United States women's national soccer team
Nickname(s) | The Stars and Stripes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Website | Official website |
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
After mostly being ranked No. 2 from 2003 to 2008 in the
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]
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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10][11]
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.[11] In their first Mundialito under Dorrance, the United States defeated China, Brazil, and Japan before finishing as runners-up to Italy.[12] 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.[13][14] 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.[11]
1990s
Following the 1988 tournament, FIFA announced plans for a new women's tournament, named the
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.[19] 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.[19]
In the semifinals against
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
The United States played in several friendly tournaments to prepare for the
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.[30] 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
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.[36] 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.[37]
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.[38] The U.S. recovered to defeat Norway to take third place.[39] 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,[40] 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
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.[43] 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.[44] 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.[44]
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.[45][46] 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.[47][48]
The U.S. defeated Japan 5–2 in
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.[52]
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.[53]
Throughout 2018, the U.S. would pick up two major tournament wins, winning both the
The USWNT started off their
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.[66]
Vlatko Andonovski was hired as head coach of the USWNT in October 2019, replacing Ellis.[67]
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.[68][69][70]
In early March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USSF canceled previously scheduled USWNT friendlies against Australia and Brazil.[71] 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.[72] 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.[73] 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.[74]
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.[75][76][77] It was their ninth CONCACAF championship title.[78] 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.[79]
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.[80] 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.[81] 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.[82] That August the team dropped to third in the FIFA Women's World Ranking, their worst ever position.[83]
Team image
Media coverage
U.S. television coverage for the five Women's World Cups from 1995 to 2011 was provided by
The
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.[94] It averaged 23 million viewers and higher ratings than the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup finals.[94][95] 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.[96]
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 Fair's best books of 2019 and made NPR's 2019 year-end books list.[97][98] 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.[99]
In 2005, HBO released a documentary called Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.[100] In 2013, a documentary about the 1999 World Cup-winning team called The 99ers was produced by former player Julie Foudy and ESPN Films.[101]
Attendance
The
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.[104]
In April 2016, five U.S. team players filed a wage-discrimination action against the USSF with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.[105] 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.[106]
On March 8, 2019, 28 members of the U.S. team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the USSF.[107] The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accused the USSF of "institutional gender discrimination."[108] 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.[109]
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."[110] The GOALS Act threatened to cut federal funding for the 2026 World Cup if the USSF did not comply.[111]
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][112] 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.[113]
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.[114] 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.[115] 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. |
---|---|---|---|
Manager | Emma Hayes | May 2024 | [116] |
Interim manager | Twila Kilgore | August 2023 | [117] |
Assistant managers | Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak | January 2022 | [118] |
Technical staff
Role | Name | Start date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Sporting director | Matt Crocker | April 2023 | [119] |
Vice president of sporting | Oguchi Onyewu | May 2023 | [120] |
Head coach history
- As of April 9, 2024, after match against Canada
Below is the record of each head coach in the national team's history.[121][122][123] The winning percentages given are per U.S. Soccer, with draws counted as ½ wins.[124]
Name | Years | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | World Cup | Olympics |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Ryan | 1985 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .125 | ||
Anson Dorrance | 1986–1994 | 92 | 65 | 5 | 22 | .734 | ||
Tony DiCicco | 1994–1999[a] | 121 | 105 | 8 | 8 | .901 | ||
Lauren Gregg | 2000 (interim)[b] | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .833 | ||
April Heinrichs | 2000–2004 | 124 | 87 | 20 | 17 | .782 | ||
Greg Ryan | 2005–2007 | 55 | 45 | 9 | 1 | .900 | ||
Pia Sundhage | 2008–2012 | 107 | 91 | 10 | 6 | .897 | ||
Tom Sermanni | 2012–2014 | 24 | 18 | 4 | 2 | .833 | ||
Jill Ellis | 2012 (interim), 2014–2019 | 132 | 106 | 19 | 7 | .875 | 5th | |
Vlatko Andonovski | 2019–2023 | 65 | 51 | 9 | 5 | .854 | 9th | |
Twila Kilgore | 2023–present (interim) | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | .821 | ||
Totals | 741 | 580 | 89 | 72 | .843 |
Notes
- ^ 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).[125] However, the win is officially credited to Dorrance.
- ^ 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).[126] However, the win is officially credited to DiCicco.
Players
Current squad
The following 23 players were named to the squad for 2024 SheBelieves Cup.[127]
Caps and goals are current as of April 9, 2024, after match against Canada.
Recent call-ups
The following players were also named to a squad in the last 12 months.
