USWNT Takes on England at Iconic Wembley Stadium

The U.S. Women’s National Team will play its penultimate match of the year on Saturday, taking on England at Wembley Stadium in London. Kickoff between the USWNT, which is ranked No. 1 in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, and the second-ranked Lionesses, is 12:20 p.m. ET / 5:20 p.m. GMT with the broadcast available on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max and Peacock. Pre-game coverage will begin at 11 a.m. ET on TNT and Max.

The Americans head into Saturday’s marquee matchup having won nine consecutive matches, a streak that started with the USA’s run to gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics. England, which won the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro and finished runners-up at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, is coming off a 2-1 win over South Africa to close out the October international window.

Following Saturday’s match in London, the U.S. will travel to The Hague where it will face the Netherlands on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at ADO Den Haag Stadium for its final match of 2024 (2:45 p.m. ET / 8:45 p.m. CET on TNT, truTV, Universo, Max and Peacock).

Fans can also follow the action via X (formerly Twitter - @USWNT),Instagram (@USWNT), Facebook and the official U.S. Soccer App.

WORLD’S TOP-RANKED TEAMS CLASH AT WEMBLEY

For the first time this year, the top two teams in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings will go head-to-head, with the top-ranked USWNT facing off against World No. 2 England. The last 1-vs-2 matchups in women’s international soccer took place at the end of 2023, when Sweden, ranked No. 1 in the world at the time, and Spain, ranked No. 2, met twice in the group stage of the 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Nation’s League Group A. Spain won both matches, beating Sweden 3-2 in September in Gothenburg and 5-3 in December in Malaga, and took over the No. 1 ranking at the end of 2023. Spain held onto the #1 position until the end of the Paris Olympics when the U.S. reclaimed top billing after winning gold.

The USWNT, which has been at the top or near the top of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings since they were established in 2003, will be playing in its 17th #1-vs-#2 matchup but just its first since 2018 and only its second against an opponent other than Germany.

The U.S. played in its first ever No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup during the 2003 Women’s World Cup, where the top-ranked Americans beat second-ranked Norway 1-0 in the quarterfinal round. The 15 following 1-vs-2 matches for the U.S. pitted the Americans against the Germans, beginning with the 2004 Olympic semifinal and meeting most recently in the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, a 1-0 win for the USA. The teams also famously met in the 2015 World Cup semifinal, when the second-ranked Americans knocked off the top-ranked Germans 2-0 to advance to the World Cup Final. Overall, the Americans are 11W-0L-5D all-time in 1-vs-2 matchups, going 8W-0L-3D when ranked No. 1 and 3W-0L-2D when ranked No. 2.

HOMECOMING FOR HAYES

Saturday’s clash between the USA and England has even more added meaning for U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes, who will coach her first match in her home country since taking the helm of the U.S. program. Hayes was announced as the 10th full-time head coach in USWNT history on November 13, 2023, but saw out the remainder of her contract with Chelsea FC before officially taking the helm of the U.S. program. Just 84 days after leading the Blues to a fifth consecutive FA Women’s Super League title in her final match with the club, Hayes coached the USWNT to victory in the Olympic gold medal match on August 10, which was just her 10th match on the touchline. Hayes returned the U.S. to #1 in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings and on October 28, she picked up her first world honor as head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, winning the Ballon d’Or as the 2024 Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year.

A proud native of Camden, Hayes grew up less than 10 miles away from Wembley Stadium and is no stranger to coaching at the iconic venue. Hayes has an overall record of 6W-1L-0D as a head coach at Wembley, winning five Women’s FA Cup titles and one Women’s FA Community Shield with Chelsea at London’s green cathedral of soccer.

U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS) – 2024 EUROPEAN TOUR

GOALKEEPERS (3): Mandy Haught (Utah Royals FC; 1), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 0), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 113)

DEFENDERS (9): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 64/3), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 60/1), Eva Gaetino (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 1/0), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 42/2), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit; 59/0), Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC; 1/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 17/2), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 2/0), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 101/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 20/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 26/1), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 2/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 159/36), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 108/24), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 1/1)

FORWARDS (6): Yazmeen Ryan (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 2/0), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 2/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals FC; 0/0), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 19/8), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 11/1), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 73/20)

On November 19, Hayes announced the 24-player roster for the USWNT’s year-end matches in Europe, which features 15 of the 22 members of the 2024 Olympic Team, five players who earned their first caps this October and two first-time call-ups in Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Utah Royals FC forward Ally Sentnor. Tullis-Joyce, who hails from New York, previously played in both France and the NWSL before making the move to England last September. Sentnor, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and a finalist for 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year, captained the U.S. team that took third place at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup this summer in Colombia.

