GOAL predicts how the the top USWNT players will do abroad in 2026, from Girma, Thompson and Macario at Chelsea to Heaps and Yohannes at Lyon, Tullis-Joyce at United and Fox at Arsenal.
From Christian Pulisic’s individual success to the USMNT exiting the World Cup earlier than hoped, GOAL outlines its predictions for American soccer in 2026.
Chris Richards, Lily Yohannes, and more headline GOAL’s 2025 USMNT and USWNT Awards, breaking down the players, moments and transfers that defined American soccer’s year.
GOAL reviews the top USWNT performances abroad in 2025, from Girma, Thompson and Macario at Chelsea to Heaps and Yohannes at Lyon, Tullis-Joyce at United and Fox at Arsenal.
As the NWSL’s proposed “High Impact Player” rule continues to generate discussion, USWNT and Chelsea forward Cat Macario is reportedly drawing interest from several NWSL clubs. Macario’s contract with Chelsea expires in July, but under FIFA regulations, she will be eligible to sign a pre-contract with a new team beginning in January.
GOAL reviews the top USWNT Abroad performances as Girma helped Chelsea get a big Champions League win, and Yohannes and Tullis-Joyce impressed over the weekend.
Sophia Wilson will return to the Portland Thorns for the 2026 NWSL season after exercising the player option in her contract. The 25-year-old U.S. women’s national team forward missed the 2025 campaign while on maternity leave, but is set to resume her career with the club where it began after she was selected No. 1 in the 2020 NWSL College Draft, and became a central figure in Portland’s sustained success.
Mic'd Up: The analyst revealed all on Women's Sevens, broke down the Trinity Rodman contract dispute, and explained why some of the USWNT's top talents are looking abroad.
With Washington pushing to retain Rodman, new league mechanisms emerging, and Europe circling, her decision could redefine what comes next for both player and league.
The U.S. women’s national team will close out January with a friendly against 45th-ranked Chile in Santa Barbara, Calif., marking the program’s first international match in the city. The USWNT will face Chile at UC Santa Barbara, the same campus where the team first held a training camp in 1991 before winning the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.
Several players showed up for the pair of friendlies vs. Italy, led by Cat Macario's three goals, Jaedyn Shaw's first goal on the year, and a two-game shutout from Claudia Dickey.
Cat Macario shined, Jaedyn Shaw delivered a statement, and Emma Hayes couldn’t stop smiling as the USWNT capped 2025 with another dominant win over Italy.
U.S. international Trinity Rodman said she is still weighing her next move as her contract with the Washington Spirit nears its end, noting that emotions and timing are shaping a decision she hasn’t made yet. Her deal expired after Sunday’s NWSL final against Gotham FC, officially making her a free agent and leaving her at a potential career crossroads.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will open 2026 with its annual January training camp in Southern California, holding sessions at Dignity Health Sports Park from Jan. 17–27. The camp will include a friendly against Paraguay on Jan. 24, featuring a special retirement celebration for Los Angeles native Christen Press, before a second match on Jan. 27 that will be announced at a later date.
Naomi Girma has returned to the U.S. women’s national team as manager Emma Hayes named a 26-player squad for the year-ending friendlies against Italy. Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce misses out after suffering an eye socket fracture, while Trinity Rodman was not called in following a limited appearance in the Washington Spirit’s playoff win last weekend.
Manchester United and USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has suffered a fractured eye socket, with medical assessments confirming she is facing a spell on the sidelines. The 28-year-old missed United’s historic Women's Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain and was seen wearing sunglasses alongside teammates, with the club insisting player safety remains the priority as she recovers.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
USA.JPG?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.JPG?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
