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United States women's national soccer team facts for kids

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United States
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Stars and Stripes
Association United States Soccer Federation (USSF)
Confederation CONCACAF
Sub-confederation NAFU
Head coach Twila Kilgore (interim)
Captain Lindsey Horan
Most caps Kristine Lilly (354)
Top scorer Abby Wambach (184)
FIFA code USA
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 1 Steady (December 7, 2018)
Highest 1 (various; most recently June 2017–June 2023)
Lowest 4 (March 2024)
First international
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 1–0 United States 
(Jesolo, Italy; August 18, 1985)
Biggest win
Flag of the United States (Pantone).svg United States 14–0 Dominican Republic 
(Vancouver, Canada; January 20, 2012)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 4–0 United States 
(Hangzhou, China; September 27, 2007)
World Cup
Appearances 9 (first in 1991)
Best result Champions (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019)
Olympic Games
Appearances 7 (first in 1996)
Best result Gold Gold (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012)
CONCACAF W Championship / CONCACAF W Gold Cup
Appearances 11 (first in 1991)
Best result Champions (1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022,2024)
Medal record
FIFA Women's World Cup
Gold 1991 China Team
Gold 1999 United States Team
Gold 2015 Canada Team
Gold 2019 France Team
Silver 2011 Germany Team
Bronze 1995 Sweden Team
Bronze 2003 United States Team
Bronze 2007 China Team
Olympic Games
Gold 1996 Atlanta Team
Gold 2004 Athens Team
Gold 2008 Beijing Team
Gold 2012 London Team
Silver 2000 Sydney Team
Bronze 2020 Tokyo Team
Website Official website: https://www.ussoccer.com/teams/uswnt
Demanding Equity (48274759786)
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), four Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012), nine CONCACAF W Championship titles, and one CONCACAF W Gold Cup titles. 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 412 years. The USWNT has never been ranked lower than fourth 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.

History

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. 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.

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

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. 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 semifinals 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. 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. 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. 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.

Womens World Cup parade July 2015
A ticker tape parade in Manhattan celebrating the USWNT'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. 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.

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.

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. 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. It was their ninth CONCACAF championship title. By reaching the semifinal, the team qualified for the 2023 World Cup, and by winning the final, it qualified for both the 2024 Summer Olympics in France and the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.

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 (counting 1991 results as 3 points 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 wouldn't 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, 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.

Attendance

The 1999 World Cup final, in which the United States defeated China, set a world attendance record for a women's sporting 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.

Staff

Coaching staff

Role Name Start date Ref.
Manager England Emma Hayes May 2024
Interim manager United States Twila Kilgore August 2023
Assistant managers United States Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak January 2022

Technical staff

Role Name Start date Ref.
Sporting director Wales Matt Crocker April 2023
Vice president of sporting United States Oguchi Onyewu May 2023

Head coach history

, after match against Flag of Japan.svg Japan

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.

Name Years Matches Won Drawn Lost Win % World Cup Olympics
Republic of Ireland Ryan, MikeMike Ryan 1985 4 0 1 3 .125
United States Dorrance, AnsonAnson Dorrance 1986–1994 92 65 5 22 .734 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
United States DiCicco, TonyTony DiCicco 1994–1999 121 105 8 8 .901 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
United States Gregg, LaurenLauren Gregg 2000 (interim) 3 2 1 0 .833
United States Heinrichs, AprilApril Heinrichs 2000–2004 124 87 20 17 .782 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
United States Ryan, GregGreg Ryan 2005–2007 55 45 9 1 .900 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Sweden Sundhage, PiaPia Sundhage 2008–2012 107 91 10 6 .897 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Scotland Sermanni, TomTom Sermanni 2012–2014 24 18 4 2 .833
England Ellis, JillJill Ellis 2012 (interim), 2014–2019 132 106 19 7 .875 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 5th
North Macedonia Andonovski, VlatkoVlatko Andonovski 2019–2023 65 51 9 5 .854 9th Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
United States Kilgore, TwilaTwila Kilgore 2023–present (interim) 13 10 2 1 .846
Totals 740 580 88 72 .843

Notes

Players

Current squad

The following 23 players were named to the squad for 2024 SheBelieves Cup.

Caps and goals are current as of April 9, 2024, after match against Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Naeher, AlyssaAlyssa Naeher (1988-04-20) April 20, 1988 (age 36) 104 0 United States Chicago Red Stars
18 1GK Murphy, CaseyCasey Murphy (1996-04-25) April 25, 1996 (age 28) 18 0 United States North Carolina Courage
21 1GK Campbell, JaneJane Campbell (1995-02-17) February 17, 1995 (age 29) 7 0 United States Houston Dash

