Every step the U.S. Women's National Team has taken this year has been with the 2026 Concacaf W Championship in mind. USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has tested new players, new lineups, challenged her player pool in hostile environments and prioritized growth over short-term results, all with the goal of preparing her squad for the region’s World Cup qualifying tournament taking place at the end of the year, and with success there, ultimately, the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Before the pressure of qualifying begins, the USWNT will take on perhaps its most demanding challenge yet with two matches against Spain, the world’s top-ranked women’s soccer team and defending Women’s World Cup champion.
“I don't think we ever approach anything as just a friendly,” midfielder Sam Coffey told media on Monday. “This is the best test for us. This year has been full of really difficult competition, games that have tested us in such a different way, and I think that this will be no different.”
Spain will become the fourth top-10 opponent the USA has faced this year, joining Japan (5), Brazil (7) and Canada (9). Seeking out elite competition has been a deliberate part of Hayes' approach as the team builds toward qualifying and its pursuit of a fifth World Cup title.
“One thing that's been such an important lesson for us this year is winning in different ways,” Coffey said. “Playing against Colombia requires something different of us than playing against Brazil or playing against Japan. To play top teams in the world, teams that play a style very different from us, is the best preparation that you could have going into a World Cup because you don't know who you're going to play and when.”
The challenge doesn’t get much greater than Spain. La Roja has already secured its spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup by finishing atop its group last month in UEFA Qualifiers. Spain went 5W-1L-0D in its group and capped its qualifying campaign in impressive fashion with a 4-0 win over England on June 5 and a 6-1 win over Iceland on June 9.
Some of the world’s best players compete for Spain, including midfielders Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas, who have won the last five Ballon d'Or awards. USWNT and OL Lyonnes midfielder Lily Yohannes described the challenge of competing against the talented and technical Spanish players.
“I played against a lot of these players in Europe and Champions League and having that experience has been really great,” Yohannes said. "They’re some of the best players in the world. We know Spain is an amazing team, and I think we're just really looking forward to having this prep before qualifying.”
While two of Spain’s stars – Putellas and Mapi León – recently signed with the London City Lionesses, historically, most of Spain's squad competes together at the club level, specifically at FC Barcelona. It gives the team a chemistry Coffey remembers seeing when the sides last met in October of 2022 in Pamplona, Spain. The meeting was just the fourth between the two sides, and Spain came away with a 2-0 victory for its only win against the USA.
Nearly four years later, both teams have evolved. Spain has lifted its first World Cup trophy. The USWNT reclaimed Olympic gold. New stars have emerged, veteran leaders have retired and both programs have entered a new chapter.
When they meet later this year at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and Subaru Park in Chester, Pa., the matches will offer more than just a meeting between two of the world's top teams. They will provide one final opportunity for the USWNT to see where it stands against the best before the road to the World Cup officially begins.
