instead of the bonuses received by the men's team.[121]

On March 8, 2021, the second anniversary of the team's pay discrimination lawsuit, Congresswomen Doris Matsui and Rosa DeLauro introduced the Give Our Athletes Level Salaries (GOALS) Act to ensure the team members "are paid fair and equitable wages compared to the U.S. Men's team."[122] The GOALS Act threatened to cut federal funding for the 2026 World Cup if the USSF did not comply.[123]

On February 22, 2022, the USSF agreed to settle the lawsuit for $24 million, contingent upon the U.S. team agreeing to a new CBA. $22 million would go to the players named in the case, and $2 million would contribute toward players' post-playing career and other women's soccer charitable efforts.[7][124] On May 18, 2022, the U.S. team agreed to a new CBA that would run through 2028 and would equalize compensation, bonuses, and other work conditions between the women's and the men's national teams friendlies, therefore finalizing the legal settlement. The new agreement mandates that men and women split prize money from international competitions equally, making it the first such instance in the world.[125]

Artificial turf

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Along with their lawsuit for pay-equity, the US Women's Soccer players have fought FIFA on policies regarding artificial turf. This battle to eliminate its use in major women's games heightened around the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada; during this tournament, the US played eight of their ten games on artificial turf.[126] Prior to the 2015 World Cup, Abby Wambach headed a discrimination lawsuit with other global soccer stars including Marta of Brazil and Homare Sawa of Japan.[127] Due to the tournament's quick approach, the suit was dropped as players were denied an expedited hearing.

Staff

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Coaching staff

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Role Name Start date Ref.
Head coach England Emma Hayes May 2024 [128]
Assistant coach United States Denise Reddy May 2024 [129]
Goalkeeper coach England Stuart Searle May 2024 [129]

Technical staff

[edit]
Role Name Start date Ref.
Sporting director Wales Matt Crocker April 2023 [130]
Vice president of sporting United States Oguchi Onyewu May 2023 [131]
Women's program director Belgium Bart Caubergh May 2024 [129]

Head coach history

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As of December 3, 2024, after match against  Netherlands

Below is the record of each head coach in the national team's history.[132][133][134] The winning percentages given are per U.S. Soccer, with draws counted as ½ wins.[135]

Name Years Matches Won Drawn Lost Win % World Cup Olympics
Republic of Ireland Mike Ryan 1985 4 0 1 3 .125 N/A N/A
United States Anson Dorrance 1986–1994 92 65 5 22 .734 N/A
United States Tony DiCicco 1994–1999[a] 121 105 8 8 .901
United States Lauren Gregg 2000 (interim)[b] 3 2 1 0 .833
United States April Heinrichs 2000–2004 124 87 20 17 .782
United States Greg Ryan 2005–2007 55 45 9 1 .900
Sweden Pia Sundhage 2008–2012 107 91 10 6 .897
Scotland Tom Sermanni 2012–2014 24 18 4 2 .833
United States Jill Ellis 2012 (interim), 2014–2019 132 106 19 7 .875 5th
United States Vlatko Andonovski 2019–2023 65 51 9 5 .854 9th
United States Twila Kilgore 2023–2024 (interim) 14 10 3 1 .821
England Emma Hayes 2024–present 15 13 2 0 .933
Totals 756 593 91 72 .845

Notes

  1. ^ DiCicco was also the stand-in head coach in place of Dorrance for one match on June 21, 1993 (a 3–0 win against Canada in Pontiac, Michigan).[136] However, the win is officially credited to Dorrance.
  2. ^ Gregg was also the stand-in head coach in place of DiCicco for one match on May 4, 1997 (a 6–1 win against South Korea in St. Charles, Illinois).[137] However, the win is officially credited to DiCicco.

