Anyone who has followed the U.S. women’s national team for a certain amount of time has heard the question posed dozens of times: Has the rest of the world caught up to the USWNT?
The U.S. has been the dominant force in the women’s game in the modern era, winning four of eight Olympic gold medals and four of nine Women’s World Cups.
But the U.S. hasn’t won a major tournament since the 2019 World Cup, finishing with a bronze medal at the Olympics in 2021 and losing in the round of 16 in the 2023 World Cup.
New USWNT head coach Emma Hayes doesn’t just believe the rest of the world has caught the U.S., but that it has surpassed them as well.
In some ways, the last few years have made that concept fairly clear: The USWNT has faltered at back-to-back major tournaments, while the balance of power has shifted to Europe with Spain now the world’s top team.
But in an interview with ESPN’s “Futbol Americas,” Hayes did not hesitate to lay out the scale of her challenge as she arrived in the U.S. to finally take charge of the team.
“The rest of the world has caught up. If anything, I think we have to close the gap,” Hayes said. “I think in Europe in particular, the investment into the game, not just internationally but domestically has meant that there is no gap whatsoever.”
Part of the reason for Europe’s ascendence, according to the former Chelsea coach, comes from the growth of the club game.
“I think on some levels [European teams] might have more exposures to more experiences more diverse experiences. Like I said the European Championships, the Champions League competition, so we have to learn quickly.”
Hayes will have to learn quickly herself, as she deals with a tight timeline after only coming over from England this week.
On Tuesday, Hayes named her first roster as USWNT head coach, selecting 23 players for the team’s two friendlies against South Korea next month. Her first game as USWNT coach will be on June 1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.
In July, Hayes will have to name an 18-player Olympic roster, with the USWNT kicking off the Olympics against Zambia on July 25.
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