Predicting the USWNT’s 2027 Women’s World Cup starting lineup

if 2027 women’s world cup Seems too far, think again.

Now that US women’s national team has won the 2026 edition of SheBelieves CupHead coach Emma Hayes has only six more international windows until she needs to name her World Cup squad.

Hayes has begun reducing the USWNT player pool in recent months. As he and his staff refine their strategy, one big question remains over the next 15 months: Who will Hayes count on as his starting lineup when the tournament begins in Brazil?

Hayes has embarked on a historic level of experimentation over the past year: 32 international debuts in her first 32 matches, far more than any other USWNT coach over the same period. But that makes it even more difficult to decide what his favorite lineup is.

We are up for the challenge, but first, a nota good Regarding specifics: A “favorite” lineup asks the question, “Favorites against whom?” Hayes said the same thing last week when he talked repeatedly about preparing this new group of players for “tournament football,” where games must be won in different ways.

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“What I do know is that we have to keep building our relationships as much as possible,” Hayes said Friday. “I’ve made it clear this year that especially in a three-game window, there will be two teams that will play — maybe not all the time — but so we get a chance to develop connections for a group of players over two games; one group, one game. That, to me, is the bigger priority.”

World Cup group stages typically feature a wide range of opponent qualities and styles, meaning that there are planned rotations within those games and that a “strongest” starting lineup will mean two different things against two different opponents. For example: a group stage game against a low-ranked team expected to finish bottom will require an attacking midfield, but a match against a world heavyweight a few days later may require a double pivot and more defensive cover.

Those opponents will not be known at least until the World Cup draw, which is likely to take place later this year. And a lot is sure to happen from a roster perspective between now and the 2027 World Cup, from injuries and withdrawals to dips in form.

With those acknowledgments established, let’s take a look at what Hayes’ World Cup lineup could look like in June 2027, using everything we know about his picks to date and the ideologies he’s put in place to create our hypothesis. To be clear, this is not the one we would choose – this is the way we think Hayes is thinking.

Post-Alyssa Naeher The era has shaped up to be a two-horse race between Tullis-Joyce and Dickie. He has received almost equal playing time over the past year, with Tullis-Joyce’s brief injury absence added to his total caps.

This race was hardly decided, but Tullis-Joyce impressed on his debut brazil and earned a start in the live demonstration game of the SheBelieves Cup. Canada. Hayes has spoken about the growth he has seen in Tullis-Joyce both with the ball and as a vocal leader.

Dickie is equally deserving of a starting role for his brilliant shot-stopping (half-jokingly dubbed “The Claw”). seattle reign teammates) and can still claim the starting spot. By reading the tea leaves as closely as possible from the outside, Tullis-Joyce discovers the situation inside.

Barring injury, Girma, at center back, and Fox, at right fullback, are locks. Each is among the best in the world in its respective position.

That opposite fullback is one of the big questions about this back line. Patterson has an exceptional combination of game awareness and athleticism and could still be the answer. Gisele Thompson can boast similar qualities, as well as the X factor of her unspoken relationship with her sister Alyssa.

However, Reale seems to have the inside track on the situation. She can also push to get involved in the attack like Gisele Thompson and has strong defensive stature like Patterson. flourished for riley Gotham FC Last year, she helped the team win the NWSL championship and the CONCACAF crown while earning NWSL Rookie of the Year honors.

An even bigger question looms around Girma’s center partner, and the player who can’t be forgotten in that discussion is Davidson, who tore his ACL about a year ago. The Girma-Davidson combination was Hayes’ preference at the 2024 Olympics (but for Davidson’s minor injury), where the USWNT won the gold medal. The problem is that they have played together only once since then due to injuries, the most serious of which was Davidson’s torn ACL – the second time in three years and that in itself is a concern.

Davidson was re-activated by Gotham and re-appointed as club captain ahead of the 2025 season. She is naturally left-footed and a clear complement to Girma. Health and durability will be his biggest questions, but he has more than a year to reintegrate.

Meanwhile, the ubiquitous and ever-reliable Sonet continues to perform at center back. It is entirely possible that Sonnett starts after Girma in the World Cup.

Tara Rudd’s stock is also rising as a more attacking centre-back option after coming off the bench against Colombia and shutting down the electric Linda Caicedo in several one-vs-ones.

