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.

UEFA's 2025 Euro tournament is already knocking on the door of history, as the European Championship is on track to shatter the competition's overall attendance record — despite not kicking off until next week.

This year's Switzerland-hosted edition has sold more than 570,000 of the 673,000 tickets available as of Thursday.

Given that tally, England's 2022 Euro record of 574,875 is likely to fall in the coming days.

In addition to the tickets already on sale, stadiums will release another 32,000 to accommodate the knockout stages in the coming weeks.

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While Switzerland is poised to claim the Euro's total attendance title by the competition's July 27th finale, England's single-game record crowd of 87,192 — set at the 2022 championship match — will be safe, as no Swiss venue matches the capacity of London's iconic Wembley Stadium.

The 2025 Euro final will be a much more elite affair, as only 34,250 seats are available at Basel's St. Jakob-Park — the largest of the tournament's eight venues.

That said, this summer's European Championship will have more eyes on it than ever before, and not just from the stands.

The 2022 edition shattered viewership records worldwide, but the 2025 Euro has a chance to level up even more, as the tournament has seen its global broadcast footprint expand — particularly in the US.

UEFA inked a media deal with Fox Sports in late May, ensuring that audiences Stateside will have live access to at least 20 of the Euro's 31 matches next month.

While the overall tournament chases new attendance and viewership records, the 16 teams bound for Switzerland will be battling toward the 2025 Euro trophy when the competition kicks off next Wednesday.

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup 5×5 basketball tournament tips off Saturday in Santiago, Chile, where a youthful Team USA will battle nine other countries from North and South America for both this summer's trophy and a ticket to the 2026 FIBA World Cup.

After falling to reigning champions Brazil in 2023, Team USA will aim to avenge the loss by winning a fifth all-time gold medal at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup final on July 6th.

Led by Duke head coach Kara Lawson, this 12-player US squad follows the federation playbook by tapping top college talent, with the NCAA's finest looking to gain international experience and hone their skills against pros like Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, who leads Brazil's AmeriCup roster.

Full of familiar faces, the USA AmeriCup lineups includes March Madness stars Olivia Miles (TCU), Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Madison Booker (Texas), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Raegan Beers (Oklahoma), and Joyce Edwards (South Carolina).

Also taking the FIBA court for Team USA are NCAA standouts Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), Gianna Kneepkens (UCLA), Kennedy Smith (USC), Hannah Stuelke (Iowa), and Grace Vanslooten (Michigan State).

"[W]e haven't seen the level of physicality and experience we're going to see down there," Lawson said this week. "So that remains to be seen if we're going to be able to impose that athletic, physical play. But there's no doubt we're going to try."

How to watch Team USA at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup group stage runs from Saturday through Wednesday, with the knockouts tipping off on July 4th in a run-up to the July 6th championship game.

Team USA will open their AmeriCup campaign against hosts Chile at 8:25 PM ET on Saturday, then face Colombia at 8:10 PM ET on Sunday.

Arguably the toughest Group B contest for the US will be their Monday matchup against Puerto Rico at 8:10 PM ET, before the collegiate stars finish up the tournament's group play against Mexico at 2:10 PM ET on Wednesday.

All 2025 FIBA AmeriCup games will stream live on Courtside 1891.

Three-time 1,500-meter Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon fell just short of making running history on Thursday, as the middle-distance star clocked a time of 4:06.42 in her attempt to become the first woman to break the four-minute mile.

"It was the first trial. I have proven that it's possible and it's only a matter of time. I think it will come to our way," said Kipyegon following Thursday's race. "If it's not me, it will be somebody else."

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Still the fastest mile-runner of any woman in history, the Kenyan icon did beat her own previous world record of 4:07.64 by 1.22 seconds, though the time won't count as a new record as the race came during Nike's unofficial Breaking4 event.

With full support from the sportswear giant — the 31-year-old's partner for 16 years — Kipyegon had the benefit of multiple pace-setters, as well as an aerodynamic suit, 3D-printed Nike FlyWeb sports bra, and spiked shoes made specifically for the much-hyped four-minute mile attempt at Paris's Stade Charléty.

"Faith didn't just make history, she proved the future of sport is faster, stronger, and more inclusive than ever," noted Nike president Amy Montagne after Kipyegon's race.

"It was tough, but I am so proud of what I've done, and I'm going to keep on trying, dreaming and pursing big goals," said Kipyegon. "I want to show the world, and especially women, that you have to dare to try."

The world No. 1 USWNT topped the No. 25 Republic of Ireland 4-0 on Thursday, dominating the first of two friendly matchups against the Girls in Green this week.

Veteran midfielder Rose Lavelle notched a goal and an assist in her first appearance for the US in 2025, with defender Avery Patterson, midfielder Sam Coffey, and forward Alyssa Thompson also finding the back of the net to round out the scoresheet.

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Despite relative inexperience, this USWNT lineup claimed control of the match from the very first whistle, holding 68% of possession while keeping Ireland from registering a single shot on goal.

The US also saw new faces step up, as defenders Lilly Reale and Jordyn Bugg as well as goalkeeper Claudia Dickey all earned their first caps without a hitch.

While USWNT boss Emma Hayes is still figuring out her player pool, her team has been busy racking up the results.

"Being able to trust my teammates around me, trusting Emma — she's helped me a lot," Thompson said after the game. "Just the coaching staff in general, I feel like I've learned so much."

"My natural instincts are to go into the attack more," Patterson told media after tallying her first-ever senior team goal. "I think it's a little bit of that, and also the backing of my coaches."

How to watch the USWNT vs. Ireland this weekend

The USWNT and Ireland will clash again in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 3 PM ET on Sunday.

Coverage of the friendly will air live on TNT.