U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has already turned her attention to preparations for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, calling the upcoming friendlies there an ideal opportunity for the squad to acclimate.
HARRISON, N.J. — As Emma Hayes concluded her multi-week NWSL scouting tour with a final stop in New Jersey on Saturday, the U.S. women’s national team head coach was already focusing on the team’s pre-World Cup trip to Brazil.
“For us as a team, getting the opportunity to go to Brazil prior to the qualification is perfect preparation,” Hayes said from Sports Illustrated Stadium. “You get a sense, culturally, what the country is like — everything from food to hotels to training pitches to fans and feeling the temperature of the Brazilian fans — plus (we get to) play against a very dynamic team.”
Hayes attended several NWSL matches across the country in recent weeks and took time to speak with reporters before Gotham FC’s rematch with expansion side Boston Legacy. She described New York as her “spiritual home,” noting her early coaching career began on Long Island.
Gotham features a host of active U.S. women’s national team players, including Emily Sonnett, Rose Lavelle, Tierna Davidson and Jaedyn Shaw, as well as players like star rookie Jordynn Dudley who have previously featured for the senior team or for the U-23 and U-17 national teams.
Since being appointed as U.S. head coach in 2023, Hayes has reshaped the development pathways for American women’s soccer players. She helped revive the Under-23 national team as a bridge to the senior squad, with players moving fluidly between the two groups. Shaw is a prime example, having spent time with the U-23 side last year before returning to the senior team as a consistent midfielder.
That shift has allowed Hayes to fully engage the entire U.S. women’s player pool in the years leading up to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. After selecting first-time call-ups and young, inexperienced players, Hayes has recently narrowed her choices to a core group as they gear up for World Cup qualifiers in the fall.
The U.S. announced in April that it would play two international friendlies in Brazil this June against the Brazilian women’s national team. As Hayes explained, competing in a host country the year before a World Cup allows the team to experience what playing in that environment will be like — particularly in Brazil, where locals are passionate about soccer.
“I’ve said so many times that Brazil is probably the one team in the world where you’re lucky if you get two or three passes in a row because of the intensity of the press and their deliberate intentions, 1-v-1,” Hayes said. “So, to experience that in their home backyard, I think, is important, and we’re very much looking forward to it.”
The two matches will mark the first time the teams have faced off in Brazil since 2014. They will play in São Paulo on June 6 and in Fortaleza on June 9 at stadiums that will host World Cup matches next summer. The São Paulo match takes place at the Neo Química Arena, a 49,000-capacity stadium that is home to Corinthians, one of Brazil’s most storied and beloved clubs. The second match in Fortaleza, located in the northeastern region of the country, is at the Arena Castelão, a stadium shared by two second-division Brazilian clubs — Fortaleza and Ceará — with a capacity of 57,000. As part of the trip, the team will also engage in cultural and logistical preparation activities that Hayes believes will prove invaluable when the World Cup kicks off in 2027.