Players

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Current squad

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The following 24 players were named to the squad for the friendlies against  England and  Netherlands on November 30 and December 3, 2024, respectively.[138]

Caps and goals are current as of December 3, 2024, after match against  Netherlands.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alyssa Naeher (1988-04-20) April 20, 1988 (age 36) 115 0 United States Chicago Red Stars
18 1GK Phallon Tullis-Joyce (1996-10-19) October 19, 1996 (age 28) 0 0 England Manchester United
21 1GK Mandy Haught (1998-11-03) November 3, 1998 (age 26) 1 0 United States Utah Royals

2 2DF Emily Sams (1999-07-01) July 1, 1999 (age 25) 2 0 United States Orlando Pride
4 2DF Naomi Girma (2000-06-14) June 14, 2000 (age 24) 44 2 United States San Diego Wave FC
5 2DF Jenna Nighswonger (2000-11-28) November 28, 2000 (age 24) 18 2 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
12 2DF Tierna Davidson (1998-09-19) September 19, 1998 (age 26) 65 3 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
14 2DF Emily Sonnett (1993-11-25) November 25, 1993 (age 31) 103 2 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
15 2DF Alyssa Malonson (1999-04-09) April 9, 1999 (age 25) 1 0 United States Bay FC
20 2DF Casey Krueger (1990-08-23) August 23, 1990 (age 34) 60 0 United States Washington Spirit
22 2DF Eva Gaetino (2002-12-17) December 17, 2002 (age 21) 1 0 France Paris Saint-Germain
23 2DF Emily Fox (1998-07-05) July 5, 1998 (age 26) 62 1 England Arsenal

3 3MF Korbin Albert (2003-10-13) October 13, 2003 (age 21) 22 1 France Paris Saint-Germain
10 3MF Lindsey Horan (captain) (1994-05-26) May 26, 1994 (age 30) 161 36 France Lyon
11 3MF Lily Yohannes (2007-06-12) June 12, 2007 (age 17) 2 1 Netherlands Ajax
16 3MF Rose Lavelle (1995-05-14) May 14, 1995 (age 29) 110 24 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
17 3MF Sam Coffey (1998-12-31) December 31, 1998 (age 25) 28 1 United States Portland Thorns FC
19 3MF Hal Hershfelt (2001-10-03) October 3, 2001 (age 23) 3 0 United States Washington Spirit

6 4FW Lynn Williams (1993-05-21) May 21, 1993 (age 31) 75 21 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
7 4FW Alyssa Thompson (2004-11-07) November 7, 2004 (age 20) 13 1 United States Angel City FC
8 4FW Jaedyn Shaw (2004-11-20) November 20, 2004 (age 20) 21 8 United States San Diego Wave FC
9 4FW Ally Sentnor (2004-02-18) February 18, 2004 (age 20) 2 0 United States Utah Royals
13 4FW Emma Sears (2001-02-23) February 23, 2001 (age 23) 3 1 United States Racing Louisville FC
24 4FW Yazmeen Ryan (1999-02-25) February 25, 1999 (age 25) 4 0 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players were also named to a squad within the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Casey Murphy (1996-04-25) April 25, 1996 (age 28) 20 0 United States North Carolina Courage v.  Argentina; October 30, 2024
GK Jane Campbell (1995-02-17) February 17, 1995 (age 29) 8 0 United States Houston Dash v.  Iceland; October 24, 2024
GK Aubrey Kingsbury (1991-11-20) November 20, 1991 (age 33) 2 0 United States Washington Spirit v.  South Korea; June 4, 2024

DF Hailie Mace (1997-03-24) March 24, 1997 (age 27) 9 0 United States Kansas City Current v.  Argentina; October 30, 2024
DF Kate Wiesner (2001-02-11) February 11, 2001 (age 23) 0 0 United States Washington Spirit v.  Mexico; July 13, 2024 PRE
DF Sam Staab (1997-03-28) March 28, 1997 (age 27) 2 0 United States Chicago Red Stars v.  South Korea; June 4, 2024
DF Abby Dahlkemper (1993-05-13) May 13, 1993 (age 31) 84 0 United States Bay FC 2024 SheBelieves Cup
DF Becky Sauerbrunn (1985-06-06) June 6, 1985 (age 39) 219 0 United States Portland Thorns FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
DF Alana Cook (1997-04-11) April 11, 1997 (age 27) 29 1 United States Kansas City Current 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE
DF Gisele Thompson (2005-12-02) December 2, 2005 (age 19) 0 0 United States Angel City FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE

