​The world’s two top-ranked teams will meet in October as the United States Women’s National Team prepares for a crucial pair of friendlies against Spain, the No. 1 squad in the FIFA rankings. U.S. Soccer announced today that the USWNT, currently ranked second, will host Spain in two high-stakes matches on the East Coast. The opener is set for October 10 at Audi Field in Washington, DC, with the rematch following on October 13 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. The October 10 game will include a ceremonial pregame tribute to USWNT legend Crystal Dunn, who retired ahead of the current season. Dunn began her storied career with the Washington Spirit, earned the NWSL MVP award in 2015 while with the Spirit, and later helped the United States capture the 2019 Women’s World Cup title.
With no September international window, the October fixtures represent the final window for the USWNT to tune up ahead of the 2026 Concacaf W Championship. The World Cup qualifying tournament will take place during the November–December window and will determine qualification paths for both the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Although the United States has already secured a spot in the Olympics, victory in their first match of the Concacaf W Championship remains essential to securing direct qualification for next year’s Women’s World Cup.
“Two more fantastic matches,” said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes in a prepared statement. “We’ve longed to face Spain on our schedule, and the challenges of arranging top opponents within the women’s international calendar are well documented. Being able to lock in these two games on the East Coast provides the perfect tests before we turn our focus to World Cup qualifying later this year.”
Spain earned direct qualification for the Women’s World Cup by topping their UEFA qualifying group, which made them available for the October window. The two programs have met only four times previously, with Spain claiming a 2-0 victory in Pamplona in October 2022 as their most recent encounter. The USWNT has won the other three meetings: a 1-0 friendly in 2019, a 2-1 victory in the 2019 Women’s World Cup Round of 16, and a 1-0 triumph at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup. These two nations now renew their series as the world’s two leading programs collide on the East Coast, offering high-level competition and a preview of what promises to be a pivotal period in women’s international soccer.