We are exactly one year out from the 2027 Women's World Cup.
While we have been working through our regular roster predictions for the U.S. women's national team leading up to the tournament, we could not help but notice just how many questions remain for this team at this point in the cycle. In the process of trying to list our starting XIs for the opening group stage match in Brazil , which the U.S. has not yet officially qualified for , we kept finding exceptions.
With qualifying matches still five months away, those questions are our primary focus one year out. Under head coach Emma Hayes, the majority of the work around expanding the depth chart is complete. However, the roster is still in flux due to injuries, club form and other factors outside of Hayes' control.
The team got a preview of Brazil after the pair of friendlies earlier this June , including the atmosphere and how top teams will look to unravel their approach. There also seems to be plenty of work ahead for Hayes and her technical staff in building out the roster and shifting into team chemistry mode through qualifications and beyond.
It is not a complete list by any measure, but here are The Athletic 's seven biggest questions for the U.S. one year out from the World Cup.
Hayes has been clear that every spot on this roster is earned and never guaranteed. So, players like Trinity Rodman , Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson have had to work their way back into the roster each time they have returned to camp. Rodman had to do it after battling injury in 2025. Wilson worked her way back after giving birth earlier this year. The expectation is that Swanson, also a new mom, will be back in the rotation more regularly with time; she joined the team for the first time in over a year in Brazil.
The benefit for Hayes is that each of these players already has that international experience that cannot be taught, meaning they are ahead of other forwards who may have stepped into the fold in their absence. She knows how these players will handle the pressure of a tournament like a World Cup. The trio already has chemistry. It's now a matter of building that chemistry with "new" players.
This inevitably means that less experienced players — especially at the international level — may now find themselves either on the World Cup bubble or interchanging between the senior roster and U-23s. That is not a demotion, as Hayes has repeatedly said, but rather an opportunity for players to grow as she looks ahead to this summer and the 2031 World Cup. Hayes knows, in soccer, anything can happen; an injury could sideline any team's biggest star at the eleventh hour. The benefit of how Hayes has established her player pool is that there are clear options for next in line if that were to happen.
So, yes, the core group has changed, but it was always designed to be fluid. – Melanie Anzidei
Everyone keeps asking the question, but Emma Hayes called us out for this back in April at a press conference. "It seems to me that we have an obsession in football around, 'Who's the No. 1?' and we don't say the same about outfield players," Hayes said.
So maybe we should reframe: who's likely to be starting in the first group stage match next summer? And another question: could we see rotation between Hayes' two leading contenders, Claudia Dickey and Phallon Tullis-Joyce? That one might feel like a reach, but it could depend on how favorable the draw is and if Hayes feels like the two offer up radically different strengths (or perhaps have radically different weaknesses that an opponent may be able to exploit).
Looking at the playing time since 2025, Dickey and Tullis-Joyce have gotten the most opportunities under Hayes. The basic data reinforces that she is taking a double-up approach to what has historically been a clear distinction between the No. 1 and the next in line.
USWNT goalkeepers 2025-2026
| Goalkeeper |
GP |
GS |
Minutes |
W-L-T |
GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |
2 |
180 |
1–1–0 |
1.00 |
|
| Claudia Dickey |
11 |
11 |
990 |
11–0–0 |
0.17 |
| Mandy Haught |
5 |
5 |
450 |
3–2–0 |
1.00 |
| Phallon Tullis-Joyce |
7 |
7 |
630 |
5–2–0 |
0.43 |
While Dickey has more games (including the final friendly against Japan this spring), Hayes also clearly values Tullis-Joyce's experience in Champions League matches and the quality of European opponents. As of June 2026, it shockingly still feels like a toss-up, but my gut still has me thinking Tullis-Joyce has an edge in getting the nod next summer. — Meg Linehan
Let's assume I've already wondered whether any team has ever had the luxury of a 100 percent healthy roster heading into a World Cup.
That is obviously the hope for the USWNT. The different paths of Triple Espresso alone required Hayes to be meticulous and intentional about managing Rodman's minutes as she returned from a long break due to a chronic back injury last year, and about Wilson and Swanson, who were both on parental leave.
Rodman, Wilson, and Swanson were collectively called up to the national team in the last window for the first time in almost two years, but now there are new concerns about the prolonged absences of center back Naomi Girma and forward Catarina Macario , two other key players for the U.S.
Girma, who plays for Chelsea in the Women's Super League (now in its offseason), has not appeared in a match for club or country since April due to a calf injury.
Macario has been out for even longer. Last year's top goal scorer for the USWNT, the Brazilian-American, signed with the San Diego Wave earlier this year, but has not played since December 2025 as she deals with a heel injury. The Wave has been opaque about her status, but between the NWSL summer break and the one-year-out timestamp, we are entering prime time for Macario's return to the pitch.
Can the U.S. beat big teams without Girma and Macario? Probably. Their recent victories against Japan and Brazil prove that, although Girma played considerably in both of the USWNT's wins over Japan in April.
