The USWNT is eyeing another 2025 victory, with US Soccer announcing the finalists for the federation's end-of-year awards on Monday, including the five women nominated for US Soccer Female Player of the Year.
After stellar runs for both club and country, Arsenal defender Emily Fox, Portland Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey, Gotham FC midfielder Rose Lavelle, and Chelsea FC forwards Alyssa Thompson and Catarina Macario headline the 2025 shortlist.
The youth national teams' Young Female Player of the Year award also tapped top finalists in Angel City forward Riley Tiernan, Chicago Stars forward Micayla Johnson, Seattle Reign defender Jordyn Bugg, Gotham FC defender Lilly Reale, and University of Virginia freshman defender Pearl Cecil.
The USWNT also earned a Game of the Year nomination, with US Soccer recognizing the team's dominant 3-0 victory over North American rival Canada in July.
While national team play is paramount in determining the honorees, club performances also factor into the awards, with several Player of the Year nominees significantly adding to their resumes away from the international pitch in 2025.
In May, Fox helped Arsenal to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League title and Macario lifted the WSL trophy with Chelsea, while Gotham stars Lavelle and Reale finished their NWSL season as league champions late last month — with Reale also taking home the 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year trophy.
How to vote for the 2025 US Soccer Player of the Year Awards
Players, coaches, media, the US Soccer board, and fans will determine the ultimate winners, with fan picks making up 15% of the final tally.
Fans can submit their votes online now through Friday, December 12th, with US Soccer slated to announce the winners in January.
Reigning UEFA Women's Champions League winners Arsenal suffered a setback on Wednesday, falling 3-2 to German side Bayern Munich after a second-half collapse led to three unanswered goals.
The Gunners are now 1-2 in league phase play, landing them in 11th place with three opening-round matches remaining.
"It's not good enough. We don't want to concede three goals in one half in the Champions League," Arsenal manager Renée Slegers said postgame. "It's everything. It's keeping the ball, making better decisions on the ball in their half to keep the ball there for longer, because it was very transitional."
A bright spot for Arsenal came via an opening goal from USWNT defender Emily Fox — one of a few US-centric Champions League boosts this week.
USWNT forward Catarina Macario notched a brace in Chelsea FC's 6-0 drubbing of St. Pölten on Tuesday, a match that also handed USWNT defender Naomi Girma her 2025/26 Champions League debut with the Blues.
Tuesday's clash also saw Chelsea captain Sam Kerr find the back of the net twice, as the Australia standout made her first start in 692 days.
Now halfway through league-phase play, only Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, and Manchester United remain perfect with a trio of wins, with Champions League matches resuming on November 19th.
The USWNT is getting the band back together this October, as manager Emma Hayes tapped a number of veteran faces in a 26-player roster for the team's upcoming three international friendlies on Wednesday morning.
The team's European-based players are stepping back into the spotlight, after Hayes chose to rest stars Lindsey Heaps, Lily Yohannes, Emily Fox, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Catarina Macario during the summer.
However, sidelined Chelsea defender Naomi Girma will sit this one out as she continues to recover from a calf injury.
The roster also highlights the return of favorites Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle, and Jaedyn Shaw, as Hayes also calls up 24-year-old San Diego Wave defender Kennedy Wesley for the first time.
As next fall's qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup quickly approach, Hayes is narrowing the field from her previous developmentally focused roster-building strategy.
"I think this was the one camp I had to make some really hard decisions, and that's the place I wanted to be in," Hayes told reporters on Wednesday morning. "It's the build for [World Cup] qualification for next year."
With an average age of 24.6, the latest squad reflects the US's youth movement, though Lavelle's return helps boost the average international experience from 18.4 caps in this summer's USWNT roster to 27.3 appearances on Hayes's October lineup.
The October 2025 USWNT roster
- Goalkeepers: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
- Defenders: Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Lilly Reale (Gotham), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave)
- Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
- Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Catarina Macario (Chelsea), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea)
How to watch the October USWNT friendlies
The world No. 2 USWNT will first take on No. 23 Portugal at 7 PM ET on October 23rd and at 4 PM ET on the 26th, before closing out the international window against No. 33 New Zealand at 8 PM ET on October 29th.
All three friendlies will air live on TNT.
The 2025/26 UEFA Women's Champions League begins anew this week, as the European club competition kicks off its first-ever league phase with a blockbuster lineup.
Italian powerhouse Juventus sets the stage against Portugal's Benfica early Tuesday afternoon, before reigning champs Arsenal start their title defense against eight-time winners OL Lyonnes while 2023/24 champs Barcelona face Bundesliga standout Bayern Munich.
"Winning last year hasn't changed that mindset one bit," Arsenal and USWNT defender Emily Fox said this week. "We know that any team on their day is dangerous and, especially with the new format this season, it's not going to be easy."
