Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang is going all in to grow US women’s soccer, announcing an additional investment of $25 million into US Soccer last Friday.
The move follows Kang's November 2024 initial gift of $30 million over the course of five years, earmarked for talent identification and increased youth competition opportunities for future USWNT players, as well as professional development for female players, coaches, and referees.
Friday's investment follows a slightly different, yet parallel path in that it aims to "accelerate advancements in the women’s game through science, innovation, and elevated best practices" by integrating Kang’s Kynisca Innovation Hub into US Soccer’s Soccer Forward Foundation.
Kynisca, US Soccer collab aims to scale research and standards
Under the umbrella of Kang’s global multi-team organization Kynisca Sports International, the Innovation Hub is a science-based platform that aims to improve research and development for women’s sports athletes.
Similarly, the Soccer Forward Foundation aims to grow the game by expanding access, all while implementing the sport's latest research and guidelines.
Friday's partnership between the two organizations has two main goals: improving the sport's health outcomes via research and solution-oriented initiatives, and creating and implementing best-practice standards to grow the global game.
According to USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, the new collaboration will "[help] ensure [the US will] remain at the forefront of progress as the sport continues to grow around the world" by "[driving] real change through research-backed standards that support players at every level."
Kang, who also owns top French side Lyon and second-tier UK club London City, noted that the collaboration "represents a major step forward in advancing research and setting new standards for women’s sports."
"By working together, we are ensuring that players at all levels benefit from innovative insights and best practices," Kang said in a statement. "Women’s soccer is experiencing historic growth, but there’s still work to be done to break down systemic barriers and secure the investment needed for female athletes."
The USWNT held fast to the world No. 1 spot in Thursday’s updated FIFA rankings, dropping 18 points since their 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning run but still sitting 49 points ahead of No. 2 Spain.
Also maintaining their elite rankings were No. 3 Germany and No. 4 England, who each trail their predecessor by a mere six points.
Japan earned the Top 10's biggest boost, fueled by a 2025 SheBelieves Cup championship run that included a rare defeat of the US. As a result, the Nadeshiko leapt from No. 8 to No. 5, overtaking No. 6 Sweden, No. 7 Canada, and No. 8 Brazil in the process.
Japan's jump made them the only team in FIFA's Top 75 to rise more than two spots.
US Soccer officially intends to bid on 2031 World Cup
While the world No. 1 USWNT doesn't have any major tournaments to build toward this year, US Soccer is cementing future plans to bring the sport's biggest competition back to the US.
The national federation formally confirmed its intent to submit a bid to host the 2031 World Cup on Wednesday evening, bolstered by FIFA’s motion earlier that day which dictates that the 2031 tournament must be played either in North America or Africa.
"We are excited by the opportunity to welcome teams and fans, inspire the next generation, and grow the game regionally and globally," US Soccer announced on social media.
Though a formal bid submission is still to come, the US is already a frontrunner for hosting the competition. FIFA will decide on the 2031 World Cup host nation at the governing body's 76th Congress in 2026.
FIFA's other main decision-making group, the FIFA Council, could soon see incumbent US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone join its 37-member ranks, as the former USWNT star is currently running unopposed for the North American seat previously held by ex-Mexico Football Federation president Yon de Luisa.
The US hasn’t held a FIFA Council seat since ex-USSF president Sunil Gulati’s position expired in 2021.
Cone’s likely March 15th election — plus the USWNT’s No. 1 ranking and planned 2031 World Cup hosting bid — gives US Soccer a valuable foothold in the global game.
FIFA confirmed that the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will now kick off in 2028, officially delaying its original 2026 launch this week.
Instead, soccer's world governing body will introduce a new Champions Cup next year, with FIFA ratifying both events on Wednesday.
The alternate Champions Cup will be a smaller, six-club affair with winners from regional tournaments like the UEFA Champions League and Concacaf Champions League.
FIFA plans to make the Champions Cup an annual event set for every year that does not include the quadrennial Club World Cup.
