French
DeutschUnited States women's national soccer team
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The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States of America in international women's soccer. The team is governed by United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football).
The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four Women's World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019), five Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2024), nine CONCACAF W Championship titles, and one CONCACAF W Gold Cup title. It has medaled in every Women's World Cup and Olympic tournament in women's soccer except for the 2016 Olympic tournament and 2023 Women's World Cup; on both occasions, they were eliminated by Sweden after a penalty shootout.
After mostly being ranked No. 2 from 2003 to 2008 in the FIFA Women's World Rankings,[2] the team was ranked No. 1 continuously from March 2008 to November 2014, the longest consecutive top ranking of any team.[3] Since FIFA rankings were established in 2003, the team has been ranked No. 1 for a total of 13 years; the team with the next-longest tenure, Germany, has been ranked No. 1 for a total of 41⁄2 years. The USWNT has never been ranked lower than fifth in the world.
The team was selected as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee's Team of the Year in 1997 and 1999,[4] and Sports Illustrated chose the entire team as 1999 Sportswomen of the Year for its usual Sportsman of the Year honor.[5] On April 5, 2017, USWNT players and U.S. Soccer reached a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement that would, among other things, lead to a pay increase.[6] In February 2022, numerous current and former members of the USWNT settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Soccer Federation for $24 million and a requirement that male and female soccer players be paid equally, regardless of the proportion of prize money they receive, making it the first such instance in the world.[7] FIFA still distributes significantly more funds to its member associations for the men's event.[8]
History
[edit]Origins in the 1980s
[edit]The passing of Title IX in 1972, which outlawed gender-based discrimination for federally-funded education programs, spurred the creation of college soccer teams across the United States at a time when women's soccer was rising in popularity internationally.[9] The U.S. Soccer Federation tasked coach Mike Ryan to select a roster of college players to participate in the 1985 Mundialito tournament in Italy, its first foray into women's international soccer.[10] The team played its first match on August 18, 1985, losing 1–0 to Italy, and finished the tournament in fourth place after failing to win its remaining matches against Denmark and England.[11][12]
University of North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance was hired as the team's first full-time head coach in 1986 with the goal of fielding a competitive women's team at the next Mundialito and at future tournaments.[12] In their first Mundialito under Dorrance, the United States defeated China, Brazil, and Japan before finishing as runners-up to Italy.[13] Dorrance gave national team appearances to teenage players, including future stars Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Kristine Lilly, instead of the college players preferred by the federation, and called into camp the first African-American player on the team, Kim Crabbe.[14][15] The United States played in the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in China, a FIFA-sanctioned competition to test the feasibility of a regular women's championship, and lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Norway.[12]
1990s: first World Cup and Olympic wins
[edit]Following the 1988 tournament, FIFA announced plans for a new women's tournament, named the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup until it was retroactively named the "World Cup". The United States qualified for the tournament by winning the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Championship, hosted by Haiti in April 1991, outscoring their opponents 49–0 for the sole CONCACAF berth in the tournament.[12][16] The team played several exhibition matches abroad against European opponents to prepare for the world championship, while its players quit their regular jobs to train full-time with meager compensation.[17][18] Dorrance utilized a 4–3–3 formation that was spearheaded by the "Triple-Edged Sword" of forward Michelle Akers and wingers Carin Jennings and April Heinrichs.[19]
At the Women's World Cup, the United States won all three of its group stage matches and outscored its opponents 11–2. In the opening match against Sweden, the U.S. took a 3–0 lead early in the second half, but conceded two goals to end the match with a narrower 3–2 victory. The U.S. proceeded to win 5–0 in its second match against Brazil and 3–0 in its third match against Japan, clinching first place in the group and a quarterfinal berth.[20] The United States proceeded with a 7–0 victory in the quarterfinals over Chinese Taipei, fueled by a five-goal performance by Akers in the first fifty minutes of the match.[20]
In the semi-finals against Germany, Jennings scored a hattrick in the first half as the team clinched a place in the final with a 5–2 victory.[21] The team's lopsided victories in the earlier rounds had brought attention from American media outlets, but the final match was not televised live in the U.S.[20] The United States won the inaugural Women's World Cup title by defeating Norway 2–1 in the final, played in front of 65,000 spectators at Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, as Akers scored twice to create and restore a lead for the Americans.[22] Akers finished as the top goalscorer at the tournament, with ten goals, and Jennings was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.[23]
Despite their Women's World Cup victory, the U.S. team remained in relative obscurity and received a small welcome from several U.S. Soccer Federation officials upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.[24] The team were given fewer resources and little attention from the federation as they focused on improving the men's national team in preparation for the 1994 men's World Cup that would be hosted in the United States.[25] The women's team was placed on hiatus after the tournament, only playing twice in 1992, but returned the following year to play in several tournaments hosted in Cyprus, Canada, and the United States, including a second CONCACAF Championship title. The program was still supported better than those of the former Soviet Union, where soccer was considered a "men's game".[26][25][27]
The United States played in several friendly tournaments to prepare for the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup and its qualification campaign. The first was the inaugural staging of the Algarve Cup in Portugal, which saw the team win its two group stage matches but lose 1–0 to Norway in the final. It was followed by a victory in the Chiquita Cup, an exhibition tournament hosted in August on the U.S. East Coast against Germany, China, and Norway.[28][29] Dorrance resigned from his position as head coach in early August and was replaced by his assistant, Tony DiCicco, a former professional goalkeeper who played in the American Soccer League.[25][30] DiCicco led the United States to a berth in the Women's World Cup by winning the 1994 CONCACAF Championship, where the team scored 36 goals and conceded only one.[28]
In February 1995, the U.S. women's program opened a permanent training and treatment facility in Sanford, Florida, and began a series of warm-up friendlies that were paid for by American company Nike.[31] The team topped their group in the Women's World Cup, despite a 3–3 tie with China in the opening match and losing goalkeeper Briana Scurry to a red card in their second match. The United States proceeded to beat Japan 4–0 in the quarterfinals, but lost 1–0 to eventual champions Norway in the semifinals. The team finished in third place, winning 2–0 in its consolation match against China.