The debut format Fox refers to replaces the previous group-stage setup, with the new league phase seeing all 18 clubs playing six matches each — three at home and three away — against six different opponents.
While the league phase will eliminate the bottom six teams, the top four finishers will automatically qualify for next spring's quarterfinal round.
As for the 5th- through 12th-place clubs, they must battle in a two-legged knockout playoff round next February in order to punch their quarterfinal tickets.
How to watch the 2025/26 Champions League matches
The league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League campaign opens on Tuesday when Juventus takes on Benfica at 12:45 PM ET.
Arsenal vs. OL Lyonnes and Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich will then snag the spotlight at 3 PM ET.
All UWCL matches will air live on Paramount+.
Celebrated Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí took home her third consecutive Ballon d'Or at Monday's 2025 awards, becoming the first-ever women's footballer to accomplish the feat.
FC Barcelona has dominated the last five international football player of the year honors, with the voting panel of journalists tapping Barça star Alexia Putellas in 2021 and 2022 followed by Bonmatí starting in 2023.
"My third time in a row here, and I still can't believe it, incredible," Bonmatí said at the annual Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris. "Thank you to France Football for this, for the third time — it really could have gone to anyone."
The 27-year-old's win wasn't without controversy with Bonmatí beating out fellow Spanish national Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), who came in second despite scoring in both her club's UWCL Final win and Spain's 2025 Euro Final loss.
"If it was possible to share it, I would, because I think it has been a year with an exceptionally high level, above all among my teammates, who had a great year," added Bonmatí.
After their successful Euro title defense, England fans were also miffed at the choice, though manager Sarina Wiegman did win Coach of the Year.
Five Lionesses also earned spots in the Ballon d'Or's Top 10: No. 3 Alessia Russo (Arsenal), No. 5 Chloe Kelly (Arsenal), No. 7 Leah Williamson (Arsenal), No. 9 Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), and No. 10 Hannah Hampton (Chelsea).
Meanwhile, Arsenal was named Women's Club of the Year after dethroning Barcelona in May's Champions League final.
As for the USWNT, standouts Emily Fox (Arsenal) and Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes) made this year's 30-player finalists list, clocking in at Nos. 25 and 26, respectively.
The WSL hit some opening day snags over the weekend, with a last-minute media deal causing broadcasts Stateside to generate confusion and widespread technical difficulties as the UK league's big-name US talent pool took the pitch.
First, in Friday's 2025/26 season kick-off match, ESPN+ served fans an error screen during the first 15 minutes of six-time defending WSL champion Chelsea's 2-1 win over Manchester City.
Then on Saturday morning, skips and lags continuously interrupted Arsenal's 4-1 victory over the recently promoted London City Lionesses.
Notably, the WSL media rights extension deal with ESPN+ — the 2024/25 US carrier of the top-flight UK league —came together at the very last minute.
As such, the WSL left fans in the dark by omitting US coverage details from all promotions in the lead-up to the 2025/26 season's opening weekend — possibly missing out on a big Stateside moment as USWNT stars like Naomi Girma, Catarina Macario, Emily Fox, and Alyssa Thompson kick off their club campaigns in the UK.
"The delays weren't about lack of interest so much as the sheer number of changes the league has been managing," former head of broadcast at WSL Football Andrea Ekblad told The Athletic this week.
"Of course, nobody wants a broadcast deal announced only hours before kickoff. That's not ideal," she continued. "But continuing the [ESPN] partnership makes great sense."
The 2025 Ballon d'Or nominations dropped on Thursday, and only two USWNT players earned nods on the 30-athlete shortlist for soccer's most prestigious individual honor.
US and Arsenal defender Emily Fox earned her first career nomination after the 27-year-old won 2024 Olympic gold with the USWNT and the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League with her club side.
With her third career Ballon d'Or nod, USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps joined Fox on Thursday's 2025 list after leading the US in Paris last summer and playing another strong season with OL Lyonnes.
While the first half of 2025 has been admittedly quiet for USWNT without a major continental tournament on the docket this year — and many of the team's heavy hitters sidelined for various reasons — the Ballon d'Or's consideration timeframe includes their Olympic gold-medal run, making the team's lack of nods a bit head-scratching.
It's far from the first time that the award's shortlist has fallen short. Awarded by French magazine France Football, the Ballon d’Or has long been criticized for heavily favoring athletes who play in Europe. Of the 30 2025 nominees, only six play for clubs outside of Europe — five of them in the NWSL.
Notably, only one US player has ever won the Ballon d'Or, with the 2019 trophy lifted by USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe.
Since then, Barcelona FC have maintained a stranglehold on the award, with midfielder Aitana Bonmatí's two straight wins following attacker Alexia Putellas's back-to-back reign.