2 2DF Dahlkemper, AbbyAbby Dahlkemper (1993-05-13) May 13, 1993 (age 31) 84 0 United States San Diego Wave FC
3 2DF Nighswonger, JennaJenna Nighswonger (2000-11-28) November 28, 2000 (age 23) 7 2 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
4 2DF Girma, NaomiNaomi Girma (2000-06-14) June 14, 2000 (age 24) 31 0 United States San Diego Wave FC
6 2DF Gaetino, EvaEva Gaetino (2002-12-17) December 17, 2002 (age 21) 0 0 France Paris Saint-Germain
12 2DF Davidson, TiernaTierna Davidson (1998-09-19) September 19, 1998 (age 26) 57 1 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
19 2DF Dunn, CrystalCrystal Dunn (1992-07-03) July 3, 1992 (age 32) 145 24 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
20 2DF Krueger, CaseyCasey Krueger (1990-08-23) August 23, 1990 (age 34) 47 0 United States Washington Spirit
23 2DF Fox, EmilyEmily Fox (1998-07-05) July 5, 1998 (age 26) 47 1 England Arsenal

5 3MF Moultrie, OliviaOlivia Moultrie (2005-09-17) September 17, 2005 (age 19) 4 2 United States Portland Thorns FC
10 3MF Horan, LindseyLindsey Horan (1994-05-26) May 26, 1994 (age 30) 146 35 France Lyon
14 3MF Sonnett, EmilyEmily Sonnett (1993-11-25) November 25, 1993 (age 30) 90 2 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC
15 3MF Albert, KorbinKorbin Albert (2003-10-13) October 13, 2003 (age 21) 9 0 France Paris Saint-Germain
16 3MF Yohannes, LilyLily Yohannes (2007-06-12) June 12, 2007 (age 17) 0 0 Netherlands Ajax
17 3MF Coffey, SamSam Coffey (1998-12-31) December 31, 1998 (age 25) 15 1 United States Portland Thorns FC

7 4FW Macario, CatarinaCatarina Macario (1999-10-04) October 4, 1999 (age 25) 18 8 England Chelsea
8 4FW Shaw, JaedynJaedyn Shaw (2004-10-20) October 20, 2004 (age 20) 12 7 United States San Diego Wave FC
9 4FW Swanson, MalloryMallory Swanson (1998-04-29) April 29, 1998 (age 26) 90 32 United States Chicago Red Stars
11 4FW Smith, SophiaSophia Smith (2000-08-10) August 10, 2000 (age 24) 46 18 United States Portland Thorns FC
13 4FW Morgan, AlexAlex Morgan (1989-07-02) July 2, 1989 (age 35) 223 123 United States San Diego Wave FC
22 4FW Rodman, TrinityTrinity Rodman (2002-05-20) May 20, 2002 (age 22) 36 7 United States Washington Spirit

Recent call-ups

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


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Kingsbury, AubreyAubrey Kingsbury (1991-11-20) November 20, 1991 (age 32) 2 0 United States Washington Spirit v. Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China; December 5, 2023
GK Franch, AdriannaAdrianna Franch (1990-11-12) November 12, 1990 (age 33) 10 0 United States Kansas City Current v. Flag of Ireland.svg Republic of Ireland; April 11, 2023

DF Sauerbrunn, BeckyBecky Sauerbrunn (1985-06-06) June 6, 1985 (age 39) 219 0 United States Portland Thorns FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
DF Cook, AlanaAlana Cook (1997-04-11) April 11, 1997 (age 27) 29 1 United States Seattle Reign FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE
DF Thompson, GiseleGisele Thompson (2005-12-02) December 2, 2005 (age 18) 0 0 United States Angel City FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE
DF Vignola, M.A.M.A. Vignola (1998-02-11) February 11, 1998 (age 26) 1 0 United States Angel City FC v. Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China; December 5, 2023
DF Huerta, SofiaSofia Huerta (1992-12-14) December 14, 1992 (age 31) 32 0 United States Seattle Reign FC v. Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia; October 29, 2023
DF O'Hara, KelleyKelley O'Hara (1988-08-04) August 4, 1988 (age 36) 160 3 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC v. Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa; September 21, 2023 PRE

MF Lavelle, RoseRose Lavelle (1995-05-14) May 14, 1995 (age 29) 98 24 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
MF DeMelo, SavannahSavannah DeMelo (1998-03-26) March 26, 1998 (age 26) 7 0 United States Racing Louisville FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE
MF Sullivan, AndiAndi Sullivan (1995-12-20) December 20, 1995 (age 28) 52 3 United States Washington Spirit v. Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia; October 29, 2023
MF Sanchez, AshleyAshley Sanchez (1999-03-16) March 16, 1999 (age 25) 27 3 United States North Carolina Courage v. Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia; October 29, 2023
MF Ertz, JulieJulie Ertz (1992-04-06) April 6, 1992 (age 32) 123 20 Retired v. Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa; September 21, 2023
MF Mewis, KristieKristie Mewis (1991-02-25) February 25, 1991 (age 33) 53 7 England West Ham United 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
MF Flint, TaylorTaylor Flint (1998-11-22) November 22, 1998 (age 25) 12 2 United States Racing Louisville FC v. Flag of Ireland.svg Republic of Ireland; April 11, 2023