While worldwide club tournaments are an exciting prospect, a crowded schedule, lack of secured funding, and little news of the proposed 19-team Club World Cup’s development prompted timing concerns as 2026 rapidly approaches.
Now kicking off in early 2028, the Club World Cup will initially begin with six top clubs representing the AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, the OFC, and UEFA. Those teams will take part in the play-in stage, where three winners will advance to the group stage.
Those three clubs must then contend with five directly qualified UEFA teams, plus two direct qualifiers each from CAF, CONMEBOL, AFC, and Concacaf.
While demand for increased global programming is spreading, FIFA’s delay underlines the logistical hurdles of creating new competitions — not to mention the strain they can cause athletes.
"FIFA needs to involve its stakeholders, like the NWSLPA and NWSL, for an event like this to reach its potential," NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke told ESPN on Wednesday.
"Otherwise, they are hamstringing women's football yet again like they've done since time immemorial."
UK takes aim at 2027 FIFA World Cup
In other international soccer news, the UK announced Wednesday that the country is preparing a bid to host the 2035 FIFA World Cup, with England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland joining forces in an attempt to bring the sport’s biggest event to the United Kingdom.
England’s track record should make the bid particularly attractive after hosting the 2022 Euro to record-shattering attendance and global viewership success — and seeing the home side emerge victorious in the Lionesses first-ever major tournament win.
"Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity," said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, throwing the government's full support behind the bid.
"That pride was on full display when England hosted the Women’s Euro 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy."
Should FIFA ultimately award the 2035 hosting duties to the UK, that tournament will mark the first World Cup hosted by the nation since the men's 1966 edition.
With Brazil set to host the 32-team 2027 World Cup and the US expected to lead a serious bid for the expanded 48-team 2031 edition, the FIFA Council officially recommended this week that either African or European nations serve as host for 2035.
Two-time World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, and three-time NWSL champion Becky Sauerbrunn announced her retirement from professional soccer on Tuesday.
"This isn't the end. I'll be around. I love this game too much to leave it for good," the 39-year-old legendary USWNT center back wrote. "But for the first time in sixteen years I'm going to find a quiet moment and close my eyes for a bit."
Leading from the back
A titan on and off the field, Sauerbrunn's 16-year professional career is littered with trophies earned for club and country.
Sauerbrunn, who notably opened her senior national team account with a broken nose in her January 2008 first cap, leaves the international pitch with 219 appearances, making her the USWNT's 10th all-time most-capped player.
Across the three World Cups and three Olympic Games in which she competed, Sauerbrunn helped the USWNT to a runners-up finish in the 2011 World Cup before snagging back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2019. In addition to 2012 Olympic gold and 2021 Olympic bronze, her US resume boasts eight straight Concacaf championships.
As part of a generation of players that founded the league, there has never been an NWSL season without Sauerbrunn logging minutes. The four-time NWSL Defender of the Year also earned annual Best XI selection seven times, more than any other player in league history.
Sauerbrunn began her 11 NWSL seasons with FC Kansas City, snagging a pair of championships in 2014 and 2015. She later spent two seasons with the Utah Royals before spending the last five on Portland's pitch, helping the Thorns to both the 2021 NWSL Shield and 2022 championship.
While executing her role as a fierce defender, the backline behemoth also served as captain of both the USWNT and Portland Thorns. A quiet leader, Sauerbrunn's calm, steady presence grounded her teams, anchoring them to trophy-lifting success.
A legacy of activism and equal pay
Though her on-field prowess is impressive, Sauerbrunn's true legacy can be found off the pitch, where the defender consistently tackles social justice issues. Along with combatting racial and gender inequities, Sauerbrunn's activism includes fighting legislation that bans transgender girls and women from competing in women's sports.
Most tangibly, however, is how she helped change the game for current and future USWNT players. In 2016, Sauerbrunn and four other USWNT athletes kicked off the fight for equal pay by filing a federal complaint against US Soccer.