MF Ashley Sanchez (1999-03-16) March 16, 1999 (age 25) 28 3 United States North Carolina Courage v.  Argentina; October 30, 2024
MF Olivia Moultrie (2005-09-17) September 17, 2005 (age 19) 5 2 United States Portland Thorns FC v.  Argentina; October 30, 2024
MF Croix Bethune (2001-03-14) March 14, 2001 (age 23) 3 0 United States Washington Spirit 2024 Summer Olympics
MF Catarina Macario (1999-10-04) October 4, 1999 (age 25) 19 8 England Chelsea 2024 Summer Olympics PRE
MF Andi Sullivan (1995-12-20) December 20, 1995 (age 28) 52 3 United States Washington Spirit v.  South Korea; June 1, 2024 PRE
MF Savannah DeMelo (1998-03-26) March 26, 1998 (age 26) 7 0 United States Racing Louisville FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE

FW Mallory Swanson (1998-04-29) April 29, 1998 (age 26) 103 38 United States Chicago Red Stars v.  Argentina; October 30, 2024
FW Sophia Smith (2000-08-10) August 10, 2000 (age 24) 58 24 United States Portland Thorns FC v.  Argentina; October 30, 2024
FW Crystal Dunn (1992-07-03) July 3, 1992 (age 32) 155 25 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC 2024 Summer Olympics
FW Trinity Rodman (2002-05-20) May 20, 2002 (age 22) 46 10 United States Washington Spirit 2024 Summer Olympics
FW Alex Morgan (1989-07-02) July 2, 1989 (age 35) 224 123 Retired v.  South Korea; June 4, 2024
FW Midge Purce (1995-09-18) September 18, 1995 (age 29) 30 4 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
FW Mia Fishel (2001-04-30) April 30, 2001 (age 23) 3 1 England Chelsea 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE

Notes:

  • PRE: Preliminary squad

Recent schedule and results

[edit]

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

[edit]
February 20 Gold Cup GS United States  5–0  Dominican Republic Carson, California
22:15 ET
Report Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park
Attendance: 3,242
Referee: Astrid Gramajo (Guatemala)
February 23 Gold Cup GS Argentina  0–4  United States Carson, California
22:15 ET
Report
Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park
Attendance: 8,315
Referee: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin (Canada)
February 26 Gold Cup GS United States  0–2  Mexico Carson, California
22:15 ET Report
Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park
Attendance: 11,612
Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)
March 3 Gold Cup QF United States  3–0  Colombia Los Angeles, California
20:15 ET
Report
Stadium: BMO Stadium
Attendance: 16,746
Referee: Marianela Araya (Costa Rica)
March 6 Gold Cup SF Canada  2–2 (a.e.t.)
(1–3 p)
 United States San Diego, California
19:00 ET
Report
Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium
Attendance: 15,245
Referee: Katia García (Mexico)
Penalties
March 10 Gold Cup F United States  1–0  Brazil San Diego, California
20:15 ET
Report Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium
Attendance: 31,528
Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)
April 6 SheBelieves Cup SF United States  2–1  Japan Atlanta, Georgia
12:30 ET
Report
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Attendance: 50,644
Referee: Myriam Marcotte (Canada)
July 13 Friendly United States  1–0  Mexico Harrison, New Jersey
15:30 ET
Report Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 26,376
Referee: Deily Maria Gomez Espinoza (Costa Rica)
July 16 Friendly United States  0–0  Costa Rica Washington, D.C.
19:30 ET Report Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 18,972
Referee: Lizzet Amairany Garcia Olvera (Mexico)
July 25 Olympics GS United States  3–0  Zambia Nice, France
15:00 ET
Report Stadium: Stade de Nice
Attendance: 5,550
Referee: Ramon Abatti (Brazil)
July 28 Olympics GS United States  4–1  Germany Marseille, France
15:00 ET
Report
Stadium: Stade de Marseille
Attendance: 9,379
Referee: Yael Falcón (Argentina)
July 31 Olympics GS Australia  1–2  United States Marseille, France
13:00 ET
Report
Stadium: Stade de Marseille
Attendance: 9,610
Referee: François Letexier (France)
August 3 Olympics QF United States  1–0 (a.e.t.)  Japan Paris, France
09:00 ET
Report Stadium: Parc des Princes
Attendance: 43,004
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)
August 6 Olympics SF United States  1–0 (a.e.t.)  Germany Décines-Charpieu, France
12:00 ET
Report Stadium: Stade de Lyon
Attendance: 15,107
Referee: Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
August 10 Olympics Gold Brazil  0–1  United States Paris, France
11:00 ET Report
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Attendance: 43,813
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)
October 24 Friendly United States  3–1  Iceland Austin, Texas
19:30 ET
Report Stadium: Q2 Stadium
Attendance: 18,580
Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica)
October 27 Friendly United States  3–1  Iceland Nashville, Tennessee
17:30 ET
Report Stadium: Geodis Park
Attendance: 17,018
Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)
October 30 Friendly United States  3–0  Argentina Louisville, Kentucky
19:07 ET
Report Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 13,543
Referee: Karen Hernández Andrade (Mexico)
November 30 Friendly England  0–0  United States London, England
12:20 ET Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 78,346
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (Finland)
December 3 Friendly Netherlands  1–2  United States The Hague, Netherlands
14:45 ET
Report
Stadium: ADO Den Haag Stadium
Attendance: 12,503
Referee: María Eugenia Gil Soriano (Spain)

