United States women's national soccer team explained

United States
Badge:United States women's national soccer team logo.svg
Badge Size:145px
Nickname:The Stars and Stripes
Association:United States Soccer Federation (USSF)
Sub-Confederation:NAFU
Confederation:CONCACAF
Fifa Trigramme:USA
Coach:Emma Hayes
Captain:Lindsey Horan
Most Caps:Kristine Lilly (354)
Top Scorer:Abby Wambach (184)
Fifa Max:1
Fifa Max Date:various; most recently since August 2024
Fifa Min:5
Fifa Min Date:June 2024
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American:true
First Game: 1–0
(Jesolo, Italy; August 18, 1985)
Largest Win:
(Vancouver, Canada; January 20, 2012)
Largest Loss: 4–0
(Hangzhou, China; September 27, 2007)
World Cup Apps:9
World Cup First:1991
World Cup Best:Champions (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019)
Regional Name:Olympic Games
Regional Cup First:1996
Regional Cup Apps:8
Regional Cup Best: Gold (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2024)
2Ndregional Name:CONCACAF W Championship / CONCACAF W Gold Cup
2Ndregional Cup Apps:11
2Ndregional Cup First:1991
2Ndregional Cup Best:Champions (1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2024)
Type:women

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, the team was ranked No. 1 continuously from March 2008 to November 2014, the longest consecutive top ranking of any team. 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 4 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, and Sports Illustrated chose the entire team as 1999 Sportswomen of the Year for its usual Sportsman of the Year honor. 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. 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. FIFA still distributes significantly more funds to its member associations for the men's event.[1]

History

See main article: History of the United States women's national soccer team.

Origins in the 1980s

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. 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.[2] 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.[3]

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.[3] In their first Mundialito under Dorrance, the United States defeated China, Brazil, and Japan before finishing as runners-up to Italy.[4] 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. 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.[3]

1990s

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.[3] 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. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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".

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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. This win influenced many girls to want to play on a soccer team.[5] 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.

2000s

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.[6] 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.

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.[7] The U.S. recovered to defeat Norway to take third place. 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, 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

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. 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. 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. 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.

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. The U.S. had a 43-game unbeaten streak that spanned two yearsthe 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.

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. 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. 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.

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.[8]

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.

Throughout 2018, the U.S. would pick up two major tournament wins, winning both the SheBelieves Cup and the Tournament of Nations. 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. 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.[9] The U.S. won the game 1–0, winning its second SheBelieves Cup title in three years. On November 8, 2018, the U.S. earned their 500th victory in team history after a 1–0 victory over Portugal. 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.

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. The U.S. would win its next match against Chile 3–0 before concluding the group stage with a win of 2–0 over Sweden. 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. The team would achieve identical results in their next two games. With 2–1 victories over France and then England 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.

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

2020s

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.

In early March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USSF canceled previously scheduled USWNT friendlies against Australia and Brazil. 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. 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. 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.

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.[10] [11] [12] [13] 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.[14] [15]

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

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. 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 least amount of 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. 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. That August the team dropped to third in the FIFA Women's World Ranking, their worst ever position.

Team image

Media coverage

U.S. television coverage for the five Women's World Cups from 1995 to 2011 was provided by ESPN/ABC and Univision,[16] while coverage rights for the three Women's World Cups from 2015 to 2023 were awarded to Fox Sports and Telemundo. 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. NBC will broadcast the Olympic tournament through 2032.

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. 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.

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. It averaged 23 million viewers and higher ratings than the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup finals. 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.

In popular culture

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 Fairs best books of 2019 and made NPR's 2019 year-end books list. 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. 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.[17]

In 2005, HBO released a documentary called . In 2013, a documentary about the 1999 World Cup-winning team called The 99ers was produced by former player Julie Foudy and ESPN Films.

Attendance

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). 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.

Legal issues

Pay discrimination

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.

In April 2016, five U.S. team players filed a wage-discrimination action against the USSF with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 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.