One 2019 class-action gender discrimination lawsuit and years of litigation later, Sauerbrunn and her teammates secured a landmark settlement with the federation in 2022, cementing equal compensation for both the USWNT and USMNT as a contractual rule. As the president of the player's association, Sauerbrunn was one of the athletes to physically sign the historic agreement — a document that sparked similar battles for equality worldwide.
The end of an era
With her Tuesday announcement, Sauerbrunn adds to the wave of soccer stars officially exiting the professional game in 2024. She follows Portland teammate and Canadian legend Christine Sinclair in hanging up her boots, and joins USWNT standouts Alex Morgan, Kelley O'Hara, and Alyssa Naeher in retirement.
Still offering sage reflections, the captain told US Soccer, "I learned early on that we were all just renting our jerseys. That I got to wear the US Soccer crest once was an honor and privilege for which I’m forever grateful. The fact that I got to do it over 200 times is truly humbling."
Ultimately, Sauerbrunn leaves the game better than she found it, stepping off the field with no regrets.
"Of course I’d do it all again," she writes. "In a heartbeat.”
The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, per a Monday afternoon release from U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation.
According to the statement, they will instead focus on developing a "more equitable" bid for the 2031 tournament, with the ultimate goal of "eliminating investment disparities" between the men’s and women’s tournaments.
The federations went on to cite the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as an opportunity to build support for local infrastructure, improve audience engagement, and scale up media and partnership deals in preparation to "host a record-breaking tournament in 2031."
"Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. "Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe."
The decision leaves just Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in the running for the 2027 host spot. Brazil — the rumored frontrunner — has never hosted a Women’s World Cup, while Germany hosted the 2011 tournament as a solo venture.
Furthermore, this postponement doesn’t mean the U.S. is a shoo-in for 2031, as it's been previously reported that 2022 UEFA Women's EURO host England is considering their own Women's World Cup bid. FIFA is scheduled to confirm the winning bid after the FIFA Congress votes on May 17th.
U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s time with the USWNT might be nearing its end, as his four-year contract concluding at the end of the calendar year coincides with a disappointing Round of 16 exit from the 2023 World Cup.
Andonovski’s tenure has come under review as the U.S. prepares to regroup for the 2024 Olympics. Part of the conversation will include a necessary investigation into the circumstances in which he was hired. Andonovski was a standout coach in the NWSL before taking the U.S. job, succeeding Jill Ellis, who had experience in the NCAA and as an assistant coach within the USWNT system.
One of the greatest criticisms of Andonovski during his tenure has been that he ran the U.S. too much like one of his club teams, a trap that others could just as easily fall into when faced with player development and the high expectations of a winning culture. Despite the USWNT head coaching position being one of the premier jobs in the world of women’s soccer, it is also one of the most difficult.
Those tasked with finding a steady hand for the future will have to weigh the balance of knowledgeable leadership and the opportunity for a fresh start.
The NWSL
In light of Andonovski’s middling record at major tournaments with the USWNT, attention has turned to the league that produced him. At the time of his hiring, Andonovski seemed like a natural fit for the national team. He had seen many members of the upcoming player pool up close every day in the NWSL, and he had a track record of success when it came to roster growth and advancing in the knockout stages of league playoffs.
But following disappointing results at the international level, picking his successor from the same coaching pool might not make the most sense. OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey came close to getting the job in 2019 and is a popular choice to replace Andonovski. Mark Parsons and Casey Stoney are also well-respected in the NWSL, while few other candidates have the experience or successful track record to stand out.
Harvey, Parsons and Stoney aren’t quite home runs, however, for some of the same reasons Andonovski is no longer likely to retain his job. Harvey is beloved by her players and has had consistent regular season success at the NWSL level. But her squads are pulled from top talent she can compile as a manager rather than developed from a young age, and she has never had a particularly strong record in knockout matches. Her teams also play in a similarly pragmatic and suffocating style that Andonovski tried with the U.S., without much success.
Parsons, head coach of the Washington Spirit, already tried his hand as an international coach, in a run with the Netherlands that ended after a lackluster Euros campaign. He seemed to fall victim to similar issues as Andonovski, confusing players with overly complex messaging and leaving them without clear roles in his system. Stoney is progressing toward a strong coaching resume, but her time with the San Diego Wave has not been definitive, as the team has sputtered slightly in their second year.