The team won the gold medal in the inaugural Olympic women's soccer tournament in the 1996 Summer Olympics, defeating China 2–1 in the final before a crowd of 76,481 fans.[32] An influential victory came in the 1999 World Cup, when the team defeated China 5–4 in a penalty shootout following a 0–0 draw after extended time.[33] Foudy, Lilly, and the rest of the 1999 team started a revolution towards women's team sports in America. With this win they emerged onto the world stage and brought significant media attention to women's soccer and athletics. On July 10, 1999, over 90,000 people (the largest ever for a women's sporting event and one of the largest attendances in the world for a tournament game final) filled the Rose Bowl to watch the United States play China in the Final. After a back and forth game, the score was tied 0–0 at full-time, and remained so after extra time, leading to a penalty kick shootout. With Scurry's save of China's third kick, the score was 4–4 with only Brandi Chastain left to shoot. She scored and won the game for the United States. Chastain dropped to her knees and whipped off her shirt, celebrating in her sports bra, which later made the cover of Sports Illustrated and the front pages of newspapers around the country and world.[34] This win influenced many girls to want to play on a soccer team.[35] In the 2000 Summer Olympics, the USWNT were close to defending their gold medal but were controversially defeated by Norway in the final with a golden goal in extra time, which involved an alleged handball in the lead-up.[36]
2000s: two Olympic gold medals
[edit]
In the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. defeated Norway 1–0 in the quarterfinals but lost 3–0 to Germany in the semifinals. The team then defeated Canada 3–1 to claim third place.[37] Abby Wambach was the team's top scorer with three goals, while Joy Fawcett and Shannon Boxx made the tournament's all-star team. In the 2004 Olympics, the last major international tournament for Hamm and Foudy, the U.S. earned the gold medal, winning 2–1 over Brazil in the final on an extra time goal by Wambach.[38]
At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. defeated England 3–0 in the quarterfinals but then suffered its most lopsided loss in team history when it lost to Brazil 4–0 in the semifinals.[39] The U.S. recovered to defeat Norway to take third place.[40] Wambach was the team's leading scorer with 6 goals, and Lilly was the only American named to the tournament's all-star team.
The team won another gold medal in the 2008 Olympics,[41] but interest in the Women's National Team had diminished since their performance in the 1999 World Cup. However, the second women's professional league was created in March 2009, Women's Professional Soccer.
2010s: Olympic and then World Cup triumphs
[edit].jpg)
In the quarterfinal of the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany, the U.S. defeated Brazil 5–3 on penalty kicks. Wambach's goal in the 122nd minute to tie the game 2–2 has been voted the greatest goal in U.S. soccer history and the greatest goal in Women's World Cup history.[42][43] The U.S. then beat France 3–1 in the semifinal, but lost to Japan 3–1 on penalty kicks in the Final after drawing 1–1 in regulation and 2–2 in overtime. Hope Solo was named the tournament's best goalkeeper and Wambach won the silver ball as the tournament's second-best player.
In the 2012 Summer Olympics, the U.S. won the gold medal for the fourth time in five Olympics by defeating Japan 2–1 in front of 80,203 fans at Wembley Stadium, a record for a women's soccer game at the Olympics.[44] The United States advanced to face Japan for the gold medal by winning the semifinal against Canada, a 4–3 victory at the end of extra time.[45] The 2012 London Olympics marked the first time the USWNT won every game en route to the gold medal and set an Olympic women's team record of 16 goals scored.[45]
The National Women's Soccer League started in 2013, and provided competitive games as well as opportunities to players on the fringes of the squad.[46][47] The U.S. had a 43-game unbeaten streak that spanned two years – the streak began with a 4–0 win over Sweden in the 2012 Algarve Cup, and came to an end after a 1–0 loss against Sweden in the 2014 Algarve Cup.[48][49]
The U.S. defeated Japan 5–2 in the final of the 2015 World Cup, becoming the first team in history to win three Women's World Cup titles. In the 16th minute, Carli Lloyd achieved the fastest hat-trick from kick-off in World Cup history, and Wambach was greeted with a standing ovation for her last World Cup match.[50] Following their 2015 World Cup win, the team was honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City, the first for a women's sports team, and honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.[51] On December 16, 2015, however, a 1–0 loss to China in Wambach's last game meant the team's first home loss since 2004, ending their 104-game home unbeaten streak.[52]
In the 2016 Summer Olympics, the U.S. drew against Sweden in the quarterfinal; in the following penalty kick phase, Sweden won the game 4–3. The loss marked the first time that the USWNT did not advance to the gold medal game of the Olympics, and the first time that the USWNT failed to advance to the semifinal round of a major tournament.[53]
After the defeat in the 2016 Olympics, the USWNT underwent a year of experimentation which saw them losing three home games. If not for a comeback win against Brazil, the USWNT was on the brink of losing four home games in one year, a low never before seen by the USWNT. 2017 saw the USWNT play 12 games against teams ranked in the top-15 in the world.[54]
Throughout 2018, the U.S. would pick up two major tournament wins, winning both the SheBelieves Cup[55] and the Tournament of Nations.[56] The team would enter qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup on a 21-game unbeaten streak and dominated the competition, winning all five of its games and the tournament whilst qualifying for the World Cup as well as scoring 18 goals and conceding none.[57] On March 7, 2018, Alyssa Alhadeff, the captain of the Parkland Soccer Club, who was killed by gunman Nikolas Cruz in the Parkland High School shooting nearly three weeks earlier, was honored by the U.S. prior to a game against England in Orlando during the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. Alhadeff's teammates and family were invited to the game and presented with official jerseys that featured her name.[58] The U.S. won the game 1–0, winning its second SheBelieves Cup title in three years.[55] On November 8, 2018, the U.S. earned their 500th victory in team history after a 1–0 victory over Portugal.[59] The start of 2019 saw the U.S. lose an away game to France, 3–1, marking the end of a 28-game unbeaten streak and their first loss since a 1–0 defeat to Australia in July 2017.[60]
The USWNT started off their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign with a 13–0 victory against Thailand, setting a new Women's World Cup goal record. Alex Morgan equaled Akers' record of scoring five goals in a single World Cup match, while four of her teammates scored their first World Cup goals in their debut at the tournament.[61] The U.S. would win its next match against Chile 3–0[62] before concluding the group stage with a win of 2–0 over Sweden.[63] The team emerged as the winners of Group F and would go on to face Spain in the Round of 16, whom they would defeat 2–1 thanks to a pair of Megan Rapinoe penalties.[64] The team would achieve identical results in their next two games. With 2–1 victories over France[65] and then England[66] seeing them advance to a record third straight World Cup final, they played against the Netherlands for the title. They beat the Netherlands 2–0 in the final on July 7, 2019, becoming the first team in history to win four Women's World Cup titles.