USWNT drop to No. 2 in world rankings
This week also saw the USWNT cede ground in the overall FIFA rankings, falling to world No. 2 as new No. 1 Spain claimed a narrow lead of less than two points with their 2025 Euro Final appearance.
Like the Ballon d'Or, Thursday's world ranks contained more than a few confusing shifts, with Brazil somehow falling three spots to No. 7 despite winning a fifth straight Copa América title last weekend, and England earning a mere one-spot rise to No. 4 after defeating Spain in last month's Euro.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or Féminin nominees
Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea, France)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona, Spain)
Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England)
Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, Spain)
Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit, Italy)
Steph Catley (Arsenal, Australia)
Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes, Haiti)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi)
Emily Fox (Arsenal, US)
Cristiana Girelli (Juventus, Italy)
Esther González (Gotham FC, Spain)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway)
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)
Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Denmark)
Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)
Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras, Brazil)
Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, US)
Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, England)
Frida Maanum (Arsenal, Norway)
Marta (Orlando Pride, Brazil)
Clara Mateo (Paris FC, France)
Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)
Clàudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain)
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)
Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England)
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea, Sweden)
Caroline Weir (Real Madrid, Scotland)
Leah Williamson (Arsenal, England)
The USWNT will take the pitch for their second Olympic championship rematch against Brazil on Tuesday night, when the world No. 1 team will look to close out April’s international break with a two-match sweep as the squad continues strengthening its new-look player pool.
Bolstered by a quick goal from returning striker Trinity Rodman and solid net-minding from national team debutant Phallon Tullis-Joyce, the US took the pair's opening friendly 2-0 on Saturday.
"Obviously, it's a quick turnaround against the same team," forward Jaedyn Shaw told reporters on Monday. "The last game was a good building block."
"It's a fun test for us, especially against Brazil," echoed defender Emily Fox. "It’s a great opponent — with how physical they are, how attacking-minded they are — to rebound [against] and get another win, hopefully."
USWNT veterans to lead fresh faces against Brazil
Balancing the desire for positive results with developmental roster rotation, the US will rely on their veterans to guide less experienced players through Tuesday's tough matchup.
"One of the great things about our team is not just the quality that we’ve got in depth, but the quality of our senior leadership," noted head coach Emma Hayes on Monday. "And I think that showed so much the other day in the Brazil game."
With Hayes focusing on testing starting goalkeepers as well as players' overall health amid active club seasons in both Europe and the US, Tuesday's starting XI will likely be a departure from Saturday’s lineup.
Hayes assured media that the team isn’t carrying any injury concerns, and that the coaching staff "will be experimenting again with players, and looking forward to those changes."
How to watch the USWNT vs. Brazil friendly on Tuesday
The USWNT's second April friendly against Brazil will kick off in San Jose at 10:30 PM ET on Tuesday. Live coverage will air on TBS.
Arsenal confirmed USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger as their newest signing on Thursday, with the ex-Gotham FC midfielder becoming a symbolic center-point for the recent exodus of NWSL stars heading overseas.
The 2023 NWSL champion is just the latest in a number of Gotham FC's offseason departures, as the NY/NJ club's superteam experiment resulted in a roster that's bursting at the seams.
At 24 years old, Nighswonger also finds herself among a group of NWSL players currently moving away from the US league. She follows USWNT teammate Naomi Girma — who last week signed with Chelsea for a record fee — 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin, and other standouts to England's top-flight Women's Super League (WSL).
These moves have reignited longstanding discussions surrounding parity and superiority within international women's leagues. And with so many moving parts, it's easy for a single player to get caught up in a worldwide debate that far eclipses their career. But as Nighswonger tells it, the decision to sign with Arsenal comes from a simpler, more personal place.
"Playing in England is just something that I've always wanted to do," she told Just Women’s Sports this week in the lead-up to Arsenal's announcement. "So sometimes when an opportunity presents itself, even if you're happy at a club, you just have to take a leap of faith."
Of course, Nighswonger is less interested in comparing the NWSL to the WSL, preferring instead to detail her own footballing journey. "I have nothing but positive things to say about Gotham and the NWSL," she continued. "I think [transferring] is just a fun opportunity to play in another country, and learn about a new culture."
The opportunity to join Arsenal came about quickly. Though Nighswonger noted that any offseason comes with the possibility of player movement.
"My agent just called me and I was through the moon, just so excited," she said.
A fitting positional pick-up for Nighswonger
Beyond the headlines, the transfer is clearly a good positional fit for Nighswonger's continued development. Despite originally launching her professional career as an attacking midfielder, she moved to left-back after winning 2023's NWSL Rookie of the Year award in the role.
"I'm so grateful for [Gotham]," she said. "Because when they picked me up out of college, I was an attacking mid, and they saw the vision and had confidence in me to be a left-back."