FW Williams, LynnLynn Williams (1993-05-21) May 21, 1993 (age 31) 63 18 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
FW Purce, MidgeMidge Purce (1995-09-18) September 18, 1995 (age 29) 30 4 United States NJ/NY Gotham FC 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
FW Fishel, MiaMia Fishel (2001-04-30) April 30, 2001 (age 23) 3 1 England Chelsea 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE
FW Hatch, AshleyAshley Hatch (1995-05-25) May 25, 1995 (age 29) 22 5 United States Washington Spirit v. Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China; December 5, 2023
FW Thompson, AlyssaAlyssa Thompson (2004-11-07) November 7, 2004 (age 19) 9 0 United States Angel City FC v. Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China; December 5, 2023
FW Rapinoe, MeganMegan Rapinoe (1985-07-05) July 5, 1985 (age 39) 203 63 Retired v. Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa; September 24, 2023

Notes:

  • PRE: Preliminary squad

Recent schedule and results

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       Lose       Postponed

2023

2024

  • USWNT Schedule
  • USWNT Results
  • USA: Fixtures and Results – FIFA.com

All-time results

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 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 11 Mallory Pugh 7
2023 18 14 4 0 36 3 Naomi Girma Mallory Swanson 7 Alex Morgan
Trinity Rodman
5 V. Andonovski
Twila Kilgore
World Cup
(Round of 16)
2024 8 5 2 1 19 7 TBD T. Kilgore
Emma Hayes
Olympics
(TBD)
Total 741 580 89 72 2,268 454
Sources

Individual records

Player records

. 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:

  • 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
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 223 123 2010–
10 Becky Sauerbrunn 219 0 2008–

Source(s)

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 123 223 2010– 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)

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 53 223 2010– 0.24
10 Shannon MacMillan 50 177 1993–2005 0.28

Source(s)

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 62 104 2014– 0.60
4 Nicole Barnhart 24 54 2004–2013 0.44
5 Siri Mullinix 21 45 1999–2004 0.47
6 Casey Murphy 14 18 2021– 0.78
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)

Captains
Years as captain Player Caps Goals Years
1985 Denise Bender 4 0 1985
1986–1987 Emily Pickering 15 2 1985–1992
1988–1991 Lori Henry 39 3 1985–1991
1991 April Heinrichs 46 35 1986–1991
1993–2000 Carla Overbeck 170 4 1988–2000
2000–2004 Julie Foudy 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 219 0 2008–
2016–2020 Carli Lloyd 316 134 2005–2021
2018–2020 Alex Morgan 223 123 2010–
Megan Rapinoe 203 63 2006–2023
2021– Becky Sauerbrunn 219 0 2008–
2023– Lindsey Horan 146 35 2013–
Alex Morgan 223 123 2010–

Notes

Most goals in a match
Player Date Opponent Location Competition Line-up
Brandi Chastain April 18, 1991 Mexico Mexico Port-au-Prince, Haiti World Cup Qualifying Tournament Substitute (41') (80 minute match)
Michelle Akers November 24, 1991 Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei Foshan, China 1991 FIFA World Cup Starting (80 minute match)
Tiffeny Milbrett November 2, 2002 Panama Panama Seattle, United States 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup Starting
Abby Wambach October 23, 2004 Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Houston, United States International Friendly Starting
Amy Rodriguez January 20, 2012 Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Vancouver, Canada 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament Substitute (46')
Sydney Leroux January 22, 2012 Guatemala Guatemala Substitute (46')
Crystal Dunn February 15, 2016 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Frisco, United States 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament Starting
Alex Morgan June 11, 2019 Thailand Thailand Reims, France 2019 FIFA World Cup Starting
Carli Lloyd September 16, 2021 Paraguay Paraguay Cleveland, United States International Friendly Starting

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
  • 14–0 vs. Dominican Republic, January 20, 2012
Biggest defeat
  • 0–4 vs. Brazil, September 27, 2007

Competitive record

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
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
Total 9/9 53 41 8 4 142 39
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Olympic Games

The team has participated in every Olympic tournament through 2020 and reached the gold medal game in each until 2016, when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals on a penalty shootout loss to Sweden.

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 Quarterfinals 4 2 2 0 6 3 Jill Ellis
Japan 2020 Bronze medal 6 2 2 2 12 10 Vlatko Andonovski
France 2024 Qualified Emma Hayes
United States 2028 Qualified as host
Total 7/7 38 27 7 4 76 36
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF W Championship

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

CONCACAF W Gold Cup record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Coach
United States 2024 Champion 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

SheBelieves Cup

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
Total 9/9 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.

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 2/2 6 4 1 1 16 8

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.

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

Honors

FIFA World Ranking

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

Last update was on March 15, 2024

     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 2 Increase 1 4 Decrease 2
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

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección femenina de fútbol de los Estados Unidos para niños

  • Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team – 2005 HBO documentary
  • List of United States women's national soccer team hat-tricks
  • U.S. Women's National Team Players Association
  • U.S. women's national soccer team pay discrimination claim
  • USWNT All-Time Best XI
  • National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), 2013–present
  • Soccer in the United States
  • United States men's national soccer team
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