On July 30, 2019, Jill Ellis announced that she would step down as head coach following the conclusion of the team's post-World Cup victory tour on October 6, 2019.[67]
Vlatko Andonovski was hired as head coach of the USWNT in October 2019, replacing Ellis.[68]
2020s: fifth Olympic gold
[edit]The USWNT began the new decade by winning both the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament (which qualified the team for the 2020 Summer Olympics) and the 2020 SheBelieves Cup titles.[69][70][71]
In early March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USSF canceled previously scheduled USWNT friendlies against Australia and Brazil.[72] Later that same month, it was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that the 2020 Summer Olympics were to be postponed until July 2021.[73] The USWNT played their first game in eight months on November 27, 2020, when they took on the Netherlands in a friendly match. Rose Lavelle and Kristie Mewis scored, the team winning the game 2–0.
On July 21, 2021, the USWNT lost 3–0 against Sweden in the opening round of group stage at the 2020 Summer Olympics, thus ending a 44-match unbeaten streak.[74] The U.S. rebounded by winning their 2nd match against New Zealand, before concluding the group stage by drawing 0–0 with Australia. The team finished second in the group stage and qualified for the knockout stage. They first faced World Cup runners-up Netherlands, with whom they drew 2–2 after extra-time before winning the match in a penalty shootout. The USWNT advanced to the semifinals, where they faced Canada. However, the team lost to Canada 1–0 by a penalty scored by Jessie Fleming. They later faced Australia again in the bronze medal match in a rematch of their final group stage game. The U.S. won 4–3, making it the first time the team had won the bronze medal.[75]
In July 2022, the team competed in the CONCACAF W Championship. The USWNT won its group, outscoring opponents 9–0 in the group stage, and then won the semifinal 3–0 against Costa Rica and the final 1–0 against Canada.[76][77][78][79] It was their ninth CONCACAF championship title and earned automatic berths for the 2023 World Cup, the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, and the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.[80][81]
In November 2022, the USWNT's 71-game home unbeaten streak ended, after a 2–1 defeat in an exhibition game against Germany.[82]
At the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the USWNT were in Group E along with Netherlands, Portugal and Vietnam. They had gone in hoping to be the first men's or women's team to pull off a three-peat at the World Cup.[83] The USWNT opened with a 3–0 win over Vietnam, followed this up with a 1–1 draw against Netherlands and finished up with a 0–0 draw against Portugal, to finish second in the group, avoiding elimination after a shot from Portugal struck the goalpost in injury time. This marked the fewest points the team has ever gained in a group stage (they won at least two group games in every other tournament including 1991 when only two points were awarded for a win) and set them up for a round of 16 match against Sweden, where they played out a goalless draw and lost 5–4 after a penalty shootout. This marked the first time since the 2016 Summer Olympics that the United States did not reach the semifinals of a major tournament.[84] It also marked the first Women's World Cup the United States would not finish in the Top 3, and their earliest elimination in either the Women's World Cup or the Olympics. On August 17, 2023, Andonovski resigned as head coach and Twila Kilgore became the interim head coach.[85] That August the team dropped to third in the FIFA Women's World Ranking, their worst ever position.[86]
The USWNT qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics by winning the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship. They were placed in Group B with Zambia, Germany, and Australia. They won all three group-stage games by scores of 3-0, 4-1, and 2-1, respectively.[87][88][89] In the knockout rounds, they defeated Japan 1-0 in extra time and then Germany in the semifinal, also 1-0 in extra time.[90][91] Commentators expressed concern that because of the two extra-time games in a tournament with a compressed schedule, the USWNT would be more fatigued than their opponent in the final, Brazil, who had beaten both of their knockout-round opponents in regulation time.[92] However, they prevailed 1-0 in the final to win the gold medal, their first since 2012 and fifth overall.[93] Ten of their twelve goals in the tournament were scored by the self-named "Triple Espresso" attackers Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith.[94]
Team image
[edit]
Media coverage
[edit]U.S. television coverage for the five Women's World Cups from 1995 to 2011 was provided by ESPN/ABC and Univision,[95][96] while coverage rights for the three Women's World Cups from 2015 to 2023 were awarded to Fox Sports and Telemundo.[97][98] In December 2021, a deal was signed to broadcast TV coverage of other USWNT games between TNT and TBS and streaming on HBO Max through the end of 2030. The USWNT games in the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship and the 2015 Algarve Cup were broadcast by Fox Sports.[99][100] NBC will broadcast the Olympic tournament through 2032.[101]
The 1999 World Cup final set the original record for largest U.S. television audience for a women's soccer match, averaging 18 million viewers.[102][103] It was the most viewed English-language U.S. broadcast of any soccer match until the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final between the United States and Japan.[104]
The 2015 Women's World Cup Final between the United States and Japan was the most watched soccer match, men's or women's, in American broadcast history.[105] It averaged 23 million viewers and higher ratings than the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup finals.[105][106] The final was also the most watched US-Spanish language broadcast of a FIFA Women's World Cup match in history.
