Emma Hayes names 23 players for first games of 2025

The roster, the build toward the next World Cup, and players moving to Europe.

If 2024 was the year of redemption, then 2025 is the year of … relentless reminders that they never dropped off? Surprise upsets against lower-ranked teams, which shouldn’t surprise us anymore? Entertaining limbo with star players unavailable most of the time? (More) fun?

I suppose only time will tell the type of year we’ll have.

But the US Women’s National Team are set to play their first international games of the year this month, as Colombia, Australia and Japan await in the 10th SheBelieves Cup. Yesterday, Emma Hayes dropped the 23-player roster set to usher in this as-of-yet unnamed year.

12 of 22 gold medalists

As has been the case for a few camps now, a few massive names won’t play in this window. With the NWSL season still a month away, key players that are resting or returning from injury include Rose Lavelle, Naomi Girma (who just moved to Chelsea for a record sum), and the three-person front line that combined for 10 goals at the Olympics: Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith (now Wilson), and Trinity Rodman.

While of course any missed opportunity to see those players perform (or to test the team at its full force) is a disappointment, getting rest to players that need it is worth the wait.

In the meantime, Hayes continues to prioritize experience for a wider pool of talent as she builds toward her team for the next World Cup. She’s named four uncapped players in a roster that includes 10 players with no more than four appearances for the USA.

Hayes, on player availability and her priorities now:

“We're in block three, what we call block three of our build towards qualifying for the World Cup. So, I can only select the players that are available to me. I can't select players that are unavailable for whatever reasons. So as far as I'm concerned … I see this as a great opportunity to develop less experienced players in a tournament-type setting, in these games. And from now until the end of June, I suspect there will be a fair bit of experimenting with the available players that I can select.”

Asked by Steve Goff of The Washington Post whether she preferred to have the “Triple Espresso” first-choice front line in camp (or this unique chance to see players like Yazmeen Ryan, Alyssa Thompson or Emma Sears tested against top teams) Hayes said:

“The way I view it is I just control what I can control. So they're not available. So, I don't have to think about it. Of course, I would love those players to be with us, but they're not.”

She continued, “So, what an opportunity it is for everyone else to develop as a result of that. And like I said, I'd rather take these learnings now, than I would say six months in the lead up to a major tournament.”

The build toward 2027