Ultimately, what makes a good club coach does not necessarily mean that person is right for a national team position. There’s no one who understands that lesson better than Andonovski himself.
Other national teams
As with the end of any World Cup cycle, there will be other international coaches looking for new jobs. U.S. Soccer could decide that the best fit for the four-time World Champions is someone with experience at the highest international level. A number of possible candidates, however, might present more of a lateral move than a step forward.
Pia Sundhage is reported to be on the outs in Brazil, but the U.S. already moved on from her management once, and she never led Sweden or Brazil to a major tournament win in the years since leaving the USWNT. Other national team coaches have either had mercurial tenures or have yet to experience a full cycle with their squads.
So, does the USWNT try to poach a top name? Maybe. Sarina Wiegman has no outside reason to step away from her wildly successful tenure with the England national team, and Germany’s Martina Voss-Tecklenburg would not be a good personality fit for the American group (Germany also crashed out of the World Cup early). Herve Renard has just begun his work as the coach of France, and his commitment to the women’s game remains unclear.
Coaches who might be more attainable are Canada’s Bev Priestman, Jamaica’s Lorne Donaldson or even Australia’s Tony Gustavsson. Priestman is very committed to her current group, but dysfunction under Canada Soccer might prompt a change. Donaldson hasn’t committed to his future with Jamaica beyond Olympic qualifying, and he has Colorado club connections to several USWNT rising stars, including Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson. Gustavsson has experience as a U.S. assistant coach, and has shown his ability to lead as Australia has progressed through their home World Cup.
U.S. Soccer will have to balance the need for a fresh perspective on the team’s player pool and knowledge of talent rising through the ever-diversifying pipelines in the women’s game. Looking outside the insular NWSL or college system might be the best way to guarantee a bold change from the Andonovski era.
Outside the box
It’s possible, if unlikely, that U.S. Soccer will break the mold in other ways when pursuing a new manager. Top college coaches have long been considered for the job in the past, though the further away the professional game moves from the college system, the less relevant their experience becomes.
There’s also a desire to see former players take the reins, but the coaching pipeline is only just now opening up the requisite training and experience for new coaching demographics to emerge. Club coaches from overseas might provide the requisite new perspectives U.S. Soccer is looking for, but they could also fall prey to Andonovski’s issues with international management while also lacking familiarity with the USWNT player pool.
There is a tactic that would open up the pool considerably: Hiring a coach who, up until this point, has primarily coached on the men’s side. As the women’s coaching pipeline continues to grow, the USWNT might need to find someone who can produce results immediately. France’s appointment of Renard is a good example of the free-flowing exchange between sides, and that might be exactly what the U.S. needs.
Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
Mana Shim is joining Gotham FC on a short-term injury replacement contract, the club announced on Sunday.
“I am excited to return to the NWSL as part of Gotham FC. It’s a demanding and professional environment that’s focused on players first, and they have put together an incredibly talented group that I’m honored to share the field with,” Shim said in a statement.
The midfielder will be available to play in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Red Stars (5:30 p.m. EST, Paramount+).
Shim previously played in the NWSL as a member of the Portland Thorns (2013-17) and Houston Dash (2018). She makes her return to the NWSL after a five-year hiatus; her last league game was on June 2, 2018.
In 2021, Shim and Sinead Farrelly publicly accused their former coach, Paul Riley, of sexual harassment and coercion in a story published by The Athletic. The story prompted Riley’s firing and opened multiple investigations into abuse in the NWSL. Following the release of the U.S. Soccer-commissioned Sally Yates report in 2022, Shim was named chair of a U.S. Soccer Participant Safety Taskforce. Per Gotham FC’s press release, Shim will continue serving in her full-time position with U.S. Soccer while playing in the league.
Farrelly, who took her own six-year break from soccer, also resumed playing earlier this year as a member of Gotham FC. Sunday’s game will mark Farrelly and Shim’s first NWSL game as teammates since 2015.