Now that it’s captured an Olympic gold medal, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has set its sights on even loftier goals.
U.S. head coach Emma Hayes has revitalized the program, and the team was dominant throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Americans earned a record fifth gold medal in women’s soccer with a 1–0 victory over Brazil in the gold medal game.
After a brief hiatus following the Olympics, the United States will begin preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027.
Hayes was hired to get the U.S. women’s team back on track after the Americans were eliminated in the round of 16 in the Women’s World Cup last summer. She was the top choice of the United States Soccer Federation after leading the Chelsea FC Women for the past 11 seasons.
Hayes has won six Women’s Super League titles, one WSL Spring Series title, five Women’s FA Cups, and two FA Women’s League Cups. Chelsea made the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final in 2021, when Hayes was named the FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year.
She was familiar with American soccer before taking the job as the national team coach. In the early 2ooos, Hayes coached numerous youth clubs in the Long Island area, coached in the New York Olympic Development Program, and was a member of the Region I staff.
“I love America,“ she added. ”It made me, and I always say that. It definitely made me.”
Hayes had the Americans playing with confidence throughout the Olympics. The United States scored nine goals in group matches—the most of any team in the tournament. The Americans also had two victories over Germany, a team that had been above them in FIFA’s world rankings entering the Olympics.
After being outplayed by Brazil in the first half of the gold medal game, Hayes made key adjustments by slowing the game and being more aggressive with its counterattacks. The United States broke through when Mallory Swanson collected a through ball from Korbin Albert and slotted the ball from the center of the penalty area into the bottom right corner in the 57th minute. Swanson became the ninth player in program history to score while earning her 100th cap.
The Americans then effectively contained the Brazilians to emerge with the victory.
The United States was playing in its sixth Olympic final in eight appearances and 11th final in 17 world championship appearances. The United States won its first gold since 2012 in London.
The Americans have the most Olympic gold and most total medals in the history of the competition, winning five golds, one silver, and one bronze. Brazil has three silver medals, all coming from gold medal match losses to the Americans.
Hayes and Anson Dorrance are the only head coaches in U.S. Women’s National Team history to win every match in their first major tournament. Dorrance won all six games at the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The United States will soon begin preparation for the next World Cup in Brazil. The team is sure to rise in the next FIFA World Ranking, and they will be one of the favorites to hoist the trophy.
The United States has won four World Cups—1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019. The Americans didn’t trail in any game except the quarterfinal match against Germany in 1999. While it might be a challenge to equal that type of dominance, Hayes has the United States well-equipped to match up with any opponent.
The United States also has youth on its side. The starting lineup that faced Brazil averaged 26.7 years of age, making it the second-youngest lineup to ever start for the U.S. Women’s National Team in a gold medal match, trailing only the average of 25.8 years old among players who started the 1996 Olympic final.
