Introduction
The USWNT vs Spain series is finally happening. U.S. Soccer confirmed Monday that the Americans will host world No. 1 and reigning World Cup champion Spain in back-to-back friendlies — Oct. 10 in Washington, D.C., and Oct. 13 in Chester, Pennsylvania. It’s the marquee opponent Emma Hayes has chased for years, and the toughest test the USWNT will face before its Concacaf World Cup qualifying push opens in November.
Key Takeaways
- The USWNT hosts Spain twice: Oct. 10 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. (2:30 p.m. ET, TBS/HBO Max), and Oct. 13 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. (7 p.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max).
- Spain has held the No. 1 FIFA Women’s World Ranking since August 2025 and is the reigning 2023 World Cup champion; the USWNT sits No. 2.
- The two teams have met only four times — the U.S. leads 3-1 — and Spain’s lone win, in 2022, came nine months before La Roja won its first World Cup.
- Spain already clinched automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in June by beating England 4-0 and Iceland 6-1 to top its qualifying group.
- October doubles as the USWNT’s last tune-up before a November Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against El Salvador, with 2027 World Cup qualification on the line.
USWNT vs Spain: The Announcement
U.S. Soccer confirmed the fixtures Monday, setting up the first meeting between the sport’s two top-ranked teams since 2022. The Oct. 10 match at Audi Field kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET, airing on TBS and HBO Max in English and Telemundo, Universo and Peacock in Spanish. Three days later, the teams shift north to Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on TNT and HBO Max.
The Audi Field date carries extra meaning for USWNT fans: it will include a pregame retirement celebration for longtime defender Crystal Dunn, the 2015 NWSL MVP with the Washington Spirit, whose home stadium is hosting the match. The first 2,000 fans through the gates receive a commemorative Dunn bobblehead. Presale tickets opened July 14, with public sale following July 16.
Hayes has made no secret of wanting Spain on the calendar. In U.S. Soccer’s official announcement, she called the fixtures “the perfect tests before we head into World Cup qualifying,” pointing to how difficult it typically is to schedule Europe’s top sides during the international calendar.
Why It Matters
Spain has sat at No. 1 since August 2025, when a run of five straight wins to the Euro 2025 final was enough to leapfrog the USWNT — even though Spain went on to lose that final to England on penalties. FIFA’s ranking formula weights competitive results more heavily than friendlies and doesn’t hand automatic credit for trophies alone, which is also why England’s Euro title only nudged the Lionesses up a single spot at the time. Spain has since extended its grip: in the most recent update, published June 16, 2026, Spain held firm at No. 1 while Germany passed England for third.
| Rank (16 Jun 2026) | Team | Points (21 Apr 2026) | Movement Since April |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 2,083.09 | Unchanged |
| 2 | United States | 2,054.65 | Unchanged |
| 3 | Germany | 2,021.78 | Up 1 |
| 4 | England | 2,038.72 | Down 1 |
| 5 | Japan | 2,011.27 | Unchanged |
| 6 | France | 1,975.60 | Up 1 |
| 7 | Brazil | 1,980.00 | Down 1 |
| 8 | Sweden | 1,961.22 | Unchanged |
| 9 | Canada | 1,934.88 | Unchanged |
| 10 | Netherlands | 1,929.32 | Unchanged |
Ranks reflect the June 16, 2026 FIFA edition. Points shown are from the last edition with fully published totals (April 21, 2026) and predate the qualifying results — including Spain’s 4-0 win over England — that drove the June reshuffle. Exact June point totals were not publicly confirmed at the time of writing. Source: FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking.
Why Won’t the USWNT Call This a “Measuring Stick”?
Spain arrives already qualified for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, having wrapped up UEFA Group C in June with a 4-0 win over England in Mallorca and a 6-1 rout of Iceland in Reykjavik — a run worth 15 points out of a possible 18 that let La Roja skip Europe’s playoff round entirely.
