The US faces a steep climb on Saturday. The women’s national team takes on world No. 1 Spain in the first of two USWNT vs Spain friendlies with level-setting implications as the 2027 World Cup nears.
The US will be without recently injured veterans Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey, as manager Emma Hayes evaluates her roster’s revamped depth after an extensive experimentation period.
“I haven’t for one minute ever had the best available squad,” said Hayes. “You’re never going to, that’s the reality of it.”
Hayes will likely lean on players who battled Top 10 opponents Japan and Brazil earlier this year. No new faces are expected to get starts.
The US hasn’t played Spain since 2022. The four-year span saw La Roja pick up the 2023 World Cup, two Nations League titles, and FIFA’s top ranking. Meanwhile, the USWNT fell to No. 2 despite winning 2024 Olympic gold.
“It’ll be a really good benchmark for us,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said. “We always go into every game with the expectation that we want to win, but we also want to use it as a huge growth opportunity.”
The USWNT takes on Spain on Saturday at 2:30 PM ET (TBS).