While the U.S. is without the entire “Triple Espresso” front line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, as all are dealing with nagging injuries that need rest after a long year representing club and country, the roster is not without a veteran presence. Led by team captain Lindsey Horan (159 caps), goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (113), midfielder Rose Lavelle (108) and defender Emily Sonnett (101), the roster also features defender and 2019 World Cup winner Tierna Davidson, who returns to the roster after missing the October Camp due to injury.

Seventeen-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes also returns to the fold for her first call-up since June and her first since announcing that she was committing her international future to the United States on November 11. Yohannes earned and scored in her first cap for the USWNT on June 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota, becoming the third-youngest goal scorer in program history. 

NAEHER ANNOUNCES END TO INTERNATIONAL CAREER

Naeher, one of the greatest goalkeepers in U.S. Women’s National Team history and the only goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to earn a shutout in a World Cup Final and an Olympic gold medal game, officially announced her retirement from international soccer on Nov. 25. The USA’s trip to Europe for matches against England on Nov. 30 and against the Netherlands on Dec. 3 will be her final trip with the USWNT, ending a brilliant 11-year full international career in which she won two World Cups and was on three World Cup squads and three Olympic Teams. 

Naeher, 36, will play for the Chicago Stars during the 2025 NWSL season but ends a memorable international career that saw her climb into third-place all-time in goalkeeper caps (113), starts (110), wins (88) and shutouts (68) behind only fellow USWNT goalkeeping legends Hope Solo and Briana Scurry.

AMERICANS UP FOR FIFA THE BEST

Naeher is one of eight U.S. players announced as a nominee for The Best FIFA Football Awards™ 2024. Naeher was nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper, her fourth time nominated and first since 2022.

Horan, Rodman, Smith, Swanson and defender Naomi Girma were all nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Player 2024. It’s the first nomination for Girma, Rodman, Smith and Swanson and the second for Horan, who was named to the 16-player shortlist in 2023. The USA’s five nominees for Player of the Year are the most by any nation and the most nominees the USWNT has ever had in a single year since the current award format was implemented in 2016.

Rodman’s goal against Japan in extra time of the 2024 Olympic Quarterfinal was nominated for the inaugural FIFA Marta Award, which recognize the best goal scored in women’s soccer this year.

Along with Naeher, Horan, Girma, Rodman, Smith and Swanson, Emily Fox and Sam Coffey were also announced as nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s 11.

Hayes won The Best FIFA Women’s Coach honors in 2021 and finished runner-up to England head coach Sarina Wiegman in 2023

SERIES HISTORY: USA vs. ENGLAND

Saturday’s match will be the 20th meeting all-time between the USWNT and England, with USA leading the overall series 12W-5L-2D. The series between the two teams has been tightly contested as of late, with eight of the last nine meetings between the teams being decided by one goal or fewer. The U.S. has won five of the last eight games against England, though the Lionesses prevailed in the most recent meeting, that coming on October 7, 2022, at Wembley.

England won that meeting two years ago 2-1 in a clash between the reigning World Cup champions and recently crowned European champions. The Lionesses struck first in the 10th minute with a goal from Lauren Hemp before Smith equalized for the Americans in the 28th. England reclaimed the lead in the 33rd minute after a VAR review awarded the Lionesses a penalty kick following a foul in the box by Hailie Mace and Georgia Stanway beat Naeher from the spot. The U.S. looked to have equalized just minutes later but a goal by Rodman was controversially overturned by VAR after Smith was deemed to have been in an offside position in the buildup.

Prior to the 2022 matchup at Wembley, the teams met most recently during the 2020 SheBelieves Cup – a 2-0 victory for the U.S. - and before that, in a match for the ages in the semifinal of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Lyon, France. The USA took the lead in that match in the 10th minute on a header goal from Press, but England came up with the equalizer in the 19th minute off a strike from recently forward Ellen White. Alex Morgan, playing on her 30th birthday, scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 31st minute with a header off a perfectly timed cross from Horan. With the USA leading 2-1, England was awarded a penalty in the 84th minute following a VAR review, but Naeher proved up to the task, saving the attempt by Lionesses’ captain Steph Houghton to seal the victory and send the USWNT through to the final.

