USWNT Faces Make-or-Break Moment: How Soon Will 2026 Bring the Ultimate Test?
The moment for the U.S. women's national team to become fully focused is approaching, though not immediately.
Speaking to reporters in January following the announcement of her training camp roster, head coach Emma Hayes was candid about her selections.
"What I've discovered in this role is that you can only choose the players who are accessible," Hayes explained. "I believe it's quite reasonable to state that, heading into the SheBelieves [Cup], that roster will be narrowed down. Without doubt, I will select the most competitive possible squads, starting from February forward."
Naturally, assessing a squad, testing younger or less-seasoned players, and assembling any collection of top-tier international athletes remains a significant undertaking. Even with the acknowledgment that this isn't the final lineup or the optimal group of players.
Therefore, if the USWNT's January international period isn't the "most competitive possible," what insights can we anticipate gaining from this training camp and exhibition matches?
Why is the USWNT meeting outside of a FIFA window?
Why is the USWNT convening outside of a FIFA window?
An important consideration when analyzing the USWNT's January camp is that it occurs outside a FIFA window.
Because the United States, along with numerous countries in the Americas, operates seasons running from spring through fall, January represents an additional chance to bring players together at the beginning of the domestic preseason. This approach isn't utilized by European nations, or even leading countries like Brazil, since their athletes are actively competing in club football.
Therefore, the USWNT's January camp includes the limitation that the team will be missing players who don't compete domestically in the National Women's Soccer League. This excludes Naomi Girma, Emily Fox, Alyssa Thompson, Catarina Macario, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Sam Coffey, Lily Yohannes and Lindsey Heaps. That represents eight potential starting players.
Additionally, because of the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup occurring between Jan. 28 and Feb. 1, no NJ/NY Gotham FC players will participate, creating an even more experimental squad for Hayes.
The January camp provides the USWNT an advantage to assemble when other top nations cannot. However, simultaneously, the window truly functions as a stage for players further down the depth chart to receive additional exposure and match time.
Who are the USWNT's opponents in the January window?
Who will the USWNT face during the January window?
Once more, due to scheduling limitations, South or Central American competition are typically better positioned to make the journey to the United States during this uncommon window.
The USWNT will face Paraguay at Dignity Health Sports Park, near Los Angeles, on Saturday, Jan. 24, before traveling north along the coast to Santa Barbara, Calif., to meet Chile at Harder Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Paraguay and Chile hold positions 46 and 47, respectively, in the FIFA world rankings, and will similarly only have access to players competing in American leagues.
Since 2020, the opposition for the exhibition matches in the domestic January window have included Haiti, Panama and Colombia. In January 2023, during summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the USWNT traveled to New Zealand as part of its preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
In 2024, no matches occurred in the January window due to the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup scheduled for February. In 2025, the USWNT chose to conduct an identification camp that brought the USWNT closer together with the USWNT under-23 age group.
What comes next after this January window?
What follows this January window?
The previous year was characterized by experimentation for the USWNT. There were 16 debuts awarded in 2025, bringing the total number of first-time players under Hayes to 27 since she assumed the manager role in May 2024.
Happy to be back ☺️ pic.twitter.com/zRCiRHVwSg
Hayes has included another five first-time senior selections for this January window: Sally Menti, Maddie Dahlien, Riley Jackson, Reilyn Turner and Ayo Oke. The 26-player January camp squad averages 6.3 caps per player. Inexperience defines this gathering.
Following Avery Patterson—a 2025 debutant who has made a significant impact over the past year—withdrawing due to illness, Oke was a late addition to the January camp.
As Hayes has clearly stated, she can only select those who are available. And this January camp has extremely restricted availability. With prominent stars like Mal Swanson and Sophia Wilson also anticipated to return from maternity leave in 2026, there's a strong possibility that this year will witness one of the most intense competitions for roster positions in recent memory.
What is definitely evident is that we will have a much clearer picture of who is spearheading the effort to be included in the USWNT squad for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup once we observe the roster for the SheBelieves Cup.
The 2026 SheBelieves Cup is scheduled to occur between March 1 and March 7, with Argentina, Canada and Colombia designated as the three opponents. Those exhibition matches will be held in Nashville, Columbus, Ohio, and Harrison, N.J.
Following that, the squad will be refined until qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup commence in November. Therefore, by the conclusion of 2026 it will become serious for the USWNT. Extremely serious indeed.
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Theo Lloyd-Hughes is a writer for Sports Illustrated Soccer based in the Southern United States. Originally from England, he can often be found in a press box across the NWSL or at international matches featuring the USWNT and other Concacaf nations.