Overall, there were over 750 million viewers for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, making it the most watched Women's World Cup in history. The FIFA Women's World Cup is now the second-most watched FIFA tournament, with only the men's FIFA World Cup attracting more viewership.[107]
In popular culture
[edit]A narrative nonfiction book covering the entire history of the team from 1985 to 2019 called The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer was named one of Vanity Fair's best books of 2019 and made NPR's 2019 year-end books list.[108][109] A book about the team's 1999 Women's World Cup campaign, Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World was released in 2001 and in 2020 Netflix announced a film based on the book.[110] In 2023, Netflix released a four-episode documentary series titled Under Pressure: The U.S. Women's World Cup Team which followed the team's progress at the 2023 Women's World Cup.[111]
In 2005, HBO released a documentary called Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.[112] In 2013, a documentary about the 1999 World Cup-winning team called The 99ers was produced by former player Julie Foudy and ESPN Films.[113]
Attendance
[edit]The 1999 World Cup final, in which the United States defeated China, set a world attendance record for a women's soccer event of 90,185 in a sellout at the Rose Bowl in Southern California (until it was broken on March 30, 2022, with 91,553 people at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain in the second-leg of a UEFA Women's Champions League match).[114] The record for Olympic women's soccer attendance was set by the 2012 Olympic final between the USWNT and Japan, with 80,023 spectators at Wembley Stadium.[115]
Legal issues
[edit]Pay discrimination
[edit]Since 2016, the players of the U.S. team had waged an escalating legal fight with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) over gender discrimination. Central to their demands was equal pay. The players pointed to their lower paychecks as compared to their male counterparts despite their higher record of success in recent years.[116]
In April 2016, five U.S. team players filed a wage-discrimination action against the USSF with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.[117] The group consisted of Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Becky Sauerbrunn.
One year later, in April 2017, the U.S. team agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the USSF. The agreement stated that the U.S. team players would have an increased base pay and improved match bonuses. These changes could increase their previous pay from $200,000 to $300,000. However, the CBA did not guarantee equal pay compared to the men's team. The CBA's five-year term through 2021 ensured that the next negotiation would not become an issue for the team for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics. On top of this CBA, the USSF had agreed to pay the players for two years' worth of unequal per-diem payments.[118]
On March 8, 2019, 28 members of the U.S. team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the USSF.[119] The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accused the USSF of "institutional gender discrimination."[120] The lawsuit claimed that the discrimination affected not only the amount the players were paid but also their playing, training, and travel conditions. In May 2020, several key parts of the case were dismissed, with federal judge R. Gary Klausner noting that the team had agreed to take higher base compensation and other benefits in their most recent CBA instead of the bonuses received by the men's team.[121]
On March 8, 2021, the second anniversary of the team's pay discrimination lawsuit, Congresswomen Doris Matsui and Rosa DeLauro introduced the Give Our Athletes Level Salaries (GOALS) Act to ensure the team members "are paid fair and equitable wages compared to the U.S. Men's team."[122] The GOALS Act threatened to cut federal funding for the 2026 World Cup if the USSF did not comply.[123]
On February 22, 2022, the USSF agreed to settle the lawsuit for $24 million, contingent upon the U.S. team agreeing to a new CBA. $22 million would go to the players named in the case, and $2 million would contribute toward players' post-playing career and other women's soccer charitable efforts.[7][124] On May 18, 2022, the U.S. team agreed to a new CBA that would run through 2028 and would equalize compensation, bonuses, and other work conditions between the women's and the men's national teams friendlies, therefore finalizing the legal settlement. The new agreement mandates that men and women split prize money from international competitions equally, making it the first such instance in the world.[125]
Artificial turf
[edit]Along with their lawsuit for pay-equity, the US Women's Soccer players have fought FIFA on policies regarding artificial turf. This battle to eliminate its use in major women's games heightened around the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada; during this tournament, the US played eight of their ten games on artificial turf.[126] Prior to the 2015 World Cup, Abby Wambach headed a discrimination lawsuit with other global soccer stars including Marta of Brazil and Homare Sawa of Japan.[127] Due to the tournament's quick approach, the suit was dropped as players were denied an expedited hearing.
Staff
[edit]Coaching staff
[edit]| Role | Name | Start date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach |  Emma Hayes | May 2024 | [128] |
| Assistant coach |  Denise Reddy | May 2024 | [129] |
| Goalkeeper coach | Stuart Searle | May 2024 | [129] |
Technical staff
[edit]| Role | Name | Start date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sporting director |  Matt Crocker | April 2023 | [130] |
| Vice president of sporting | Oguchi Onyewu | May 2023 | [131] |
| Women's program director |  Bart Caubergh | May 2024 | [129] |
Head coach history
[edit]- As of December 3, 2024, after match against
Netherlands
Below is the record of each head coach in the national team's history.[132][133][134] The winning percentages given are per U.S. Soccer, with draws counted as ½ wins.[135]
| Name | Years | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | World Cup | Olympics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mike Ryan | 1985 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .125 | N/A | N/A |
| Anson Dorrance | 1986–1994 | 92 | 65 | 5 | 22 | .734 |  | N/A |
| 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 | 2023–2024 (interim) | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | .821 | — | — |
| Emma Hayes | 2024–present | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | .933 | | |
| Totals | 756 | 593 | 91 | 72 | .845 | |||
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).[136] 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).[137] However, the win is officially credited to DiCicco.