On March 8, 2019, 28 members of the U.S. team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the USSF. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accused the USSF of "institutional gender discrimination." 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.

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."[18] The GOALS Act threatened to cut federal funding for the 2026 World Cup if the USSF did not comply.

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. 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.

Artificial turf

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.[19] 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. Due to the tournament's quick approach, the suit was dropped as players were denied an expedited hearing.

Staff

Coaching staff

Role Name Start date Ref.
Head coach Emma HayesMay 2024
Assistant coach Twila KilgoreFebruary 2022
Assistant coach Denise ReddyMay 2024[20]
Goalkeeper coach Stuart SearleMay 2024

Technical staff

RoleNameStart dateRef.
Sporting director Matt CrockerApril 2023
Vice president of sporting Oguchi OnyewuMay 2023
Women's program director Bart CauberghMay 2024

Head coach history

, after match against

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

NameYearsMatchesWonDrawnLostdata-sort-type="number"World Cup!data-sort-type="number"Olympics
19854013
1986–19949265522
1994–199912110588
2000 (interim)3210
2000–2004124872017
2005–2007554591
2008–201210791106
2012–2014241842
2012 (interim), 2014–2019132106197 5th
2019–2023655195 9th
2023–2024 (interim)141031
2024–present10910
Totals7515899072
Notes

Players

Current squad

The following players were named to the squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[21] On July 12, 2024, Lynn Williams replaced Catarina Macario due to injury, and Emily Sams replaced Williams on the alternate list.[22] On July 24, 2024 Croix Bethune replaced Jaedyn Shaw due to injury.[23] On July 31, 2024 Emily Sams replaced Tierna Davidson due to injury.[24] Caps and goals are current as of August 10, 2024, after match against .

Recent call-ups

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

Notes:

Recent schedule and results

See main article: United States women's national soccer team results. The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2024

All-time results

YearAthlete of the YearScoring leaderAssist leaderCoachMajor tournam. result
1985401337Sharon RemerMichelle Akers2Mike Ryan
19866402106April HeinrichsMarcia McDermott4Anson Dorrance
198711614239Carin GabarraApril Heinrichs7
19888323109Joy FawcettCarin Gabarra5Carin Gabarra
Kristine Lilly
2
1989101000April Heinrichs(none)(none)
19906600263Michelle AkersMichelle Akers9Kristine Lilly3
199128211612222Michelle Akers39Carin Gabarra21World Cup (champions)
1992200237Carin Gabarra(3 players tied)1Tisha Venturini2
1993171304547Kristine LillyMia Hamm10Michelle Akers6
1994131201596Mia HammMichelle Akers117
19952521229117Mia Hamm19Mia Hamm18Tony DiCiccoWorld Cup (3rd place)
19962421218017Tiffeny Milbrett1318Olympics (gold medal)
19971816026713Mia Hamm18Tiffeny Milbrett14
1998252221891220Mia Hamm20
199929252211115Michelle AkersTiffeny Milbrett2116World Cup (champions)
200041269612431Tiffeny MilbrettCindy Parlow1914Lauren Gregg
April Heinrichs
Olympics (silver medal)
2001103251315Tiffeny Milbrett32A. Heinrichs
20021915226911Shannon MacMillan17Aly Wagner11
20032317425814Abby Wambach9Mia Hamm9World Cup (3rd place)
20043428421042331Mia Hamm22Olympics (gold medal)
20059810240Kristine LillyChristie Welsh7Aly Wagner
Abby Wambach
5Greg Ryan
20062218405710Abby Wambach17Abby Wambach8
20072419416317Abby Wambach20Kristine Lilly8World Cup (3rd place)
20083633218417Carli LloydNatasha Kai15Heather O'Reilly
Abby Wambach
10Pia SundhageOlympics (gold medal)
20098710121Hope Solo(3 players tied)2Heather O'Reilly3
2010181521488Abby Wambach16Lori Lindsey7
201120134341178Lauren Cheney
Megan Rapinoe
5World Cup (2nd place)
201232283112021Alex Morgan28Alex Morgan21P. Sundhage
Jill Ellis
Olympics (gold medal)
20131613305611Abby Wambach11Lauren Holiday
Abby Wambach
6Tom Sermanni
20142416537915Lauren HolidayCarli Lloyd15Carli Lloyd8T. Sermanni
J. Ellis
20152620427412Carli Lloyd18Megan Rapinoe10 J. EllisWorld Cup (champions)
20162522309210Tobin HeathCarli Lloyd
Alex Morgan
17Carli Lloyd 11 Olympics (quarter-finals)
20171612134013Julie ErtzAlex Morgan7 Megan Rapinoe5
20182018206510Alex Morgan1812
20192420317716Julie ErtzCarli Lloyd16Christen Press12J. Ellis
Vlatko Andonovski
World Cup (champions)
20209900331Sam MewisLindsey Horan
Christen Press
7Lynn Williams6V. Andonovski
20212417527612Lindsey HoranCarli Lloyd11Carli Lloyd6Olympics (bronze medal)
2022181413569Sophia Smith11Mallory Pugh7
2023181440363Naomi Girma[25] Mallory Swanson7Alex Morgan
Trinity Rodman
5V. Andonovski
Twila Kilgore
World Cup (Round of 16)
2024181431399TBDT. Kilgore
Emma Hayes
Olympics (gold medal)
Total751 589 90 72 2,288 456