2025

[edit]

All-time results

[edit]
As of December 3, 2024
Year M W D L GF GA Athlete of the Year Scoring leader G Assist leader A Coach Major tournam. result
1985 4 0 1 3 3 7 Sharon Remer Michelle Akers 2 Mike Ryan
1986 6 4 0 2 10 6 April Heinrichs Marcia McDermott 4 Anson Dorrance
1987 11 6 1 4 23 9 Carin Gabarra April Heinrichs 7
1988 8 3 2 3 10 9 Joy Fawcett Carin Gabarra 5 Carin Gabarra
Kristine Lilly
2
1989 1 0 1 0 0 0 April Heinrichs (none) (none)
1990 6 6 0 0 26 3 Michelle Akers Michelle Akers 9 Kristine Lilly 3
1991 28 21 1 6 122 22 Michelle Akers 39 Carin Gabarra 21 World Cup (champions)
1992 2 0 0 2 3 7 Carin Gabarra (3 players tied) 1 Tisha Venturini 2
1993 17 13 0 4 54 7 Kristine Lilly Mia Hamm 10 Michelle Akers 6
1994 13 12 0 1 59 6 Mia Hamm Michelle Akers 11 7
1995 25 21 2 2 91 17 Mia Hamm 19 Mia Hamm 18 Tony DiCicco World Cup (3rd place)
1996 24 21 2 1 80 17 Tiffeny Milbrett 13 18 Olympics (gold medal)
1997 18 16 0 2 67 13 Mia Hamm 18 Tiffeny Milbrett 14
1998 25 22 2 1 89 12 20 Mia Hamm 20
1999 29 25 2 2 111 15 Michelle Akers Tiffeny Milbrett 21 16 World Cup (champions)
2000 41 26 9 6 124 31 Tiffeny Milbrett Cindy Parlow 19 14 Lauren Gregg
April Heinrichs
Olympics (silver medal)
2001 10 3 2 5 13 15 Tiffeny Milbrett 3 2 A. Heinrichs
2002 19 15 2 2 69 11 Shannon MacMillan 17 Aly Wagner 11
2003 23 17 4 2 58 14 Abby Wambach 9 Mia Hamm 9 World Cup (3rd place)
2004 34 28 4 2 104 23 31 Mia Hamm 22 Olympics (gold medal)
2005 9 8 1 0 24 0 Kristine Lilly Christie Welsh 7 Aly Wagner
Abby Wambach
5 Greg Ryan
2006 22 18 4 0 57 10 Abby Wambach 17 Abby Wambach 8
2007 24 19 4 1 63 17 Abby Wambach 20 Kristine Lilly 8 World Cup (3rd place)
2008 36 33 2 1 84 17 Carli Lloyd Natasha Kai 15 Heather O'Reilly
Abby Wambach
10 Pia Sundhage Olympics (gold medal)
2009 8 7 1 0 12 1 Hope Solo (3 players tied) 2 Heather O'Reilly 3
2010 18 15 2 1 48 8 Abby Wambach 16 Lori Lindsey 7
2011 20 13 4 3 41 17 8 Lauren Cheney
Megan Rapinoe
5 World Cup (2nd place)
2012 32 28 3 1 120 21 Alex Morgan 28 Alex Morgan 21 P. Sundhage
Jill Ellis
Olympics (gold medal)
2013 16 13 3 0 56 11 Abby Wambach 11 Lauren Holiday
Abby Wambach
6 Tom Sermanni
2014 24 16 5 3 79 15 Lauren Holiday Carli Lloyd 15 Carli Lloyd 8 T. Sermanni
J. Ellis
2015 26 20 4 2 74 12 Carli Lloyd 18 Megan Rapinoe 10 J. Ellis World Cup (champions)
2016 25 22 3 0 92 10 Tobin Heath Carli Lloyd
Alex Morgan
17 Carli Lloyd 11 Olympics (quarter-finals)
2017 16 12 1 3 40 13 Julie Ertz Alex Morgan 7 Megan Rapinoe 5
2018 20 18 2 0 65 10 Alex Morgan 18 12
2019 24 20 3 1 77 16 Julie Ertz[139] Carli Lloyd 16 Christen Press 12 J. Ellis
Vlatko Andonovski
World Cup (champions)
2020 9 9 0 0 33 1 Sam Mewis Lindsey Horan
Christen Press
7 Lynn Williams 6 V. Andonovski
2021 24 17 5 2 76 12 Lindsey Horan Carli Lloyd 11 Carli Lloyd 6 Olympics (bronze medal)
2022 18 14 1 3 56 9 Sophia Smith[140] 11 Mallory Pugh 7
2023 18 14 4 0 36 3 Naomi Girma[141] Mallory Swanson 7 Alex Morgan
Trinity Rodman
5 V. Andonovski
Twila Kilgore
World Cup (Round of 16)
2024 23 18 4 1 50 12 TBD Sophia Smith 9 Trinity Rodman
Sophia Smith
Mallory Swanson
4 T. Kilgore
Emma Hayes
Olympics (gold medal)
Total 756 593 91 72 2,299 459
Sources[142][143][144][145]

