USWNT World Cup final path hinges on Hayes’ big calls, ESPN says
ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf says the USWNT remain a 2027 favorite, but injuries, goalkeeping and the draw could decide their route.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The USWNT World Cup final question is back on the table with one year to go before the 2027 title match, and ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf says the Americans are both a leading contender and a team with real problems to solve.
The U.S. women are ranked No. 2 in the world and won Olympic gold in 2024, their last major tournament, after the bruising reset that followed their worst Women’s World Cup finish in 2023. That exit came in the round of 16 against Sweden on penalties, after the two-time defending champions had never previously finished lower than third at the tournament.
Kassouf’s view is blunt: the USWNT have not fallen off so much as the field has become far nastier. Portugal nearly knocked the Americans out in the 2023 group stage and later beat them in a friendly, while Spain won the 2023 World Cup for the first time.
Will the USWNT make the 2027 World Cup final?
ESPN’s analysis says the answer depends on whether Emma Hayes can turn a deeper, younger squad into a settled tournament team. Hayes has handed 32 players their U.S. debuts in her first 32 games, a program record according to Kassouf, and has helped build up the U-23 setup as a pipeline for the senior team.
That overhaul has already produced fresh names around the core. Kassouf pointed to forward Alyssa Thompson and midfielder Claire Hutton as emerging players, while Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson are described as locked-in starters in strong club form.
The front line remains the glittering prize. Rodman, Wilson and Mallory Swanson, the trio dubbed “Triple Espresso,” scored 10 of the USWNT’s 12 goals at the 2024 Olympics, according to ESPN. Kassouf wrote that the Americans need their biggest players at peak level in 2027 because the margins are now thin.
The contrast with 2023 is stark. ESPN noted the U.S. generated 9.30 expected goals at that World Cup but scored only four times, three of them against Vietnam. Swanson, who had been one of the team’s top attackers, was injured shortly before the tournament.
Health is also a headline issue in defense. Kassouf called Naomi Girma the team’s best defender and one of the world’s best when fit, but noted she has dealt with injuries since joining Chelsea.
Who replaces Alyssa Naeher in goal?
Alyssa Naeher retired from international soccer after the Olympics, and ESPN says the starting goalkeeper job is still unsettled. Kassouf named Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Claudia Dickey and Mandy McGlynn as the main contenders.
The uncertainty is not fatal yet. Kassouf noted Naeher herself entered the 2019 World Cup with only seven caps before helping the U.S. win it. By 2027, though, Hayes will need a clear No. 1 who has built trust with the back line.
The midfield puzzle may be just as tricky. Hayes used Sam Coffey, Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Heaps at the 2024 Olympics, but Hutton and Lily Yohannes have since pushed into the conversation. ESPN said different opponents may demand different combinations, from extra defensive cover to more passing craft.
The schedule will test that flexibility. The U.S. are set to host world No. 1 Spain for two October friendlies, then face El Salvador in a win-and-in World Cup qualifying quarterfinal at the end of the year. Kassouf also stressed that the U.S. still has to qualify.
Then comes the draw. ESPN noted FIFA’s 2027 draw rules were not yet specific as of Kassouf’s writing, and a possible path through host Brazil or Spain in the quarterfinals would make the road to a fifth World Cup title far rougher.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.