USWNT to face Mexico in New York with 1999 World Cup winners set to be honoured before penultimate Olympics warm-up game

The USWNT announced in a press release on Friday that they will host Mexico in a friendly match at Red Bull Arena, N.J., on July 13, in what will be their penultimate test before the 2024 Paris Olympics. Beyond the practice on the field, though, the legendary World Cup-winning side of 1999 will also be honoured before kick-off.

That game will mark the 25th anniversary summer of the USWNT's historic run to the World Cup final, where they beat China on a penalties in front of some 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. That victory helped catapult women's soccer in the states and helped change the course of women's sports globally.

Cindy Parlow Cone, who was a key member of that World Cup-winning team and is now U.S. Soccer President, said in a statement: "This will be a fun and inspirational weekend. The fans will get the chance to show their support for the team before they head to France while also celebrating our 1999 Women’s World Cup Team. This is a group of women who did so much for the sport and the impact of that team and tournament is still being felt 25 years later, especially as we bid for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. I can’t wait to see my teammates and friends.”

The friendly in July will be a rematch of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup group stage match against the two nations last month, which Mexico won 2-0. It will also be the third time the two sides will face each other at Red Bull Arena.

That matchup between the two Northern American powerhouses could have added significance depending on the vote for the upcoming 2027 Women's World Cup. The USA and Mexico have put together a joint bid for that showcase event, with the decision to be revealed by FIFA in May 2024. Brazil and a joint Belgium-Germany-Netherlands bid are the other two contenders.