Individual records

[edit]

Player records

[edit]
As of December 3, 2024. Active players are shown in bold.

The women's national team boasts the first six players in the history of the game to have earned 200 caps.[146] These players have since been joined in the 200-cap club by several players from other national teams, as well as by seven more Americans: Kate Markgraf, Abby Wambach, Heather O'Reilly, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Morgan.[147] Kristine Lilly, Carli Lloyd, and Christie Pearce are the only players to earn more than 300 caps.

In March 2004, Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers were the only two women and the only two Americans named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living soccer players chosen by Pelé as part of FIFA's centenary observances.[citation needed]

Most caps
Rank Player Caps Goals Years
1 Kristine Lilly 354 130 1987–2010
2 Carli Lloyd 316 134 2005–2021
3 Christie Pearce 311 2 1997–2015
4 Mia Hamm 276 158 1987–2004
5 Julie Foudy 274 45 1988–2004
6 Abby Wambach 255 184 2001–2015
7 Joy Fawcett 241 27 1987–2004
8 Heather O'Reilly 231 47 2002–2016
9 Alex Morgan 224 123 2010–2024
10 Becky Sauerbrunn 219 0 2008–

Source(s)[148][149]

Most goals
Rank Player Goals Caps Years Avg
1 Abby Wambach 184 255 2001–2015 0.72
2 Mia Hamm 158 276 1987–2004 0.57
3 Carli Lloyd 134 316 2005–2021 0.42
4 Kristine Lilly 130 354 1987–2010 0.37
5 Alex Morgan 123 224 2010–2024 0.55
6 Michelle Akers 107 155 1985–2000 0.69
7 Tiffeny Milbrett 100 206 1991–2005 0.49
8 Cindy Parlow 75 158 1996–2004 0.47
9 Christen Press 64 155 2013–2021 0.41
10 Megan Rapinoe 63 203 2006–2023 0.31

Source(s)[148][149]

Most assists
Rank Player Assists Caps Years Avg
1 Mia Hamm 147 276 1987–2004 0.53
2 Kristine Lilly 106 354 1987–2010 0.30
3 Megan Rapinoe 73 203 2006–2023 0.36
Abby Wambach 255 2001–2015 0.29
5 Carli Lloyd 64 316 2005–2021 0.20
6 Tiffeny Milbrett 63 206 1991–2005 0.31
7 Heather O'Reilly 55 231 2002–2016 0.24
Julie Foudy 274 1988–2004 0.20
9 Alex Morgan 53 224 2010–2024 0.24
10 Shannon MacMillan 50 177 1993–2005 0.28

