‘We want a gold medal’ – USWNT set ultimate Olympic Games target by captain Lindsey Horan as Emma Hayes prepares to lead quest for ‘excellence’ in Paris

Emma Hayes is preparing to lead the United States into that tournament, in what will be her first shot at success since taking on one of the most demanding roles in world football. The expectation is that a star-studded squad will launch a serious bid for gold in France.

Horan, who continues to revel in the role of talismanic captain of her country, admits that nobody in the U.S. camp is setting their sights on anything less than first place. She has said of their collective ambition: “We want a gold medal at the end of the day and that’s what we’re striving to do.”

The USWNT endured an uncharacteristic flop at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but have responded by landing W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup honours. Horan added on chasing an Olympic dream: “This is a team that strives for excellence. We always want to be at the top of the podium at the end of the day. After the World Cup, we really regrouped and we’ve been working extremely hard over this past year and especially these last few months. With Emma coming in and everything that she’s done and contributed, it’s a very exciting time. You look at the young players coming in, the leaders on this team, the big mesh of what we have, what you’re going to see and what’s in store for us is incredible.”

The United States had to settle for bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2023. They had previously emerged triumphant in four out of five events between 1996 and 2012 – finishing as runners-up in 2000. With everyone determined to get back on the gold medal trail, the USWNT will be a force to be reckoned with in the French capital.