San Diego center back Kennedy Wesley, like Girma and Tierna Davidson , is a graduate of the premier center back academy known as Stanford and could be a suitable replacement if Girma is unavailable by this time next year. Macario doesn't really have a like-for-like replacement, but if Croix Bethune or Jaedyn Shaw peaks at the right time, the U.S. should be able to manage if they have to compete without her. — Tamerra Griffin
The U.S. went to New Zealand in the winter of 2023 for a couple of tune-up matches against the Ferns, and got what felt like a week-long vacation in New Zealand's summer sun with a pair of wins, some time in World Cup stadiums and plenty of friendly press. Cut to June 2026, and the pair of friendlies against the next World Cup host, Brazil, and you could not ask for a more opposite experience on the pitch. (They still got plenty of summer sun, at least.)
For a USWNT that has essentially escaped the historical problem of how to balance a youth movement against a whole collection of vets who paved the way, the atmosphere in São Paulo and Fortaleza might provide a reason for Hayes to rate on-field leadership and who can keep a cool head as she builds the complete roster for 2027.
There's also the power of fighting fire with fire. (I say fire as it is something that you can lose control of if you're not careful!) Emily Sonnett escaped that second friendly without a card, but she also masterfully got under Brazil's skin long after the final whistle — prompting Marta to chase after her in her Instagram stories, tagging Sonnett for her "acting abilities."
It is a deeply delicate balance to strike, but the U.S. learned firsthand how much of a factor the crowd will be next summer. Planning for it is a must. — Linehan
The potential player pool heading into the World Cup feels vast. However, as we mentioned before, this was by design. When it comes to the squad Hayes will bring in for World Cup qualifiers, she seems to already have in her mind who those players will be. Their availability remains unseen. So, it is best to be prepared for all scenarios, which brings us to the USWNT bubble.
One of the biggest names in the bubble right now is Macario, whom we have talked about at length. If you asked us a year ago, she would have been a lock for the World Cup roster. But her lengthy time away from the team is certainly cause for concern. The window for her to return to this roster and gain meaningful minutes with this group is closing. Whether she returns to club following the NWSL pause, and how fit she is when doing so, will play a huge factor.
If we assume Hayes is bringing goalkeepers Tullis-Joyce, Dickey and McGlynn to Brazil, then on the immediate bubble is Jane Campbell and Jordan Silkowitz, who traveled to Brazil in June with the U-23s. As for defenders, this category feels less straightforward — especially concerning Girma's availability. On the immediate bubble are Lilly Reale, Emily Sams and Tara Rudd, with players like Ayo Oke and Jordyn Bugg further down the line.
The midfielder pool, however, seems set, with very little room to break in. That's not to say it is not possible. One of the players tapping at that roster door is Bethune, who won Olympic Gold with the U.S. in Paris . There are also players like Hal Hershfelt and 20-year-old Riley Jackson. When player injuries sidelined some would-be call-ups for June camp, it was explicitly stated that this opened room for Rudd, Bethune and Jackson. That's worth remembering.
Lastly, we have the forward pool, which may be the most intriguing position, especially with Triple Espresso back in the mix. Swanson, right now, remains on the bubble, as she works back to playing meaningful minutes with the U.S. We already mentioned Macario, but there are other players like Ally Sentnor, Michelle Cooper, Emma Sears and Jameese Joseph who have become regular call-ups for the U.S. but may not be locks just yet. Further down the line, you have players like Yazmeen Ryan, who debuted with the national team under Hayes. There's also the potential for young breakout players like NWSL rookie Jordynn Dudley, who, depending on how the rest of this year goes, could offer a promising option for Hayes if necessary.
Any of these players could be on the 2027 roster; it really just depends on who you ask . – Anzidei
Swanson's return to the national team resulted in a natural reshuffling of the attacking depth chart. I've had reservations about Sears that predate Swanson's journey back to the pitch, and while we are still yet to see Swanson in action for the U.S., I've seen enough from her performances with the Chicago Stars to estimate where she'll be and what she'll be able to offer by the end of the year, much less a year from now. I feel similarly about Cooper, who battled an injury last year and has been fantastic coming off the bench for the U.S. ever since she's been back.
Sears' finishing is not consistent enough, nor is her pace exceptional enough, to justify her getting a nod over Cooper or Swanson, much less Alyssa Thompson or Rodman. Her height affords her an aerial edge that could be beneficial, but she seldom scores goals that way. It doesn't help that Sears' club, Racing Louisville, has struggled this season, offering her fewer chances to impress. — Griffin
Emily Fox .She has missed a handful of games over the past couple of years (sometimes just so she could hopefully take an extended nap), but she's been the most consistent presence on the USWNT backline and is crucial to the team's defensive chemistry. — Linehan
Rose Lavelle .She is one of the midfielders who I think needs to be on this roster. With her creativity and experience, she brings something that is so uniquely her as a player. Her only downside is her injury history, but a healthy Lavelle is lethal. Plus, she has proven her ability to come off the bench and be a real game-changer. She is considered one of the best midfielders in the world for a reason. Why leave a player like that at home? — Anzidei
Alyssa Thompson.For all the talk of Triple Espresso, this has felt like Thompson's moment for some time now. Thompson has been the most consistent presence in the U.S. attack ever since the team came down from its Olympic gold medal run and began preparing for 2027, and has had the most experience playing with Triple Espresso and the players brought in during their absence, like Cooper, Sentnor, Macario and others. — Griffin
This article originally appeared in The Athletic .
US Women's national team, NWSL, Women's Soccer, FIFA Women's World Cup
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