Source(s)[150][151]

Most shutouts
Rank Player Shutouts Caps Years Avg
1 Hope Solo 102 202 2000–2016 0.51
2 Briana Scurry 72 175 1994–2008 0.41
3 Alyssa Naeher 69 115 2014–2024 0.60
4 Nicole Barnhart 24 54 2004–2013 0.44
5 Siri Mullinix 21 45 1999–2004 0.47
6 Casey Murphy 15 20 2021– 0.75
7 Mary Harvey 13 27 1989–1996 0.48
Saskia Webber 28 1992–2000 0.46
9 Amy Allmann 10 24 1987–1991 0.42
10 Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner 9 17 1988–1991 0.53
LaKeysia Beene 18 2000–2003 0.50
Ashlyn Harris 25 2013–2022 0.36

Source(s)[152][153][154][155]

Captains
Years as captain Player Caps Goals Years
1985 Denise Bender[156] 4 0 1985
1986–1987 Emily Pickering[157] 15 2 1985–1992
1988–1991 Lori Henry 39 3 1985–1991
1991 April Heinrichs[158] 46 35 1986–1991
1993–2000 Carla Overbeck[159] 170 4 1988–2000
2000–2004 Julie Foudy[160] 274 45 1988–2004
Joy Fawcett 241 27 1987–2004
2004–2008 Kristine Lilly 354 130 1987–2010
2008–2015 Christie Pearce 311 4 1997–2015
2016–2018 Becky Sauerbrunn[161][162] 219 0 2008–
2016–2020 Carli Lloyd[161] 316 134 2005–2021
2018–2020 Alex Morgan[162] 224 123 2010–2024
Megan Rapinoe[162] 203 63 2006–2023
2021–2023 Becky Sauerbrunn[163] 219 0 2008–
2023–2024 Alex Morgan[164] 224 123 2010–2024
2023– Lindsey Horan[164] 161 36 2013–
Most goals in a match[a]
Rank Player Goals Date Opponent Location Competition Line-up
1 Brandi Chastain 5 April 18, 1991[165] Mexico Mexico[165] Port-au-Prince, Haiti World Cup Qualifying Tournament Substitute (41') (80 minute match)
Amy Rodriguez January 20, 2012[165] Dominican Republic Dominican Republic[165] Vancouver, Canada 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament Substitute (46')
Sydney Leroux January 22, 2012[165] Guatemala Guatemala[165] Substitute (46')
Michelle Akers November 24, 1991[165] Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei[165] Foshan, China 1991 FIFA World Cup Starting (80 minute match)
Tiffeny Milbrett November 2, 2002[165] Panama Panama[165] Seattle, United States 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup Starting
Abby Wambach October 23, 2004[165] Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland[165] Houston, United States International Friendly Starting
Crystal Dunn February 15, 2016[165] Puerto Rico Puerto Rico[165] Frisco, United States 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament Starting
Alex Morgan June 11, 2019[165] Thailand Thailand[165] Reims, France 2019 FIFA World Cup Starting
Carli Lloyd September 16, 2021[166] Paraguay Paraguay Cleveland, United States International Friendly Starting

Notes

  1. ^ The goal record for most scored in a match by a member of the USWNT is five, which has been accomplished by nine players

All-Time Bext XI

[edit]

The following players were chosen as the USWNT All-Time Best XI in December 2013 by the United States Soccer Federation:[167]

  • Goalkeeper: Briana Scurry
  • Defenders: Brandi Chastain, Carla Overbeck, Christie Rampone, Joy Fawcett
  • Midfielders: Kristine Lilly, Michelle Akers, Julie Foudy
  • Forwards: Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan

Head coach records

[edit]

Team records

[edit]
Biggest victory
Biggest defeat
  • 0–4 vs. Brazil, September 27, 2007

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA Women's World Cup

[edit]

The team has participated in every World Cup through 2023 and won a medal in each of the first eight editions until 2023, when they lost to Sweden on penalties in the round of 16.

