The United States will test itself against the world's best women's soccer team this fall. The USWNT will host No. 1-ranked Spain on October 10 in Washington DC and again three days later in Chester, Pennsylvania, setting up a pair of friendlies between the sport's two most decorated recent champions.
Spain won the 2023 Women's World Cup. The US claimed Olympic gold in 2024. Both teams are now using the October matches as preparation for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, where they will ultimately compete for another title.
The timing carries extra weight for American soccer. The second match falls just weeks before the Concacaf W Championship in late November, which serves as World Cup qualifying for teams in the North American region. Spain has already secured a spot at the tournament in Brazil, but the US must perform well in November to advance.
The US enters the Spain series off a mixed run in June friendlies against host Brazil. They lost the first match 2-1, with all the scoring compressed into the opening 15 minutes. The second game ended 1-0 in favor of the Americans, though it devolved into chaos that produced eight red cards, most of them issued after the final whistle.
Spain arrives as the more dominant force on paper. They steamrolled through World Cup qualifying with five wins and one loss, posting a plus-18 goal differential. Their squad includes Alexia Putellas, who recently joined London City Lionesses, and Aitana Bonmatí, the three-time Ballon d'Or winner and FIFA's reigning Best Women's Player.
History favors the Americans. The two teams have met only once before on US soil, a 1-0 victory for the US in the 2020 SheBelieves Cup. More broadly, the USWNT has never lost to a top-two ranked opponent in 18 previous matchups. The October contests will be meetings 18 and 19 against elite-ranked foes.
Author James Rodriguez: "Spain's pedigree is undeniable, but the US has proven time and again it thrives when the stakes are highest."
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