Saturday’s match at Wembley Stadium will be just the fourth time the teams have played in England and the second time facing off at Wembley Stadium. The other two meetings between the teams in England came in 2011, when England defeated the USA 2-1 victory at Leyton Orient in London and in 2015 the USA won 1-0 at MK Dons in Milton Keynes. 

HISTORY ON THE HORIZON AT WEMBLEY

The 2022 match between the USA and England at Wembley was played in front of a crowd of 76,893, which marked the fourth-largest crowd for any match in program history and the second-largest to ever watch the team outside of the United States. With more than 80,000 tickets sold for Saturday’s match, more milestones could be achieved. Should the attendance on Saturday surpass 80,203 – the attendance for the 2012 Olympic gold medal match at Wembley Stadium, won 2-1 by the USA over Japan – if it will be the largest ever to watch the USWNT outside the USA and the second-largest in program history. The record for the largest attendance in USWNT history – which only until recent years remained the record for any women’s soccer match – remains 90,185, which was set at the Rose Bowl for the 1999 Women’s World Cup final.

USWNT CLOSES OUT GOLDEN YEAR

The USWNT reeled off six straight wins at the 2024 Paris Olympics, advancing through the tournament in impressive fashion, downing Zambia (3-0), Germany (4-1) and a defensive-minded Australia (2-1) in group play and then winning two 1-0 matches in overtime, beating Japan in the quarterfinal and Germany in the semifinal. The 1-0 victory over Brazil in the championship game capped a glorious tournament that was led by the “Triple Espresso” front line of Swanson (4 goals, 2 assists), Smith (3 goals, 2 assists) and Rodman (3 goals, 1 assist), which scored 10 of the USA’s 12 goals during the tournament. Forward Lynn Williams and midfielder Korbin Albert added one goal each as the USA’s won its record fifth gold medal in women’s soccer and ninth world championship overall. Defensively, the U.S. didn’t allow a single goal during the knockout stages and center back Girma played every minute of every match while goalkeeper Naeher became the first goalkeeper to earn a shutout in a Women’s World Cup Final and an Olympic gold medal game

NWSL HONORS ABOUND

Eighteen of the 24 players on this U.S. roster just recently wrapped up their seasons in the NWSL with seven players earning individual honors for their club performances this year. Emily Sams was named the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year after leading the Orlando Pride to both the 2024 NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. Casey Krueger, an NWSL First Team Best XI selection, and Hal Hershfelt, herself a Second Team Best XI honoree, helped the Washington Spirit reach the NWSL Final where they fell to the Orlando Pride 1-0 on Nov. 23. Defender Jenna Nighswonger, who celebrated her 24th birthday on Thursday, was also named to the First Team Best XI while Girma, midfielder Rose Lavelle and forward Yazmeen Ryan joined Hershfelt on the Second Team

EYES ON 2025

While the USWNT will soon finish its 2024 schedule, the planning and anticipation are already well underway for what should be an exciting 2025. After a well-deserved break for the holidays, the team will come together for a mid-January training camp in Los Angeles. No official matches are associated with that camp, but it will run concurrently with the “Futures Camp” that will feature up-and-coming USWNT prospects.

The USA’s first matches of the year will take place during the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, which will run from February 20-26 and features three top-25 opponents in Japan (Ranked #7 in the world), Australia (#15) and Colombia (#21). The 10th edition of the SheBelieves Cup will see the USA open the tournament against Colombia on Thursday, Feb. 20 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston (7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET on TBS, Max and in Spanish on Universo and Peacock) while Japan faces Australia at 4 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. ET (Max, Universo and Peacock). The teams will then move to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the USA faces Australia on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. ET (TBS, Max and in Spanish on Universo and Peacock) and Colombia takes on Japan at Noon MT / 2 p.m. ET (Max, Universo and Peacock). The final two games will take place at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Feb. 26 with the USA facing Japan at 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET (TBS, Max and in Spanish on Universo and Peacock) and Australia taking on Colombia at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET (Max, Universo and Peacock).

2024 MEDIA GUIDE

The 2024 USWNT Media Guide is available for viewing and download. The Media Guides features all the history and statistics for the USWNT, as well as full bios on technical staff and the current top players, information on the USA’s Youth Women’s National Teams and general important information on U.S. Soccer.