That form is exactly why outside observers have framed October as a proving ground for the USWNT against Europe’s best. Defensive midfielder Sam Coffey pushed back on that idea this week, telling ESPN the team’s approach won’t change based on the opponent. “We don’t have to do anything special,” she said, arguing that leaning into the group’s own identity matters more than chasing a specific result against a specific rival.
History adds an edge to that debate either way. Spain and the USWNT have met just four times: the Americans won the first three — 1-0 in Alicante in 2019, 2-1 in the 2019 World Cup round of 16, and 1-0 at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup — before Spain claimed its first-ever win over the U.S., 2-0 in Pamplona in October 2022. Nine months later, Spain won its first World Cup. Coffey earned one of her first caps in that 2022 match; she’s since become the USWNT’s starting defensive midfielder.
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the rankings, October carries real sentimental weight in Washington. Dunn’s Washington Spirit ties run through both club and country, and the pregame tribute gives her a proper sendoff at a stadium tied to some of her biggest moments in the sport.
The matches also mark the debut of U.S. Soccer’s new national training center outside Atlanta, which opened earlier in 2026 and gives Hayes’ staff a dedicated East Coast base to prepare for both games.
Form-wise, the USWNT enters off a mixed June trip to Brazil, the 2027 World Cup hosts, splitting a two-game series — a 2-1 loss in the opener followed by a 1-0 win in the finale. By the time Spain arrives, it will have been four months since either team last played a match.
What Comes Next for the USWNT’s 2027 World Cup Push?
The October friendlies are the last tune-up before games that actually count. In November, the USWNT opens Concacaf’s W Championship with a quarterfinal against El Salvador, ranked 78th in the world — a matchup that looks lopsided on paper but carries direct 2027 World Cup qualification stakes, since the U.S. must navigate Concacaf’s path to Brazil rather than Europe’s.
That contrast is part of why Spain’s visit matters beyond a single result. A competitive showing against the top-ranked team in the world would give Hayes real evidence of where her group stands heading into a qualifying campaign it’s expected to win on paper. A rough outing would raise sharper questions about the USWNT’s readiness for 2027, regardless of how Concacaf qualifying goes.
Either way, it will be just the third time in program history that the USWNT’s “top-two-in-the-world” matchup hasn’t involved Germany — a small but telling sign of how much the sport’s hierarchy has shifted since Spain’s 2023 breakthrough.
Conclusion
Billed as a pair of friendlies, October’s meetings will answer a real question: how close is Hayes’ USWNT to the team currently standing alone atop the world game. The ticket presales, the Dunn tribute, and the new training center are the backdrop. The two matches themselves are the actual test.
FAQ
When do the USWNT and Spain play in October 2026?
The USWNT hosts Spain on Friday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. (2:30 p.m. ET), and again on Monday, Oct. 13, at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania (7 p.m. ET). Both matches are official U.S. Soccer friendlies serving as tune-ups before the USWNT’s Concacaf World Cup qualifying campaign begins in November.
How can I watch USWNT vs Spain?
The Oct. 10 match airs on TBS and HBO Max in English, and Telemundo, Universo and Peacock in Spanish. The Oct. 13 match airs on TNT and HBO Max in English, with Universo and Peacock carrying the Spanish broadcast. Presale tickets opened July 14, with public sale following July 16.
Has the USWNT ever beaten Spain?
Yes. The USWNT has won three of the four all-time meetings: 1-0 in Alicante in 2019, 2-1 in the 2019 World Cup round of 16, and 1-0 at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup. Spain’s only win came 2-0 in Pamplona in October 2022, nine months before its first World Cup title.
Why is Spain ranked No. 1 in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings?
Spain reclaimed the top spot in August 2025 after a five-match run to the Euro 2025 final, even though it lost that final to England on penalties. FIFA’s formula weights competitive results heavily and doesn’t automatically reward trophies, which is why Spain moved ahead despite the loss.
What’s at stake for the USWNT this fall?
The October friendlies against Spain double as final preparation before the USWNT opens Concacaf’s W Championship in November against El Salvador, with 2027 World Cup qualification on the line. A strong showing against the world’s top-ranked team would offer evidence the rebuilt USWNT is on track.