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]The following 24 players were named to the squad for the friendlies against England and 
Netherlands on November 30 and December 3, 2024, respectively.[138]
Caps and goals are current as of December 3, 2024, after match against Netherlands.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Alyssa Naeher | April 20, 1988 | 115 | 0 | Chicago Red Stars |
| 18 | GK | Phallon Tullis-Joyce | October 19, 1996 | 0 | 0 | Manchester United |
| 21 | GK | Mandy Haught | November 3, 1998 | 1 | 0 | Utah Royals |
| 2 | DF | Emily Sams | July 1, 1999 | 2 | 0 | Orlando Pride |
| 4 | DF | Naomi Girma | June 14, 2000 | 44 | 2 | San Diego Wave FC |
| 5 | DF | Jenna Nighswonger | November 28, 2000 | 18 | 2 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| 12 | DF | Tierna Davidson | September 19, 1998 | 65 | 3 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| 14 | DF | Emily Sonnett | November 25, 1993 | 103 | 2 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| 15 | DF | Alyssa Malonson | April 9, 1999 | 1 | 0 | Bay FC |
| 20 | DF | Casey Krueger | August 23, 1990 | 60 | 0 | Washington Spirit |
| 22 | DF | Eva Gaetino | December 17, 2002 | 1 | 0 |  Paris Saint-Germain |
| 23 | DF | Emily Fox | July 5, 1998 | 62 | 1 | Arsenal |
| 3 | MF | Korbin Albert | October 13, 2003 | 22 | 1 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 10 | MF | Lindsey Horan (captain) | May 26, 1994 | 161 | 36 | Lyon |
| 11 | MF | Lily Yohannes | June 12, 2007 | 2 | 1 | Ajax |
| 16 | MF | Rose Lavelle | May 14, 1995 | 110 | 24 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| 17 | MF | Sam Coffey | December 31, 1998 | 28 | 1 | Portland Thorns FC |
| 19 | MF | Hal Hershfelt | October 3, 2001 | 3 | 0 | Washington Spirit |
| 6 | FW | Lynn Williams | May 21, 1993 | 75 | 21 | Seattle Reign FC |
| 7 | FW | Alyssa Thompson | November 7, 2004 | 13 | 1 | Angel City FC |
| 8 | FW | Jaedyn Shaw | November 20, 2004 | 21 | 8 | San Diego Wave FC |
| 9 | FW | Ally Sentnor | February 18, 2004 | 2 | 0 | Utah Royals |
| 13 | FW | Emma Sears | February 23, 2001 | 3 | 1 | Racing Louisville FC |
| 24 | FW | Yazmeen Ryan | February 25, 1999 | 4 | 0 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
Recent call-ups
[edit]The following players were also named to a squad within the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Casey Murphy | April 25, 1996 | 20 | 0 | North Carolina Courage | v.  Argentina; October 30, 2024 |
| GK | Jane Campbell | February 17, 1995 | 8 | 0 | Houston Dash | v.  Iceland; October 24, 2024 |
| GK | Aubrey Kingsbury | November 20, 1991 | 2 | 0 | Washington Spirit | v.  South Korea; June 4, 2024 |
| DF | Hailie Mace | March 24, 1997 | 9 | 0 | Kansas City Current | v. Argentina; October 30, 2024 |
| DF | Kate Wiesner | February 11, 2001 | 0 | 0 | Washington Spirit | v.  Mexico; July 13, 2024 PRE |
| DF | Sam Staab | March 28, 1997 | 2 | 0 | Chicago Red Stars | v. South Korea; June 4, 2024 |
| DF | Abby Dahlkemper | May 13, 1993 | 84 | 0 | Bay FC | 2024 SheBelieves Cup |
| DF | Becky Sauerbrunn | June 6, 1985 | 219 | 0 | Retired | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup |
| DF | Alana Cook | April 11, 1997 | 29 | 1 | Kansas City Current | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE |
| DF | Gisele Thompson | December 2, 2005 | 0 | 0 | Angel City FC | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE |
| MF | Ashley Sanchez | March 16, 1999 | 28 | 3 | North Carolina Courage | v. Argentina; October 30, 2024 |
| MF | Olivia Moultrie | September 17, 2005 | 5 | 2 | Portland Thorns FC | v. Argentina; October 30, 2024 |
| MF | Croix Bethune | March 14, 2001 | 3 | 0 | Washington Spirit | 2024 Summer Olympics |
| MF | Catarina Macario | October 4, 1999 | 19 | 8 | Chelsea | 2024 Summer Olympics PRE |
| MF | Andi Sullivan | December 20, 1995 | 52 | 3 | Washington Spirit | v. South Korea; June 1, 2024 PRE |
| MF | Savannah DeMelo | March 26, 1998 | 7 | 0 | Racing Louisville FC | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE |
| FW | Mallory Swanson | April 29, 1998 | 103 | 38 | Chicago Red Stars | v. Argentina; October 30, 2024 |
| FW | Sophia Smith | August 10, 2000 | 58 | 24 | Portland Thorns FC | v. Argentina; October 30, 2024 |
| FW | Crystal Dunn | July 3, 1992 | 155 | 25 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2024 Summer Olympics |
| FW | Trinity Rodman | May 20, 2002 | 46 | 10 | Washington Spirit | 2024 Summer Olympics |
| FW | Alex Morgan | July 2, 1989 | 224 | 123 | Retired | v. South Korea; June 4, 2024 |
| FW | Midge Purce | September 18, 1995 | 30 | 4 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup |
| FW | Mia Fishel | April 30, 2001 | 3 | 1 | Chelsea | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE |
Notes:
- PRE: Preliminary squad
Recent schedule and results
[edit]The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
[edit]| February 20 Gold Cup GS | United States | 5–0 |  Dominican Republic | Carson, California |
| 22:15 ET | Report | Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park Attendance: 3,242 Referee: Astrid Gramajo (Guatemala) |
| February 23 Gold Cup GS | Argentina | 0–4 | United States | Carson, California |
| 22:15 ET | Report | Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park Attendance: 8,315 Referee: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin (Canada) |
| February 26 Gold Cup GS | United States | 0–2 | Mexico | Carson, California |
| 22:15 ET | Report | Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park Attendance: 11,612 Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras) |
| March 3 Gold Cup QF | United States | 3–0 |  Colombia | Los Angeles, California |
| 20:15 ET | Report | Stadium: BMO Stadium Attendance: 16,746 Referee: Marianela Araya (Costa Rica) |
