The U.S. women’s national team will be back in full swing as it faces Paraguay on Jan. 24 in Carson, California, and Chile on Tuesday in Santa Barbara in a pair of international friendlies.

If 2025 was a year for experimentation, 2026 is primed for fine-tuning the squad that will embark on 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification in November. Head coach Emma Hayes approached 2025 with the goal of deepening the player pool. A record 44 different players received first caps last year.

The two upcoming matches could see even more USWNT debuts as the Portland Thorns’ Reilyn Turner, Seattle Reign’s Maddie Dahlien and Sally Menti, and North Carolina Courage’s Riley Jackson all received their first senior call-up’s in this camp.

The January international window will be the final chance for players to make a positive impression and earn a spot in the USWNT’s core senior squad. The squad for this camp features an all-NWSL field.

“I think this really is the last window in preparation for [20]27 where we will see the opportunities for so many new players,” Hayes said during her media availability on Jan. 9.

The annual SheBelieves Cup will occur in early March and will see the USWNT face Argentina, Canada and Colombia.

“Going into SheBelieves [the roster] will be whittled down. Without question, I will pick the strongest possible rosters going from February onwards. I believe that group of players are going to be competing for that group in November, December time,” Hayes elaborated.

Hayes famously won the 2024 Olympics gold medal in just her 10th match at the helm of the USWNT. As the 2027 World Cup draws near, these are five burning questions for the USWNT in 2026:

When will we see the return of Triple Espresso?