Peak Laval season has been upon us since last year. If Lavelle’s current form – and, as always, his good health – continues, Lavelle could be the first name on the team sheet. The USWNT has no similar replacement for Lavelle, as Canada coach Casey Stoney acknowledged after Wednesday’s 1-0 USWNT win forces opponents to adjust.

Coffey is also a shoo-in for the holding midfielder role, whether in a double or single pivot. His game is evolving along with his leadership and his recent move to Manchester City Will only add layers to his already excellent game. Together, Coffey’s ability to lie from deep and Lavelle’s intuitive attacking prowess provide the yin and yang in midfield.

Who balances them and how becomes a tension point for Hayes.

Heaps is the team captain and its most experienced player, whose technical and tactical skills have been undervalued by the wider public. She will be 33 when the World Cup starts, which is relatively high on a team suddenly made up of 20-somethings. There are legitimate questions to ask about durability, but that’s why Hayes is developing depth.

A Coffey-Heaps-Laval midfield is still an option. Yes, this trio was overlooked at times during that Olympic gold medal run. And yes, the status quo seems like an unusually safe game for a disruptor like Hayes.

But there are two things at work here: First, Hayes is likely to lean on veterans as the backbone of the team, a concept he has discussed in the past. Second, the increased depth means Heaps (and Lavelle and Coffey for that matter) should get a chance to rest at the World Cup, at least with a favorable draw.

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Former USWNT coach Jill Ellis did this successfully at the 2019 World Cup, swapping out all 10 outfield players in the second group game to manage a roster of veterans and plan for the knockout stage.

Yohannes, who will turn 20 just before the World Cup, is one of the most technically gifted emerging midfielders. Hayes spoke again last week about the evolution of the combination of players in his game rotation, and Heaps and Yohannes, who are currently teammates. ol lyonnesAre naturally symbiotic.

Yohannes is an excellent talent with excellent vision who will likely be a starter for the next decade. Hutton, in a more defensive-minded role, appears to be the other long-term midfield foundation for the USWNT. Both Yohannes and Hutton are on track to start some games at the World Cup when the situation calls for it.

[Deep exhale] Front-line decisions are the reason Hayes earns large sums of money (the “highest-paid women’s soccer coach in the world” according to US Soccer at the time of her appointment, more than $1 million annually, according to sources at the time).

Wilson and Swanson are in their return-to-play programming after giving birth, and the self-proclaimed Triple A’s — with Rodman now back on the field after injuries — could reunite in 2027. Surely, that’s what Hayes would want, right?

Yes and no. Hayes cannot ignore the fact that Alyssa Thompson, their most consistent, in-form winger, is now splitting time between goalscoring goals. nwsl And Women’s Super League Last year’s security. The 21-year-old has the undeniable ability to dribble over defenders with pace and catch teams in transition. He cannot be released now.

Rodman, as long as he stays healthy, is unique in that way. She brings an X factor of creative flair and swagger to this team, which epitomizes confidence at any given moment. His nose for the goal is innate.

He leaves the number 9 role up for grabs. Macario had staked his claim for 2025, but Wilson will do the same this year as she returns from maternity leave. Who earns the starting World Cup role will be less an indictment of any player’s qualities and more a referendum on how Hayes wants to play.

Macario is a back-to-goal false 9 who loves to combine. Wilson will stretch the defense and run at defenders. Wilson is also going to add an element of defensive pressure up the field. One may be great for a certain opponent, and another may be useful in a different match.

So good news? Imagine moving any of Swanson, Wilson, Macario or Alyssa Thompson off the bench. And then there are Shaw and Santner, who can play in the front four positions.

USWNT World Cup Lineup

So, what does all this mean for the World Cup?

The USWNT’s “Best XI” is all about finding the right combination in the right game from a pool of 15 or more players.

You can see what we estimate the lineup might look like if the USWNT takes an aggressive approach (as it did recently) argentina), and if Hayes feels he needs more cover in a more heavyweight match – Canada’s two recent fixtures are solid examples of this.

In the offensive model, Yohannes has the freedom to distribute and be a playmaker (as he did against). Italy Recently) without too much worry about the USWNT counterattacking.

In a more compact model, Hutton and Coffey are a double pivot with Lavelle as the playmaker (a relatively frequent combination over the past year), Reale is the more conservative fullback, and Alyssa Thompson and Rodman are tasked with staying behind as Macario draws defenders out of position.

Whatever approach the USWNT goes with, expect Tullis-Joyce to be in goal as the No. 1.