USWNT TEAM & ROSTER NOTES

• Four players on this roster now have 100+ caps, led by Lindsey Horan with 159. Alyssa Naeher has 113 international appearances followed by Rose Lavelle (108 caps) and Emily Sonnett (101).
• Ten players on this roster have two caps or fewer, including two uncapped players in Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Ally Sentnor.
• This roster averages 25.8 years of age and features four players under the age of 21: 17-year-old Lily Yohannes and a trio of 20-year-olds in Jaedyn Shaw, Alyssa Thompson and Ally Sentnor.
• Fifteen different clubs – five from Europe and 10 from the NWSL – are represented on this roster. NJ/NY Gotham FC leads the way with six players.
• Horan is the top scorer on this roster with 36 career international goals, followed by Lavelle with 24 goals and Lynn Williams with 20. No other player on this roster has more than 10 goals in her international career.
• Horan leads the USA with 1,652 total minutes played in 2024, followed by Alyssa Naeher (1,530 min) and Emily Fox (1,503). 
• Sixteen different players have scored so far for the USWNT in 2024 – led by nine goals from Smith, six from Swanson and Shaw, five from Horan and three from Rodman and Williams. The now-retired Alex Morgan, Olivia Moultrie, Tierna Davidson, Lynn Williams, Jenna Nighswonger and Naomi Girma have two goals each while Emma Sears, Crystal Dunn, Lily Yohannes, Korbin Albert and Alyssa Thompson have one goal apiece on the year. 
• Rodman, Smith and Swanson lead the U.S. with four assists apiece this year, followed by Horan and Lavelle with three assists each and Midge Purce, Casey Krueger and Sam Coffey with two. Ten other players have one assist on the year. 
• Overall, 23different players have been directly involved in a goal for the USA in 2024, led by13 goals involvements from Smith (9 goals, 4 assists) and 10 goal involvements from Swanson (6 goals, 4 assists).

IN FOCUS: ENGLAND | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

Current FIFA World Ranking: 2
UEFA Ranking: 1
World Cup Appearances: 6 (1995, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023)
Best World Cup Finish: Runners-up (2023)
Record vs. USA: 5W-12L-2D (GF: 15; GA:41)
Last Meeting vs. USA: Oct. 7, 2022 (2-1 England win in London, England)
Head Coach: Sarina Wiegman (NED)

ENGLAND WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (3): Mary Earps (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride, USA)

DEFENDERS (9): Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (NJ/NY Gotham FC, USA), Gabby George (Manchester United), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit, USA), Millie Turner (Manchester United), Leah Williamson (Arsenal) 

MIDFIELDERS (7): Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruby Mace (Leicester City), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich, GER), Keira Walsh (Barcelona, ESP)

FORWARDS (5): Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Jessica Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

ENGLAND TEAM NOTES

• Just nine players from the England roster that beat the USA 2-1 in 2022 at Wembley return for this game. The USA returns only seven players from that roster. Only four started in that game.
• This will be the second meeting between the USA and England with former University of North Carolina player Sarina Wiegman, who is two-time European champion head coach (2017 with the Netherlands and 2022 with England), at the helm of the Lionesses.
• Two players on the U.S. roster currently play professionally in England – Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United) and Emily Fox (Arsenal) while Rose Lavelle started and won the 2019-20 FA Cup Final at Wembley while playing for Manchester City.
• England will also play the EURO 2025 hosts Switzerland in this FIFA window with that match taking place at Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United, on Dec. 3, making these matches important in England’s preparation for what is the biggest and most prestigious women’s international competition in the world outside of the World Cup and Olympics. England is one of nine countries to have qualified for the tournament seven more to be determined in the playoffs in December.
• The England roster features the first senior international call-ups for Manchester City’s Laura Blindkilde Brown and Leicester City’s Ruby Mace, both of whom have been standouts with the Egland U-23s.
• Like the USA, England is missing several top players with Niamh Charles, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Lucy Parker and Ella Toone ruled out due to injury.
• England’s recently learned its group for the 2025 UEFA Women’s National League after they were drawn in Group A3 alongside Spain, Belgium and Portugal. 
• England has three players playing in the NWSL, two of whom played in the Championship Game on Nov. 23 in Anna Moorhouse of the Orlando Pride and Esme Morgan of the Washington Spirit, along with Jess Carter of NJ/NY Gotham FC.
• Goalkeeper Mary Earps is playing with Eva Gaetino and Korbin Albert at PSG while Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich) and Keira Walsh (Barcelona) are the rare English players playing their club soccer in Germany and Spain, respectively. Walsh was previously teammates with Rose Lavelle at Manchester City.
• Four of the England-based players play for current Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea while for player for second place Manchester City and three play with Emily Fox at Arsenal, which is currently in fourth. Four players turn out for Manchester United, which is currently fifth in the league.