| March 6 Gold Cup SF | Canada  | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (1–3 p) | United States | San Diego, California |
| 19:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium Attendance: 15,245 Referee: Katia García (Mexico) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| March 10 Gold Cup F | United States | 1–0 |  Brazil | San Diego, California |
| 20:15 ET |
| Report | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium Attendance: 31,528 Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras) |
| April 6 SheBelieves Cup SF | United States | 2–1 |  Japan | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 12:30 ET | Report |
| Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 50,644 Referee: Myriam Marcotte (Canada) |
| 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 | 4–0 | South Korea | Commerce City, Colorado |
| 17:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park Attendance: 19,010 Referee: Carly Shaw-MacLaren (Canada) |
| June 4 Friendly | United States | 3–0 | South Korea | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| 20:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Allianz Field Attendance: 19,169 Referee: Astrid Azucena Gramajo (Guatemala) |
| July 13 Friendly | United States | 1–0 | Mexico | Harrison, New Jersey |
| 15:30 ET |
| Report | Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 26,376 Referee: Deily Maria Gomez Espinoza (Costa Rica) |
| July 16 Friendly | United States | 0–0 |  Costa Rica | Washington, D.C. |
| 19:30 ET | Report | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 18,972 Referee: Lizzet Amairany Garcia Olvera (Mexico) |
| July 25 Olympics GS | United States | 3–0 |  Zambia | Nice, France |
| 15:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Stade de Nice Attendance: 5,550 Referee: Ramon Abatti (Brazil) |
| July 28 Olympics GS | United States | 4–1 |  Germany | Marseille, France |
| 15:00 ET | Report |
| Stadium: Stade de Marseille Attendance: 9,379 Referee: Yael Falcón (Argentina) |
| July 31 Olympics GS | Australia  | 1–2 | United States | Marseille, France |
| 13:00 ET |
| Report | Stadium: Stade de Marseille Attendance: 9,610 Referee: François Letexier (France) |
| August 3 Olympics QF | United States | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Japan | Paris, France |
| 09:00 ET |
| Report | Stadium: Parc des Princes Attendance: 43,004 Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden) |
| August 6 Olympics SF | United States | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Germany | Décines-Charpieu, France |
| 12:00 ET |
| Report | Stadium: Stade de Lyon Attendance: 15,107 Referee: Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) |
| August 10 Olympics F | Brazil | 0–1 | United States | Paris, France |
| 11:00 ET | Report |
| Stadium: Parc des Princes Attendance: 43,813 Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden) |
| October 24 Friendly | United States | 3–1 | Iceland | Austin, Texas |
| 19:30 ET | Report |
| Stadium: Q2 Stadium Attendance: 18,580 Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica) |
| October 27 Friendly | United States | 3–1 | Iceland | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 17:30 ET | Report |
| Stadium: Geodis Park Attendance: 17,018 Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras) |
| October 30 Friendly | United States | 3–0 | Argentina | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 19:07 ET | Report | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 13,543 Referee: Karen Hernández Andrade (Mexico) |
| November 30 Friendly | England | 0–0 | United States | London, England |
| 12:20 ET | Report | Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 78,346 Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (Finland) |
| December 3 Friendly | Netherlands | 1–2 | United States | The Hague, Netherlands |
| 14:45 ET |
| Report | Stadium: ADO Den Haag Stadium Attendance: 12,503 Referee: María Eugenia Gil Soriano (Spain) |
2025
[edit]| February 20 SheBelieves Cup | United States | v | Colombia | Houston, Texas |
| 20:00 ET | Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium |
| February 23 SheBelieves Cup | United States | v | Australia | Glendale, Arizona |
| 17:00 ET | Stadium: State Farm Stadium |
| February 26 SheBelieves Cup | United States | v | Japan | San Diego, California |
| 22:30 ET | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| April 5 Friendly | United States | v | Brazil | Inglewood, California |
| 17:00 EDT | Stadium: SoFi Stadium |
| April 8 Friendly | United States | v | Brazil | San Jose, California |
| 22:30 EDT | Stadium: PayPal Park |
All-time results
[edit]- As of December 3, 2024
| Year | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | Athlete of the Year | Scoring leader | G | Assist leader | A | Coach | Major tournam. result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | Sharon Remer | Michelle Akers | 2 | Mike Ryan | |||
| 1986 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | April Heinrichs | Marcia McDermott | 4 | Anson Dorrance | |||
| 1987 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 9 | Carin Gabarra | April Heinrichs | 7 | ||||
| 1988 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 9 | Joy Fawcett | Carin Gabarra | 5 | Carin Gabarra Kristine Lilly | 2 | ||
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | April Heinrichs | (none) | (none) | ||||
| 1990 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | Michelle Akers | Michelle Akers | 9 | Kristine Lilly | 3 | ||
| 1991 | 28 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 122 | 22 | Michelle Akers | 39 | Carin Gabarra | 21 | World Cup (champions) | ||
| 1992 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | Carin Gabarra | (3 players tied) | 1 | Tisha Venturini | 2 | ||
| 1993 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 54 | 7 | Kristine Lilly | Mia Hamm | 10 | Michelle Akers | 6 | ||