The 24-year-old's successful conversion piqued the attention of the USWNT senior team. Going from a position of depth to one that centers on consistency was especially appealing for the national team. Subsequently, Nighswonger featured as an option off the bench for the US during last summer's Olympic gold medal run. However, she has yet to unseat 32-year-old Crystal Dunn to claim a starting spot in any major competition.
Dunn herself is just one example of an attacking-minded player making the move to outside-back at the international level. As such, Nighswonger trusts that the more appearances she has on the flank, the more comfortable she will become.
"When I first changed to left-back, I was kind of like, 'What am I doing?'" she recalled. "I had a little bit of a moment — I thought I was the No. 10, that's what I've been for a while. Then switching to left-back, I started to love it more and more."
"I might not have the experience that all these other left-backs have," she added. "But I have talents coming from other positions that are useful as well."
Becoming a two-way player with Gotham
As she shifts through thirds on the pitch, Nighswonger is certainly attacking-focused. But she increasingly feels drawn to becoming a true two-way player at the highest level. The NWSL has a reputation for fast-paced play and a high level of transition. However, thanks in part to to Spanish head coach Juan Carlos Amorós's overseas experience, Gotham wasn't a stranger to favoring the possession-based style more often encountered in Europe.
Throughout the 2024 regular season, Gotham played a very fluid defensive formation that utilized Nighswonger's instincts as an attacker. The team would defend in a back four, but their offense saw the outside-backs pushing into the attacking third. Therefore, it wouldn't be uncommon to see Nighswonger alongside the center-backs on opposing goal kicks. But the moment Gotham won possession back, she'd be sprinting forward ready for service.
"The more I play this position and the more games I hopefully get on the national team or with Arsenal, challenges are gonna happen," she acknowledged. "It's just trying to work through those and accept that adversity is what's going to make you better in the long run."
Nighswonger talks overcoming adversity
While she downplays any talk of strife between her and her former NWSL club, some of the adversity she mentioned did show on the pitch. Nighswonger didn't start in Gotham's final regular season game — nor their two postseason matches — with the club instead featuring WSL product Jess Carter and longtime veteran Mandy Freeman.
With Gotham players Carter, Freeman, and Brazilian defender Bruninha all under contract through 2025, Nighswonger's position had become a little crowded. She also had her work cut out for her on the USWNT, struggling against the Netherlands alongside her teammates before coming off at halftime in 2024's hard-fought final friendly.
But none of those factors spell disaster for a young player. Instead, they might simply signal a need for a change. And Nighswonger won't be without Arsenal allies to get her through it. Soon, she'll be suiting up beside fellow USWNT star Emily Fox, who has excelled since joining the Gunners in early 2024.
It's 'full steam ahead' with Arsenal
Nighswonger named Fox as an important point of contact during her transfer decision. She also mentioned her excitement to learn as much as possible from Katie McCabe, with the Ireland captain having run Arsenal's left flank for years. And off the pitch, she's ready for every new challenge.
She's eager for Fox to show her around London. Additionally, she can't wait for her first match at the Emirates, the women's side's primary home this season. She's already heard good things about player housing. And when touring the facilities for her medical checkup, she was awestruck by the English club's rich history.
"I've wanted to come here since I was seven because I watched the Premier League," she said. "It's always been a dream of mine."
Nighswonger is now laser-focused on getting up to speed, integrating herself into the locker room culture Arsenal has already established. From there, it's all about competing for trophies against the other ambitious European sides. With Chelsea catapulting ahead in the WSL standings and a slew of top squads vying for this year's UEFA Champions League title, Arsenal's success will surely be a team effort.
"We're going after trophies," Nighswonger told JWS. "I'm here to help the team win, and I know they want to win, too. So full steam ahead."
Kristie Mewis made a statement in her West Ham debut on Sunday, assisting on a game-tying goal against Tottenham Hotspur.
WSL debut✅
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) January 21, 2024
First WSL assist✅
Talk about a perfect start for Kristie Mewis 🌟🤩 pic.twitter.com/HQzJdSLpLW
Tottenham would win the game 4-3, but it still marked a point of positivity for the east London team, which currently sits 11th in the league table.
Elsewhere in the WSL, USWNT defender Emily Fox made her debut for Arsenal over the weekend, starting in the team’s 2-1 win over Everton. Forward Mia Fishel also earned a start for Chelsea in the wake of Sam Kerr’s season-ending injury.
It’s Fishel’s third start for Chelsea, and her second at Stamford Bridge.
Bunny Shaw had an outstanding performance over the weekend, notching a hat trick for Manchester City in their win over Liverpool. It marked her third hat trick in the last four league games.
🚨 BUNNY SHAW BACK HEEL GOAL 🚨
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) January 21, 2024
She completes her hat-trick to make it THREE hat-tricks in her last FOUR league games. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AxxztgtTjf