The United States women’s national team is still No. 1.

According to the latest FIFA rankings released Friday, the USWNT still sits atop the women’s soccer world after its ninth Concacaf W Championship win in July.

Several European teams, though, are nipping at the heels of the reigning World Cup champions. England, fresh off its maiden Euros title, rose to fourth, behind Germany in second and Sweden in third.

The Lionesses’ ascent sets up an epic clash with the USWNT.

The teams are set to face off on Oct. 7 in London’s Wembley Stadium. Tickets for the event sold out in 24 hours, following up England’s record Euros final crowd of 87,192 at the iconic stadium.

The fall friendly will serve as a precursor to the World Cup and Olympic cycle, with both sides looking to make a statement on the international stage. Just Women’s Sports takes a look ahead to the highly anticipated contest.

How does USWNT match up with England?

Form

England will present a formidable test for the USWNT ahead of the 2023 World Cup, with the Lionesses entering the Wembley match in top form. Under manager Sarina Wiegman, England is unbeaten through 20 matches and has scored 106 goals.

While the end of Europe’s World Cup qualifying competition stands between now and October, all signs point to continued dominance for England.

As the Lionesses’ attack appears to be ramping up, logging 5.3 goals per game under Wiegman’s leadership, the USWNT’s offense is not yet synced up. The U.S. has averaged 3.83 goals per game this year, with finishing a topic of conversation in the Concacaf W Championship. While the team grew into the tournament, creating more chances in the final third as the competition continued, the USWNT struggled to put those opportunities away.

It would be too harsh to say the USWNT’s form lags behind England’s, as the U.S. has surged to an 11-0-1 record on the year, but it’s safe to say the Lionesses have faced a more competitive schedule, lifting the group to another level of performance.

CHLOE. KELLY. @Chloe_Kelly98 😱#WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/TgTUvvZJW3

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 31, 2022

Midfield

While many hail the Lionesses for their ability to get up the flanks with stellar attacking-minded outside backs in Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly, England has also shown its strength in the middle of the park.

Fran Kirby, Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh made up England’s starting trio in the midfield throughout the Euros, lining up in front of a seasoned backline. The midfield lineup was vital in England’s press, helping the team to deploy pressure higher up the pitch and provide reinforcements to slow down the counter-press.

The USWNT holds a less commanding presence down the spine of the pitch, with the midfield unit yet to fully click. Julie Ertz’s extended absence and maternity leave have loomed large over the U.S., with the team yet to nail down the No. 6 position. Andi Sullivan has stepped up as the team’s defensive midfield anchor but has battled injury throughout the 2022 season.

Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan appear to have locked in the remaining spots in coach Vlatko Andonovski’s starting midfield lineup. Despite carrying a heavy load during the Concacaf W Championship, Horan looked to be carrying a knock through the Mexico-hosted tournament. When given space to link up with the offense and show her creativity, Lavelle can be dangerous, but that version of the OL Reign star didn’t fully emerge in Monterrey.

Expect England to rival the USWNT in the center of the field. The U.S. midfield will be tasked with halting a well-oiled Lionesses attack while finding space on the other side of the ball against an organized squad.

MALLORY PUGH MAKES IT TWO JUST BEFORE THE HALF 🔥

That backheel from Rose Lavelle though 👀 pic.twitter.com/hhlJNCdXtz

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 15, 2022

Depth

The USWNT’s deep talent pool has long set the squad apart from the international competition. But the U.S. is no longer the only team with impressive roster depth.

England’s substitutes played a critical role in their Euros title run, with Alessia Russo making a name for herself as a reserve for striker Ellen White. The 23-year-old’s backheel goal cemented the young star on the international stage.

Ella Toone and Jill Scott were also key off the bench in the midfield, and Chloe Kelly, who scored the game-winner in the final against Germany, was vital up top.

The USWNT, of course, has depth at nearly every position, with Margaret Purce and Trinity Rodman emerging as game-changers on the front line and Ashley Sanchez adding a surge of creativity to the midfield.

October’s contest may just come down to which side’s impressive reserves can impact the game the most.

The USWNT and England will face off on Friday, Oct. 7, at Wembley Stadium. The match will air at 3 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.