| 1994 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 6 | Mia Hamm | Michelle Akers | 11 | 7 | |||
| 1995 | 25 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 91 | 17 | Mia Hamm | 19 | Mia Hamm | 18 | Tony DiCicco | World Cup (3rd place) | |
| 1996 | 24 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 80 | 17 | Tiffeny Milbrett | 13 | 18 | Olympics (gold medal) | |||
| 1997 | 18 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 67 | 13 | Mia Hamm | 18 | Tiffeny Milbrett | 14 | |||
| 1998 | 25 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 89 | 12 | 20 | Mia Hamm | 20 | ||||
| 1999 | 29 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 111 | 15 | Michelle Akers | Tiffeny Milbrett | 21 | 16 | World Cup (champions) | ||
| 2000 | 41 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 124 | 31 | Tiffeny Milbrett | Cindy Parlow | 19 | 14 | Lauren Gregg April Heinrichs | Olympics (silver medal) | |
| 2001 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 15 | Tiffeny Milbrett | 3 | 2 | A. Heinrichs | |||
| 2002 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 69 | 11 | Shannon MacMillan | 17 | Aly Wagner | 11 | |||
| 2003 | 23 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 58 | 14 | Abby Wambach | 9 | Mia Hamm | 9 | World Cup (3rd place) | ||
| 2004 | 34 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 104 | 23 | 31 | Mia Hamm | 22 | Olympics (gold medal) | |||
| 2005 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 | Kristine Lilly | Christie Welsh | 7 | Aly Wagner Abby Wambach | 5 | Greg Ryan | |
| 2006 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 57 | 10 | Abby Wambach | 17 | Abby Wambach | 8 | |||
| 2007 | 24 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 63 | 17 | Abby Wambach | 20 | Kristine Lilly | 8 | World Cup (3rd place) | ||
| 2008 | 36 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 84 | 17 | Carli Lloyd | Natasha Kai | 15 | Heather O'Reilly Abby Wambach | 10 | Pia Sundhage | Olympics (gold medal) |
| 2009 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | Hope Solo | (3 players tied) | 2 | Heather O'Reilly | 3 | ||
| 2010 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 8 | Abby Wambach | 16 | Lori Lindsey | 7 | |||
| 2011 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 17 | 8 | Lauren Cheney Megan Rapinoe | 5 | World Cup (2nd place) | |||
| 2012 | 32 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 120 | 21 | Alex Morgan | 28 | Alex Morgan | 21 | P. Sundhage Jill Ellis | Olympics (gold medal) | |
| 2013 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 56 | 11 | Abby Wambach | 11 | Lauren Holiday Abby Wambach | 6 | Tom Sermanni | ||
| 2014 | 24 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 79 | 15 | Lauren Holiday | Carli Lloyd | 15 | Carli Lloyd | 8 | T. Sermanni J. Ellis | |
| 2015 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 74 | 12 | Carli Lloyd | 18 | Megan Rapinoe | 10 | J. Ellis | World Cup (champions) | |
| 2016 | 25 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 92 | 10 | Tobin Heath | Carli Lloyd Alex Morgan | 17 | Carli Lloyd | 11 | Olympics (quarter-finals) | |
| 2017 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 13 | Julie Ertz | Alex Morgan | 7 | Megan Rapinoe | 5 | ||
| 2018 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 65 | 10 | Alex Morgan | 18 | 12 | ||||
| 2019 | 24 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 77 | 16 | Julie Ertz[139] | Carli Lloyd | 16 | Christen Press | 12 | J. Ellis Vlatko Andonovski | World Cup (champions) |
| 2020 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | Sam Mewis | Lindsey Horan Christen Press | 7 | Lynn Williams | 6 | V. Andonovski | |
| 2021 | 24 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 76 | 12 | Lindsey Horan | Carli Lloyd | 11 | Carli Lloyd | 6 | Olympics (bronze medal) | |
| 2022 | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 56 | 9 | Sophia Smith[140] | 11 | Mallory Pugh | 7 | |||
| 2023 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 3 | Naomi Girma[141] | Mallory Swanson | 7 | Alex Morgan Trinity Rodman | 5 | V. Andonovski Twila Kilgore | World Cup (Round of 16) |
| 2024 | 23 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 50 | 12 | TBD | Sophia Smith | 9 | Trinity Rodman Sophia Smith Mallory Swanson | 4 | T. Kilgore Emma Hayes | Olympics (gold medal) |
| Total | 756 | 593 | 91 | 72 | 2,299 | 459 | |||||||
Individual records
[edit]Player records
[edit]- As of December 3, 2024. Active players are shown in bold.
The women's national team boasts the first six players in the history of the game to have earned 200 caps.[146] These players have since been joined in the 200-cap club by several players from other national teams, as well as by seven more Americans: Kate Markgraf, Abby Wambach, Heather O'Reilly, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Morgan.[147] Kristine Lilly, Carli Lloyd, and Christie Pearce are the only players to earn more than 300 caps.
In March 2004, Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers were the only two women and the only two Americans named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living soccer players chosen by Pelé as part of FIFA's centenary observances.[citation needed]
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kristine Lilly | 354 | 130 | 1987–2010 |
| 2 | Carli Lloyd | 316 | 134 | 2005–2021 |
| 3 | Christie Pearce | 311 | 2 | 1997–2015 |
| 4 | Mia Hamm | 276 | 158 | 1987–2004 |
| 5 | Julie Foudy | 274 | 45 | 1988–2004 |
| 6 | Abby Wambach | 255 | 184 | 2001–2015 |
| 7 | Joy Fawcett | 241 | 27 | 1987–2004 |
| 8 | Heather O'Reilly | 231 | 47 | 2002–2016 |
| 9 | Alex Morgan | 224 | 123 | 2010–2024 |