Sources[26] [27]

Individual records

Player records

See also: List of United States women's international soccer players. . 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. 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. 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.

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

Most caps
width=35RankPlayerwidth=40Capswidth=40Goalswidth=80Years
1Kristine Lilly3541301987–2010
2Carli Lloyd3161342005–2021
3Christie Pearce31121997–2015
4Mia Hamm2761581987–2004
5Julie Foudy274451988–2004
6Abby Wambach2551842001–2015
7Joy Fawcett241271987–2004
8Heather O'Reilly231472002–2016
9Alex Morgan2241232010–
10Becky Sauerbrunn21902008–
Source(s)
Most goals
width=35RankPlayerwidth=40Goalswidth=40Capswidth=80Yearswidth=50
1Abby Wambach1842552001–20150.72
2Mia Hamm1582761987–20040.57
3Carli Lloyd1343162005–20210.42
4Kristine Lilly1303541987–20100.37
5Alex Morgan1232242010–0.55
6Michelle Akers1071551985–20000.69
7Tiffeny Milbrett1002061991–20050.49
8Cindy Parlow751581996–20040.47
9Christen Press641552013–20210.41
10Megan Rapinoe632032006–20230.31
Source(s)
Most assists
width=35RankPlayerwidth=40Assistswidth=40Capswidth=80Yearswidth=40
1Mia Hamm1472761987–20040.53
2Kristine Lilly1063541987–20100.30
3Megan Rapinoe732032006–20230.36
Abby Wambach2552001–20150.29
5Carli Lloyd643162005–20210.20
6Tiffeny Milbrett632061991–20050.31
7Heather O'Reilly552312002–20160.24
Julie Foudy2741988–20040.20
9Alex Morgan532242010–0.24
10Shannon MacMillan501771993–20050.28
Source(s)
Most shutouts
width=35RankPlayerShutoutswidth=40Capswidth=80Yearswidth=40
1Hope Solo1022022000–20160.51
2Briana Scurry721751994–20080.41
3Alyssa Naeher681122014–0.60
4Nicole Barnhart24542004–20130.44
5Siri Mullinix21451999–20040.47
6Casey Murphy15192021–0.79
7Mary Harvey13271989–19960.48
Saskia Webber281992–20000.46
9Amy Allmann10241987–19910.42
10Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner9171988–19910.53
LaKeysia Beene182000–20030.50
Ashlyn Harris252013–20220.36
Source(s)
Captains
Years as captainPlayerCapsGoalsYears
1985Denise Bender401985
1986–1987Emily Pickering1521985–1992
1988–1991Lori Henry3931985–1991
1991April Heinrichs46351986–1991
1993–2000Carla Overbeck17041988–2000
2000–2004Julie Foudy274451988–2004
Joy Fawcett241271987–2004
2004–2008Kristine Lilly3541301987–2010
2008–2015Christie Pearce31141997–2015
2016–2018Becky Sauerbrunn21902008–
2016–2020Carli Lloyd3161342005–2021
2018–2020Alex Morgan2241232010–
Megan Rapinoe203632006–2023
2021–Becky Sauerbrunn21902008–
2023–Lindsey Horan156352013–
Alex Morgan2241232010–
Notes
Most goals in a match
PlayerDateOpponentLocationCompetitionLine-up
Brandi ChastainApril 18, 1991 MexicoPort-au-Prince, HaitiWorld Cup Qualifying TournamentSubstitute (41'))
Michelle AkersNovember 24, 1991 Chinese TaipeiFoshan, China1991 FIFA World CupStarting)
Tiffeny MilbrettNovember 2, 2002 PanamaSeattle, United States2002 CONCACAF Gold CupStarting
Abby WambachOctober 23, 2004 Republic of IrelandHouston, United StatesInternational FriendlyStarting
Amy RodriguezJanuary 20, 2012 Dominican RepublicVancouver, Canada2012 Olympic Qualifying TournamentSubstitute (46')
Sydney LerouxJanuary 22, 2012 GuatemalaSubstitute (46')
Crystal DunnFebruary 15, 2016 Puerto RicoFrisco, United States2016 Olympic Qualifying TournamentStarting
Alex MorganJune 11, 2019 ThailandReims, France2019 FIFA World CupStarting
Carli LloydSeptember 16, 2021 ParaguayCleveland, United StatesInternational FriendlyStarting
Note: The goal record for most scored in a match by a member of the USWNT is five, which has been accomplished by the nine players above.

