As part of Hayes’ plans, the U.S. Soccer Federation on Wednesday announced the opponents and venues for the 11th annual SheBelieves Cup. The second-ranked Americans will face No. 30 Argentina on March 1 in Nashville, No. 10 Canada on March 4 in Columbus, Ohio, and No. 20 Colombia on March 7 in Harrison, New Jersey. Each day will have two games.
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Overseas World Cup qualification prevented the USSF from inviting European or Asian powers, marking only the second time that none of the SheBelieves Cup participants will come from those confederations.
However, “These are three teams that will probably be in the World Cup in 2027 and of course we’ll probably see Canada in the World Cup qualifiers at the end of the year,” Hayes said. “So, as we focus on our continued preparation and growth as a team, the SheBelieves Cup is of great value. Each team brings different strengths and will challenge us to find success everywhere on the field, which is exactly what we need as we continue our process to move towards the big events on the horizon.”
The Americans will begin the year with friendlies against Paraguay on January 24 in Carson, California, and against Chile three days later in Santa Barbara, California. (Because the matches were scheduled outside the FIFA window, Hayes will not have the luxury of inviting his players who play in Europe.)
After the SheBelieves Cup, the United States will play three friendlies in April, two in June and two in October. Opponents and venues have not yet been determined. The schedule will culminate in November with the Concacaf W Championship, which will determine four automatic berths for the 2027 World Cup and three for the 2028 Olympic Games. (With Los Angeles hosting the Olympic Games, the US team is already assured of a berth.)
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With a bye to the W Championship quarterfinals, the sport’s most decorated program will need to win just one game to punch its ticket to the World Cup. Still, Hayes will welcome the opportunity to play serious games after two largely experimental years. His team has faced no consequences since winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Over the years, the SheBelieves Cup has been a reliable proving ground. The United States has won it seven times, but last year placed second behind Japan.
Argentina will participate for the first time since 2021 and Colombia is participating for the second year in a row after finishing third in 2025. Combined, they have never beaten the United States in 20 meetings. Colombia and Argentina are the second and third highest ranked teams in South America, behind No. 6 Brazil.
Returning to the SheBelieves Cup after participating in 2021, 2023 and 24, Canada also has a poor record against the Americans (4-54-9), but the matches are often heated and close.