In a clash between the world’s best, the No. 1 USWNT will face No. 2 England for the first time in two years on Saturday, kicking off in front of more than 80,000 fans at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium.
The first of the USWNT’s final two games of 2024, Saturday’s US lineup will be without “Triple Espresso” forwards Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, and Trinity Rodman.
The team will also will begin the process of replacing legendary goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who announced earlier this week that this international window will be her last in at US kit.
The USWNT and England’s transatlantic rivalry
The history between the two standout international squads has fostered a fierce and friendly rivalry.
Saturday’s match will be the 20th meeting between the pair, with the US holding the all-time with a 12-5-2 record. Their last showdown — a 2022 tilt at Wembley — ended in a 2-1 Lioness victory. However, the US won the pair’s most recent world tournament battle by ousting England 2-1 from the 2019 World Cup.
“We’ve somehow created a rivalry across the ocean,” England defender Lucy Bronze commented when the match was announced earlier this year. “We’re always excited when the US come over, the fans are as well…. I’m sure Wembley will be rocking.”
Two of the best bosses in the business
While the top-ranked rosters will star on Saturday’s pitch, the sideline will feature two women who are arguably the best head coaches in the women’s game — England’s Sarina Weigman and the USWNT’s Emma Hayes. Even more, both have ties to each of the contending countries.
Former Dutch national team player Weigman, who later coached the Netherlands to the 2017 European Championship and the 2019 World Cup final, spent a season playing in the US for the University of North Carolina. Alongside USWNT legends Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly, she helped lead the Tar Heels to their 1989 NCAA Championship trophy.
England lured Weigman away from the Netherlands in 2021, making her the first non-British manager of the national team. She repeated the same success she had with the Dutch, with the Lionesses becoming 2022 Euros champs before advancing to the 2023 World Cup final.
USWNT boss Emma Hayes’s triumphant return
As for Hayes, who grew up in London, her USWNT tenure is still only a few months old, but she cut her teeth stateside. Hayes coached in the US at the college and pro level, first with the USL and later in the folded WPS. After returning to England, she helmed Chelsea FC, building the club into the championship-winning behemoth it is today.
The return to her old stomping grounds is especially poignant for the 2024 Ballon d’Or Coach of the Year.
“Wembley’s like a second home to me, not just as a kid going there but as a manager [at Chelsea] I had a lot of success there,” Hayes told reporters after the friendly was announced. “It’ll be amazing to go back, play 20 minutes from my house and play against some amazing players in England — I’m looking forward to it.”
US, England eyeing future titles
Though the stakes in any friendly are always relatively low, a win on Saturday offers the victor a significant momentum boost as each look toward upcoming continental and world competitions.
Gearing up to defend their title in Switzerland next summer, the reigning European champs are aiming to bounce back after a 4-3 loss to Germany last month. Meanwhile, the US is already staring down the 2027 World Cup after earning Olympic gold in Paris last August.
“We’re coming to win at the weekend,” Hayes said ahead of Saturday’s match. “But that’s not my overarching goal. I want to qualify for the World Cup and I want to win the World Cup.”
How to watch the USWNT vs. England international friendly
The USWNT kicks off against England’s Lionesses at 12:20 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage on TNT.