USWNT roster: Emma Hayes names strong 26-player SheBelieves Cup squad

The annual 2026 SheBelieves Cup will begin on March 1, and U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has named a roster of 26 players ahead of the tournament. The 11th edition of the SheBelieves Cup is a four-team invitational competition featuring the United States, Argentina, Canada and Colombia. As Hayes narrows down his player pool ahead of November’s Concacaf W Championship – the region’s World Cup qualifiers – the SheBelieves Cup marks the start of qualifying preparations for the upcoming 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

A mix of tournaments between Concacaf and CONMEBOL will test the Stars and Stripes with styles they could see again in qualifying.

“The SheBelieves Cup is a fantastic tournament that gives us the opportunity to replicate the group stage of a FIFA tournament,” Hayes said. “Three quality matches in a row also allow us to replicate the conditions that will prepare us for the World Cup qualifying campaign this fall. As always, we want to continue to develop our player pool to be more and more prepared. As we gain more experience, I expect our standards to continue to improve.”

SheBelieves Cup rosters have been expanded to 26 players, up from 23 in previous editions, and this year’s camps will allow coaches to nominate 23 players to dress for match dates. Gameday rosters can be rotated to feature any of the 26 selected players. Eleven players who were not in January camps return to this list, while 15 leftovers from the January roster earned a spot on the SheBelieves Cup roster.

While the January camps took place outside of an official FIFA window, the SheBelieves Cup roster once again welcomes several European-based players, including midfielder Sam Coffey, who recently transferred to Manchester City from the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.

In a perhaps symbolic turn of the page, there are no players on the roster with zero appearances. This is the first time since the 2025 SheBelieves Cup that a USWNT roster does not feature an uncapped player. Hayes gave 32 players their first caps in 32 games as manager. No other full-time USWNT manager has named more than 36 different starters in his first 30 games as head coach.

USWNT SheBelieves Cup 2026 Roster

Players classified by position (club, caps/goals)

Guardians (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 7), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 5), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 4)

Defenders (9): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 6/0), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 71/1), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC, ENG; 50/2), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 6/0), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 10/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 113/2), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 5/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 3/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 3/0)

Midfield (8): Sam Coffey (Manchester City, ENG; 42/5), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 170/38), Claire Hutton (Bay FC; 13/1), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; 1/0), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 116/27), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 13/5), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC; 116/27); 31/9), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 13/1)

Attackers (6): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 2/1), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 49/13), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 14/6), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 15/6), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC, ENG; 3/26)

Sophia Wilson and Catarina Macario are absent

National team veterans Sophia Wilson and Catarina Macario were left out of the SheBelieves Cup for various fitness reasons, with Hayes admitting on Tuesday that both men would likely have made the squad if they had been fit enough to take part.

Wilson has not been part of the national team since 2024 and spent all of 2025 on maternity leave, although she returned to training with the Portland Thorns and expects to be in good shape for the start of the NWSL season in mid-March. Although Hayes and Wilson both wanted the player to participate in USWNT matches in March, the Thorns ultimately decided that Wilson was not fit enough for the opportunity this time around.

“Soph and I have talked and she’s just not ready,” Hayes said. “The return to play protocol just didn’t give her enough time, I think, to get her to where she wanted to be, so it’s true that she’s not on the team, even though I want her to be. The reality is that Portland didn’t view her as such.”

As for Macario, Hayes revealed that the player is suffering from a heel injury. She has not commented on the situation at Macario’s club, which has been the source of some speculation in recent weeks: she has not played for Chelsea since December 10 and has since been left out of the UEFA Women’s Champions League squad, while being linked with a move to the San Diego Wave of the NWSL.

“My understanding is she has a heel injury. She’s getting closer and closer every day,” Hayes said before adding that the exact timetable for Macario’s return to the field is unclear. “I don’t know when it will be, but she is not available for selection.”

Other players like defender Avery Patterson and midfielder Croix Bethune, the latter was part of a blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Current last weekwere also left out because they didn’t have enough reps under their belt during the preseason. Their absences, however, have provided opportunities for another group of rising USWNT stars: Midfielder Riley Tiernan and forward Maddie Dahlien, who earned their first caps last month, will now join a more experienced version of Team USA for a SheBelieves Cup that simulates a tournament. Forward Jameese Joseph also got the nod largely because Wilson and Macario were unavailable.

“If Cat Macario and Sophia Wilson were available for selection, they would have been selected as [No.] “9,” Hayes said before reinforcing his long-held plan to expand the player pool. “We need to develop more new and [Joseph] said, “This is where I want to be. »