Saturday’s friendly match between the England Lionesses and the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) is much anticipated for a number of reasons, but it holds extra significance for Emma Hayes.

United States head coach Emma Hayes says her side does not have time to talk politics as the former Chelsea boss returns to England. The United States women’s national team (USWNT) is in its first international window since Donald Trump won a second term in the 2024 United States presidential election on November 5.

The former Chelsea coach only had a short time to imprint her ideas on the Americans, but they delivered for their new coach in Paris

The friendly, which will see the top two sides in the FIFA women’s rankings face off, is expected to have more than 83,000 in attendance at Wembley.

When it comes to her tenure as the USWNT boss, Hayes is, in her words, “fresh out of the packet”, but she is already thinking about her legacy, explaining that unifying the US talent pool under a women’s football development strategy is “going to be the biggest piece” of what she leaves behind.

When it comes to the privilege of being spoiled with success, few can claim it as much as the fans of the USWNT. With four World Cup victories and five Olympic gold medals under their belt, anything short of triumph is often deemed a failure or letdown.