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
July 9 Friendly | United States | 2–0 | Wales | San Jose, California |
16:00 ET |
|
Report | Stadium: PayPal Park Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Karen Hernandez (Mexico) |
July 21 World Cup GS | United States | 3–0 | Vietnam | Auckland, New Zealand |
21:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Eden Park Attendance: 41,107 Referee: Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) |
July 26 World Cup GS | United States | 1–1 | Netherlands | Wellington, New Zealand |
21:00 ET |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Wellington Regional Stadium Attendance: 27,312 Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan) |
August 1 World Cup GS | Portugal | 0–0 | United States | Auckland, New Zealand |
03:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Eden Park Attendance: 40,958 Referee: Rebecca Welch (England) |
August 6 World Cup Round of 16 | Sweden | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | United States | Melbourne, Australia |
03:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium Attendance: 27,706 Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (France) | ||
Penalties | ||||
September 21 Friendly | United States | 3–0 | South Africa | Cincinnati, Ohio |
19:30 ET | Report | Stadium: TQL Stadium Attendance: 22,016 Referee: Katia Garcia (Mexico) |
September 24 Friendly | United States | 2–0 | South Africa | Chicago, Illinois |
17:30 ET | Report | Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 25,622 Referee: Carly Shaw-MacLaren (Canada) |
October 26 Friendly | United States | 0–0 | Colombia | Sandy, Utah |
21:00 ET | Report | Stadium: America First Field Attendance: 13,058 Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras) |
October 29 Friendly | United States | 3–0 | Colombia | San Diego, California |
17:30 ET | Report | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium Attendance: 16,202 Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica) |
December 2 Friendly | United States | 3–0 | China | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
18:00 ET | Report | Stadium: ) |
December 5 Friendly | United States | 2–1 | China | Frisco, Texas |
20:00 ET | Report |
|
Stadium: Toyota Stadium Attendance: 11,024 Referee: Lizzet Garcia (Mexico) |
2024
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) |
April 9 SheBelieves Cup F | United States | 2–2 (5–4 p) | Canada | Columbus, Ohio |
19:00 ET |
|
Report | Stadium: Lower.com Field Attendance: 19,049 Referee: Crystal Sobers (Trinidad and Tobago) | |
Penalties | ||||
June 1 Friendly | United States | v | South Korea | Commerce City, Colorado |
17:00 ET | Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park |
June 4 Friendly | United States | v | South Korea | St. Paul, Minnesota |
20:00 ET | Stadium: Allianz Field |
July 13 Friendly | United States | v | Mexico | Harrison, New Jersey |
15:30 ET | Stadium: Red Bull Arena |
July 25 Olympics GS | United States | v | Zambia | Nice, France |
15:00 ET | Stadium: Stade de Nice |
July 28 Olympics GS | United States | v | Germany | Marseille, France |
15:00 ET | Stadium: Stade de Marseille |
July 31 Olympics GS | Australia | v | United States | Marseille, France |
13:00 ET | Stadium: Stade de Marseille |
All-time results
- As of April 9, 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[128] | 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[129] | 11 | Mallory Pugh
|
7 | |||
2023 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 3 | Naomi Girma[130] | 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 |
Individual records
Player records
- As of April 9, 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.[135] 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.[136] 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]
The following players were chosen as the USWNT All-Time Best XI in December 2013 by the United States Soccer Federation:[137]
- 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
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– |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Years as captain | Player | Caps | Goals | Years |
---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Denise Bender[146] | 4 | 0 | 1985 |
1986–1987 | Emily Pickering[147] | 15 | 2 | 1985–1992 |
1988–1991 | Lori Henry | 39 | 3 | 1985–1991 |
1991 | April Heinrichs[148] | 46 | 35 | 1986–1991 |
1993–2000 | Carla Overbeck[149] | 170 | 4 | 1988–2000 |
2000–2004 | Julie Foudy[150] | 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[151][152] | 219 | 0 | 2008– |
2016–2020 | Carli Lloyd[151] | 316 | 134 | 2005–2021 |
2018–2020 | Alex Morgan[152] | 223 | 123 | 2010– |
Megan Rapinoe[152] | 203 | 63 | 2006–2023 | |
2021– | Becky Sauerbrunn[153] | 219 | 0 | 2008– |
2023– | Lindsey Horan[154] | 146 | 35 | 2013– |
Alex Morgan[154] | 223 | 123 | 2010– |
Notes
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
- Most appearances: Jill Ellis: 132
- Most wins: Jill Ellis: 106
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 |
1991 | Champions | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 | Anson Dorrance |
1995 | Third place | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 5 | Tony DiCicco |
1999 | Champions | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
2003 | Third place | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | April Heinrichs |
2007 | Third place | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 | Greg Ryan |
2011 | Runners-up | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | Pia Sundhage |
2015 | Champions | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 3 | Jill Ellis |
2019 | Champions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | |
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.
Olympic Games record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Coach |
1996 | Gold medal | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | Tony DiCicco |
2000 | Silver medal | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | April Heinrichs |
2004 | Gold medal | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | |
2008 | Gold medal | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 | Pia Sundhage |
2012 | Gold medal | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | |
2016 | Quarterfinals | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Jill Ellis |
2020 | Bronze medal | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 10 | Vlatko Andonovski |
2024 | Qualified | Emma Hayes | ||||||
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 |
1991 | Champion | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | Anson Dorrance |
1993 | Champion | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
1994 | Champion | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | Tony DiCicco |
1998 | Did not participate1 | |||||||
2000 | Champion | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | April Heinrichs |
2002 | Champion | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
2006 | Champion | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | Greg Ryan |
2010 | Third place | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 2 | Pia Sundhage |
2014 | Champion | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | Jill Ellis |
2018 | Champion | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
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 |
2024 | Champion[157] | 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 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 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 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 | [160] |
Honors
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FIFA World Ranking
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on
FIFA World Rankings .Last update was on March 15, 2024[177] Best Ranking Worst Ranking Best Mover Worst Mover
See also
References
External links |