USWNT lines up heavyweight Spain friendlies ahead of 2027 World Cup

With the women’s World Cup a year away, the top-ranked teams — Spain and the U.S. — have agreed to play a pair of heavyweight friendlies this fall. Spain — the reigning world champion ranked No. 1 by FIFA — and the U.S. — the defending Olympic gold medalist positioned second — will clash Oct. 10 at Washington’s Audi Field and again three days later at Subaru Park in suburban Philadelphia, the federations announced Monday. Both teams will use the friendlies to continue preparations for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Spain has already qualified, while the U.S. will need only to defeat No. 78 El Salvador at the Concacaf W Championship in November in Greater Dallas to secure passage. “Two more fantastic matches,” U.S. coach Emma Hayes said in a written statement. “We’ve desperately wanted to get Spain on our schedule, but the difficulties of scheduling the top teams during the women’s international calendar are well known, so to be able to get these two games on the East Coast will be the perfect tests before we head into World Cup qualifying at the end of the year.” Tickets will go on sale to the general public Thursday. The U.S. will train at the new national training center outside of Atlanta for several days before arriving in Washington. The USWNT will face reigning world champion Spain twice this October as the USWNT continues preparing for the 2027 World Cup. Robin Alam/ISI Photos via Getty Images The Spain friendlies will mark the first U.S. action since visiting No. 7 Brazil last month: a 2-1 loss and 1-0 victory. The U.S. has not clashed with Spain since an October 2022 away friendly, won by the Spaniards, 2-0, in Pamplona. The only three previous encounters were won by the Americans. Spain features three of the best players in the world: Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí, the Ballon d’Or winner the past three years; Arsenal forward Mariona Caldentey; and London City Lionesses midfielder Alexia Putellas, a two-time Ballon d’Or recipient who this summer ended her 14-year Barcelona tenure. Spain’s only three setbacks since finishing fourth at the 2024 Olympics were to fourth-ranked England, including the European Championship final in a shootout last summer. Four-time world champions, the Americans have retained elite status, even as Hayes has experimented with lineups, implemented young players and been without her vaunted “Triple Espresso” attack for two years. The frontline of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson is on course to play together this fall for the first time since the Olympics. Wilson and Swanson missed extended time while on maternity leave. The Spain matches are the latest in a series of tests against world powers following two victories and a defeat at home against No. 5 Japan in the spring and the Brazil games in June. According to the U.S. Soccer Federation, the Spain games are also the 18th and 19th in U.S. history featuring games involving the world’s top-ranked teams. (Fifteen were against Germany and one apiece against Norway and England.) The Americans are 11-0-6 in such encounters. Before the match in Washington, the U.S. will honor retired star Crystal Dunn, the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League MVP as a member of the Washington Spirit. The first 2,000 fans to arrive will receive a Dunn bobblehead. Hayes’ team played at Audi Field last summer, defeating Canada in a friendly, 3-0. The decision to play there again shouldn’t come as a surprise: Spirit owner Michele Kang is a major U.S. women’s soccer benefactor. The second match against Spain is the Americans’ 10th visit to Chester, Pennsylvania. They were unbeaten there until losing to Portugal, 2-1, last October.