Head coach records

Team records

Biggest victory
Biggest defeat

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

See main article: United States at the FIFA Women's World Cup. 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
HostResultCoach
1991Champions 6600255Anson Dorrance
1995Third place 6411155Tony DiCicco
1999Champions 6510183
2003Third place 6501155April Heinrichs
2007Third place 6411127Greg Ryan
20116321137Pia Sundhage
2015Champions 7610143Jill Ellis
2019Champions 7700263
2023Round of 16413041Vlatko Andonovski
To be determined
Total 9/1053418414239

Olympic Games

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.

Olympic Games record
width=85 YearResultCoach
1996Gold medal 541093Tony DiCicco
2000Silver medal 531195April Heinrichs
2004Gold medal 6510124
2008Gold medal 6501125Pia Sundhage
2012Gold medal 6600166
2016Quarter-finals422063Jill Ellis
2020Bronze medal 62221210Vlatko Andonovski
2024Gold medal 6 6 0 0 12 2 Emma Hayes
2028Qualified as hosts
Total 8/944 33 7 4 88 38

CONCACAF W Championship

CONCACAF W Championship record
width=90 YearResultCoach
1991Champions5500490Anson Dorrance
1993Champions3300130
1994Champions4400161Tony DiCicco
1998Did not participate
2000Champions5410241April Heinrichs
2002Champions5500241
2006Champions220041Greg Ryan
2010Third place5401222Pia Sundhage
2014Champions5500210Jill Ellis
2018Champions5500260
2022Champions5500130Vlatko Andonovski
10/114442112126
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.

CONCACAF W Gold Cup

CONCACAF W Gold Cup record
width=85 YearResultCoach
2024Champions[28] 6411154Twila Kilgore
1/1 6 4 1 1 15 4

Minor tournaments

SheBelieves Cup

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

SheBelieves Cup record
width=85 Yearwidth=110 ResultMatcheswidth=50 Winswidth=50 DrawsLosseswidth=50 GFwidth=50 GACoach
2016Champions330041Jill Ellis
20174th place310214
2018Champions321031
2019Runners-up312054
2020Champions330061Vlatko Andonovski
2021Champions330090
2022Champions3210100
2023Champions330051
2024Champions2 1 1 0 4 3 Twila Kilgore
Total9/9 26 19 5 2 47 15

Tournament of Nations

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.