| 10 | Becky Sauerbrunn | 219 | 0 | 2008–2024 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Years | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abby Wambach | 184 | 255 | 2001–2015 | 0.72 |
| 2 | Mia Hamm | 158 | 276 | 1987–2004 | 0.57 |
| 3 | Carli Lloyd | 134 | 316 | 2005–2021 | 0.42 |
| 4 | Kristine Lilly | 130 | 354 | 1987–2010 | 0.37 |
| 5 | Alex Morgan | 123 | 224 | 2010–2024 | 0.55 |
| 6 | Michelle Akers | 107 | 155 | 1985–2000 | 0.69 |
| 7 | Tiffeny Milbrett | 100 | 206 | 1991–2005 | 0.49 |
| 8 | Cindy Parlow | 75 | 158 | 1996–2004 | 0.47 |
| 9 | Christen Press | 64 | 155 | 2013–2021 | 0.41 |
| 10 | Megan Rapinoe | 63 | 203 | 2006–2023 | 0.31 |
| Rank | Player | Assists | Caps | Years | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mia Hamm | 147 | 276 | 1987–2004 | 0.53 |
| 2 | Kristine Lilly | 106 | 354 | 1987–2010 | 0.30 |
| 3 | Megan Rapinoe | 73 | 203 | 2006–2023 | 0.36 |
| Abby Wambach | 255 | 2001–2015 | 0.29 | ||
| 5 | Carli Lloyd | 64 | 316 | 2005–2021 | 0.20 |
| 6 | Tiffeny Milbrett | 63 | 206 | 1991–2005 | 0.31 |
| 7 | Heather O'Reilly | 55 | 231 | 2002–2016 | 0.24 |
| Julie Foudy | 274 | 1988–2004 | 0.20 | ||
| 9 | Alex Morgan | 53 | 224 | 2010–2024 | 0.24 |
| 10 | Shannon MacMillan | 50 | 177 | 1993–2005 | 0.28 |
| Rank | Player | Shutouts | Caps | Years | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hope Solo | 102 | 202 | 2000–2016 | 0.51 |
| 2 | Briana Scurry | 72 | 175 | 1994–2008 | 0.41 |
| 3 | Alyssa Naeher | 69 | 115 | 2014–2024 | 0.60 |
| 4 | Nicole Barnhart | 24 | 54 | 2004–2013 | 0.44 |
| 5 | Siri Mullinix | 21 | 45 | 1999–2004 | 0.47 |
| 6 | Casey Murphy | 15 | 20 | 2021– | 0.75 |
| 7 | Mary Harvey | 13 | 27 | 1989–1996 | 0.48 |
| Saskia Webber | 28 | 1992–2000 | 0.46 | ||
| 9 | Amy Allmann | 10 | 24 | 1987–1991 | 0.42 |
| 10 | Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner | 9 | 17 | 1988–1991 | 0.53 |
| LaKeysia Beene | 18 | 2000–2003 | 0.50 | ||
| Ashlyn Harris | 25 | 2013–2022 | 0.36 |
| Years as captain | Player | Caps | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Denise Bender[156] | 4 | 0 | 1985 |
| 1986–1987 | Emily Pickering[157] | 15 | 2 | 1985–1992 |
| 1988–1991 | Lori Henry | 39 | 3 | 1985–1991 |
| 1991 | April Heinrichs[158] | 46 | 35 | 1986–1991 |
| 1993–2000 | Carla Overbeck[159] | 170 | 4 | 1988–2000 |
| 2000–2004 | Julie Foudy[160] | 274 | 45 | 1988–2004 |
| Joy Fawcett | 241 | 27 | 1987–2004 | |
| 2004–2008 | Kristine Lilly | 354 | 130 | 1987–2010 |
| 2008–2015 | Christie Pearce | 311 | 4 | 1997–2015 |
| 2016–2018 | Becky Sauerbrunn[161][162] | 219 | 0 | 2008– |
| 2016–2020 | Carli Lloyd[161] | 316 | 134 | 2005–2021 |
| 2018–2020 | Alex Morgan[162] | 224 | 123 | 2010–2024 |
| Megan Rapinoe[162] | 203 | 63 | 2006–2023 | |
| 2021–2023 | Becky Sauerbrunn[163] | 219 | 0 | 2008– |
| 2023–2024 | Alex Morgan[164] | 224 | 123 | 2010–2024 |
| 2023– | Lindsey Horan[164] | 161 | 36 | 2013– |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Date | Opponent | Location | Competition | Line-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandi Chastain | 5 | April 18, 1991[165] | Mexico[165] | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | World Cup Qualifying Tournament | Substitute (41') (80 minute match) |
| Amy Rodriguez | January 20, 2012[165] | Dominican Republic[165] | Vancouver, Canada | 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament | Substitute (46') | ||
| Sydney Leroux | January 22, 2012[165] |  Guatemala[165] | Substitute (46') | ||||
| Michelle Akers | November 24, 1991[165] |  Chinese Taipei[165] | Foshan, China | 1991 FIFA World Cup | Starting (80 minute match) | ||
| Tiffeny Milbrett | November 2, 2002[165] |  Panama[165] | Seattle, United States | 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | Starting | ||
| Abby Wambach | October 23, 2004[165] | Republic of Ireland[165] | Houston, United States | International Friendly | Starting | ||
| Crystal Dunn | February 15, 2016[165] |  Puerto Rico[165] | Frisco, United States | 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament | Starting | ||
| Alex Morgan | June 11, 2019[165] |  Thailand[165] | Reims, France | 2019 FIFA World Cup | Starting | ||
| Carli Lloyd | September 16, 2021[166] |  Paraguay | Cleveland, United States | International Friendly | Starting |
Notes
- ^ The goal record for most scored in a match by a member of the USWNT is five, which has been accomplished by nine players
All-Time Bext XI
[edit]The following players were chosen as the USWNT All-Time Best XI in December 2013 by the United States Soccer Federation:[167]
- Goalkeeper: Briana Scurry
- Defenders: Brandi Chastain, Carla Overbeck, Christie Rampone, Joy Fawcett
- Midfielders: Kristine Lilly, Michelle Akers, Julie Foudy
- Forwards: Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan
Head coach records
[edit]- Most appearances:
Jill Ellis: 132 - Most wins: Jill Ellis: 106
Team records
[edit]- Biggest victory
- 14–0 vs. Dominican Republic, January 20, 2012
- Biggest defeat
- 0–4 vs. Brazil, September 27, 2007
Competitive record
[edit]FIFA Women's World Cup
[edit]The team has participated in every World Cup through 2023 and won a medal in each of the first eight editions until 2023, when they lost to Sweden on penalties in the round of 16.
| FIFA Women's World Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Coach |
 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 |
| 2027 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | 9/10 | 53 | 41 | 8 | 4 | 142 | 39 | |
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
Olympic Games
[edit]The team has participated in every Olympic tournament through 2024 and reached the gold medal game in each until 2016, when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out loss to Sweden. The team won a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal in 2024, their first since 2012.
 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 | |