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Host Result Pld W D* L GF GA Coach
China 1991 Champions 6 6 0 0 25 5 Anson Dorrance
Sweden 1995 Third place 6 4 1 1 15 5 Tony DiCicco
United States 1999 Champions 6 5 1 0 18 3
United States 2003 Third place 6 5 0 1 15 5 April Heinrichs
China 2007 Third place 6 4 1 1 12 7 Greg Ryan
Germany 2011 Runners-up 6 3 2 1 13 7 Pia Sundhage
Canada 2015 Champions 7 6 1 0 14 3 Jill Ellis
France 2019 Champions 7 7 0 0 26 3
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 Round of 16 4 1 3 0 4 1 Vlatko Andonovski
Brazil 2027 To be determined
Total 9/10 53 41 8 4 142 39
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Olympic Games

[edit]

The team has participated in every Olympic tournament through 2024 and reached the gold medal game in each until 2016, when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out loss to Sweden. The team won a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal in 2024, their first since 2012.

International Olympic Committee Olympic Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Coach
United States 1996 Gold medal 5 4 1 0 9 3 Tony DiCicco
Australia 2000 Silver medal 5 3 1 1 9 5 April Heinrichs
Greece 2004 Gold medal 6 5 1 0 12 4
China 2008 Gold medal 6 5 0 1 12 5 Pia Sundhage
United Kingdom 2012 Gold medal 6 6 0 0 16 6
Brazil 2016 Quarter-finals 4 2 2 0 6 3 Jill Ellis
Japan 2020 Bronze medal 6 2 2 2 12 10 Vlatko Andonovski
France 2024 Gold medal 6 6 0 0 12 2 Emma Hayes
United States 2028 Qualified as hosts
Total 8/9 44 33 7 4 88 38
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF W Championship

[edit]
CONCACAF W Championship record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Coach
Haiti 1991 Champions 5 5 0 0 49 0 Anson Dorrance
United States 1993 Champions 3 3 0 0 13 0
Canada 1994 Champions 4 4 0 0 16 1 Tony DiCicco
Canada 1998 Did not participate1
United States 2000 Champions 5 4 1 0 24 1 April Heinrichs
CanadaUnited States 2002 Champions 5 5 0 0 24 1
United States 2006 Champions 2 2 0 0 4 1 Greg Ryan
Mexico 2010 Third place 5 4 0 1 22 2 Pia Sundhage
United States 2014 Champions 5 5 0 0 21 0 Jill Ellis
United States 2018 Champions 5 5 0 0 26 0
Mexico 2022 Champions 5 5 0 0 13 0 Vlatko Andonovski
Total 10/11 44 42 1 1 212 6

1 The U.S. team directly qualified for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup as hosts of the event. Because of this, they did not participate in the 1998 CONCACAF Championship, which was the qualification tournament for the World Cup.

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF W Gold Cup

[edit]
CONCACAF W Gold Cup record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Coach
United States 2024 Champions[168] 6 4 1 1 15 4 Twila Kilgore
Total 1/1 6 4 1 1 15 4
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Minor tournaments

[edit]

SheBelieves Cup

[edit]

The SheBelieves Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's soccer hosted in the United States.

United States SheBelieves Cup record
Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA Coach
2016 Champions 3 3 0 0 4 1 Jill Ellis
2017 4th place 3 1 0 2 1 4
2018 Champions 3 2 1 0 3 1
2019 Runners-up 3 1 2 0 5 4
2020 Champions 3 3 0 0 6 1 Vlatko Andonovski
2021 Champions 3 3 0 0 9 0
2022 Champions 3 2 1 0 10 0
2023 Champions 3 3 0 0 5 1
2024 Champions 2 1 1 0 4 3 Twila Kilgore
2025 TBD 0 0 0 0 0 0 Emma Hayes
Total 10/10 26 19 5 2 47 15

Tournament of Nations

[edit]

The Tournament of Nations was a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's soccer hosted in the United States in non-World Cup and non-Olympic years.

United States Tournament of Nations record
Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA Coach
2017 Runners-up 3 2 0 1 7 4 Jill Ellis
2018 Champions 3 2 1 0 9 4
Total 6 4 1 1 16 8

Algarve Cup

[edit]

The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's soccer hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it has been one of the more prestigious women's soccer events other than the Women's World Cup and Olympic tournament,[169] and it has been nicknamed the "Mini FIFA Women's World Cup."[170] Since 2016, the SheBelieves Cup replaced it on the U.S. team's schedule.