Tournament of Nations record
width=85 Yearwidth=110 ResultMatcheswidth=50 Winswidth=50 DrawsLosseswidth=50 GFwidth=50 GACoach
2017Runners-up320174Jill Ellis
2018Champions321094
Total6411168

Algarve Cup

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, and it has been nicknamed the "Mini FIFA Women's World Cup." Since 2016, the SheBelieves Cup replaced it on the U.S. team's schedule.

Algarve Cup record
width=85 Yearwidth=110 ResultMatcheswidth=50 Winswidth=50 DrawsLosseswidth=50 GFwidth=50 GACoach
1994Runners-up320161Tony DiCicco
19954th place421185
1996Did not enter
1997
19983rd place4301106Tony DiCicco
1999Runners-up421184
2000Champions4400111April Heinrichs
20016th place410359
20025th place421186
2003Champions422052
2004Champions4301115
2005Champions440090Greg Ryan
2006Runners-up422091
2007Champions440083
2008Champions4400121Pia Sundhage
2009Runners-up431051
2010Champions440093
2011Champions4400123
20123rd place4301112
2013Champions4310111Tom Sermanni
20147th place411277
2015Champions431071Jill Ellis
Total7956111217262

Honors

Champions: 1991, 1999, 2015, 2019

Runners-up: 2011

Third place: 1995, 2003, 2007

Gold medalists: 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2024

Silver medalists: 2000

Bronze medalists: 2020

Champions: 1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022

Third place: 2010

Champions: 2024

Champions: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020

Champions: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015

Champions: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002

Champions: 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011

Champions: 2006, 2008

Champions: 1991

Champions: 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Champions: 2018

Champions: 2000

Champions: 2000

Champions: 1996

Champions: 1990

Champions: 1990

Champions: 2000

Champions: 1995

Champions: 1994

Champions: 1994

Champions: 1998

Champions: 1993

FIFA World Ranking

See also: FIFA Women's World Rankings. Last update was on June 14, 2024

Best Ranking   Worst Ranking   Best Mover   Worst Mover  

United States' history
YearRank at
year end
BestWorst
RankMoveRankMove
2024 2 1 5 3
2023 2 1 3 2
2022 1 1 1
2021 1 1 1
2020 1 1 1
2019 1 1 1
2018 1 1 1
2017 1 1 1 2 1
2016 1 1 1
2015 1 1 1 2
2014 2 1 2 1
2013 1 1 1
2012 1 1 1
2011 1 1 1
2010 1 1 1
2009 1 1 1
2008 1 1 1 1
2007 2 1 1 2 1
2006 2 2 2
2005 2 1 1 2 1
2004 2 2 2
2003 2 1 2 1

See also

References

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  30. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wom-china-4nat.html Four Nations Tournament (Women – Held in China)
  31. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wom-peacecup06.html 2006 Peace Queen Cup
  32. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wom-peacecup08.html 2008 Peace Queen Cup
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  34. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wom-pacific00.html Pacific Cup (Women) 2000
  35. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wom-brazilcup96.html Brazil Cup 1996
  36. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/northamcup-wom87.html North America Cup 1987
  37. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/northamcup-wom90.html North America Cup 1990
  38. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/canadacup-wom90.html Canada Cup 1990
  39. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/australiacup-wom.html Australia Cup 1999–2004
  40. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wom-feminin95.html Tournoi International Feminin 1995
  41. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/chiquita-wom94.html Chiquita Cup 1994
  42. https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/trinidad-wom94.html Tri-Nations Tournament 1994 (Trinidad)
  43. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wom-goodwill98.html Goodwill Games 1998
  44. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/columbus-wom93.html Columbus Cup 1993

External links