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The U.S. Women’s National Team is set for its toughest challenge of 2026 before turning its attention to World Cup qualifying, as it prepares to host world No. 1 Spain for two friendly matches in October. The first game will take place on October 10 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET, followed by a second encounter three days later at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, at 7 p.m. ET. The opening match will also include a tribute to recently retired USWNT legend Crystal Dunn.

‘Two more fantastic matches’

Head coach Emma Hayes highlighted the importance of facing the world’s top teams ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign.

“Two more fantastic matches,” said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes. “We’ve been eager to have Spain on our schedule, but everyone knows how difficult it is to arrange fixtures with the top sides during the women’s international calendar. To have these two matches on the East Coast will be the perfect tests before we move into World Cup qualifying at the end of the year.”

So far in 2026, the USWNT holds an overall record of 8-2-0 (wins-losses-draws), outscoring opponents 22 to 4. Spain, however, are top-ranked for good reason. The European champions secured direct qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after dominating their UEFA qualifying campaign. A 4-0 victory against England in Mallorca on June 5 followed by a 6-1 triumph over Iceland in Reykjavik four days later ensured they topped Group C, allowing them to avoid the UEFA playoffs scheduled for the October FIFA international window.

U.S. history against Spain

Spain’s rise in women’s football is a relatively recent phenomenon, which explains why La Roja and the USWNT have only met four times previously.

The Americans claimed victory in the first three encounters: 1-0 in Alicante in early 2019, 2-1 in the Round of 16 at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Reims, and 1-0 at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup in Harrison, New Jersey.

Spain earned their first-ever win over the USWNT in their most recent meeting, a 2-0 triumph in Pamplona in 2022. Less than a year later, La Roja went on to capture the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, marking their debut as world champions.

USWNT outlook

For the USWNT, the October fixtures represent another major test against one of the world’s elite teams. These will be the 18th and 19th matches in U.S. history featuring the top two teams in the FIFA rankings, with the Americans unbeaten in the previous 17, holding an 11W-0L-6D record. The first match will also be the USWNT’s fourth appearance at Audi Field, where they last defeated Canada 3-0 in July 2025. The second fixture will be their 10th at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. The U.S. remained unbeaten in their first nine outings at the home of the Philadelphia Union before suffering a 2-1 loss to Portugal there in October 2025.

What lies ahead?

The friendlies against Spain will act as the USWNT’s final preparation before the 2026 CONCACAF W Championship, scheduled from November 27 to December 5 in Texas. The tournament will determine which nations from the region qualify for the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games. The United States will open their campaign against El Salvador in the quarterfinals, where a win will be enough to secure a berth at the World Cup.