Portugal Algarve Cup record
Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA Coach
1994 Runners-up 3 2 0 1 6 1 Tony DiCicco
1995 4th place 4 2 1 1 8 5
1996 Did not enter
1997
1998 3rd place 4 3 0 1 10 6 Tony DiCicco
1999 Runners-up 4 2 1 1 8 4
2000 Champions 4 4 0 0 11 1 April Heinrichs
2001 6th place 4 1 0 3 5 9
2002 5th place 4 2 1 1 8 6
2003 Champions 4 2 2 0 5 2
2004 Champions 4 3 0 1 11 5
2005 Champions 4 4 0 0 9 0 Greg Ryan
2006 Runners-up 4 2 2 0 9 1
2007 Champions 4 4 0 0 8 3
2008 Champions 4 4 0 0 12 1 Pia Sundhage
2009 Runners-up 4 3 1 0 5 1
2010 Champions 4 4 0 0 9 3
2011 Champions 4 4 0 0 12 3
2012 3rd place 4 3 0 1 11 2
2013 Champions 4 3 1 0 11 1 Tom Sermanni
2014 7th place 4 1 1 2 7 7
2015 Champions 4 3 1 0 7 1 Jill Ellis
Total 79 56 11 12 172 62 [171]

Honors

[edit]

FIFA World Ranking

[edit]
A line chart depicting the history of the U.S.'s year-end placements in the FIFA World Rankings.

Last update was on September 5, 2024[188]

  Best Ranking    Worst Ranking    Best Mover    Worst Mover  

United States' FIFA World Ranking history
Year Rank at
year end
Best Worst
Rank Move Rank Move
2024 1 Increase 4 5 Decrease 3
2023 2 1 Steady 3 Decrease 2
2022 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2021 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2020 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2019 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2018 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2017 1 1 Increase 1 2 Decrease 1
2016 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2015 1 1 Increase 1 2 Steady
2014 2 1 Steady 2 Decrease 1
2013 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2012 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2011 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2010 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2009 1 1 Steady 1 Steady
2008 1 1 Increase 1 1 Steady
2007 2 1 Increase 1 2 Decrease 1
2006 2 2 Steady 2 Steady
2005 2 1 Increase 1 2 Decrease 1
2004 2 2 Steady 2 Steady
2003 2 1 Steady 2 Decrease 1

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "FIFA World Ranking for USA Women". FIFA. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  3. ^ Payne, Marissa (December 19, 2014). "U.S. women's soccer team drops to No. 2 in FIFA rankings for first time since 2008". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  4. ^ "USOC Olympic Athlete and Team Awards". U.S. Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  5. ^ "U.S Women Finish 1999 on Top of the Sporting World as Sports Illustrated Names Women's World Cup Champs 1999". United States Soccer Federation (USSF). December 13, 1999. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  6. ^ Futterman, Matthew (April 5, 2017). "Women's National Team Reaches Deal With U.S. Soccer". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Lenthang, Marlene (February 22, 2022). "U.S. Soccer and women soccer stars settle equal pay lawsuit for $24 million". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "Sources: U.S. Men's Olympic soccer team won't be paid at Paris Games".
  9. ^ Chuck, Elizabeth (July 5, 2015). "A Level Playing Field: Why the USA Is So Strong in Women's Soccer". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  10. ^ Murray, Caitlin (2019). The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer. New York: Abrams Press. pp. 4–6. ISBN 978-1-4197-3449-6. OCLC 1090417335.
  11. ^ "U.S. WNT Flashback – 20th Anniversary of First-Ever Match: Player Reflections". United States Soccer Federation (USSF). August 18, 2005. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  12. ^ a b c d Wahl, Grant (June 6, 2019). "How the Women's World Cup and USWNT Were Built From Scratch". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  13. ^ Lisi, Clemente A. (2010). The U.S. Women's Soccer Team: An American Success Story. Scarecrow Press. pp. 5–7. ISBN 978-0-8108-7415-2. OCLC 1030358776.
  14. ^ Lisi (2010), pp. 7–9
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