U.S. women’s national team manager Emma Hayes announced her 26-player roster on Wednesday for the team’s upcoming friendlies against Portugal and New Zealand.

The USWNT will face off against Portugal twice, first at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa., on Oct. 23, and then again at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Conn., on Oct. 26. The match against New Zealand will take place at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 29.

When the USWNT meets Portugal, it will be 113 days since the Americans’ last game, which was against Canada in July.

“We are extremely excited to get back together with the team,” said Hayes.“There has been a big gap from July until now and we’ve watched many club games. Now, it’s time to start the build towards qualifying for the 2027 World Cup. We want to make the most of every minute we have together, challenge the players, and maintain the momentum. These three fantastic games ahead of us will help us do that.”

This latest USWNT roster features many returning stars, including five European-based players who all were given the summer off from international duty, as well as a lone debutant.

USWNT roster: October friendlies

Position (Club; Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 2), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 3)

DEFENDERS (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 67/1), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 2/0), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 8/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 6/1), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 5/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 110/2), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave; 0/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 38/4), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 167/38), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 6/1), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 113/25), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 9/2), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC; 26/8), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, FRA;8/1)

FORWARDS (7): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 8/1), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 24/11), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 47/11), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 12/2), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville; 8/1), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 12/4), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC, ENG; 22/3)

Trinity Rodman is back

One of the USWNT’s biggest stars is back on the roster. In August, Trinity Rodman returned to her NWSL club, Washington Spirit, after a back injury in April kept her off the pitch. Her last appearance for the USWNT came in a 2–0 friendly against Brazil, where she scored the opening goal.

It’s been a long road back to the top for Rodman. She has only made one appearance for the USWNT in 2025 and was also unavailable for the national team between August 2024 and April 2025. But Rodman has looked revitalized of late, and since returning to action with the Spirit, she has five goals and two assists in her past 11 NWSL matches.

The USWNT has needed superstars to return to the forward line, with Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson both currently away on maternity leave. As Rodman is likely to be rotated in the October window, there will be opportunities for Michelle Cooper of the Kansas City Current, the Houston Dash’s Yazmeen Ryan and Emma Sears of Racing Louisville to make their cases.

Jaedyn Shaw's Gotham move pays off

Jaedyn Shaw has seen an immediate boost following her blockbuster transfer from North Carolina Courage to NJ/NY Gotham FC in September. Shaw is back on the USWNT roster for the first time since April, having played with the U-23 squad during the May, June and July windows.

“Soccerwise, it’s been really good. I feel like it’s been a really seamless transition. I’m excited for the future with this team and finishing out on a high,” Shaw told Sports Illustrated last week.

Since making the move to Gotham, Shaw has a goal and an assist in five appearances, and the team is undefeated with her on the pitch. She had three goals and an assist in 19 games for the Courage this season before the transfer.

European-based players return

The other significant addition to the new USWNT roster is the return of five players who play their club soccer in Europe: Lindsey Heaps and Lily Yohannes, both OL Lyonnes, Emily Fox of Arsenal, Catarina Macario of Chelsea and Manchester United’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce. All five have been competing in the UEFA Champions League this season.

This quintet was given the summer off by Hayes due to the schedule of the European season running from September to May.

Heaps is the active captain and will be leaned on by Hayes as both a leadership figure and to take on a bulk of minutes. Tullis-Joyce is the likely No. 1 starting goalkeeper for the USWNT and will be expected to start two games and continue to grow into the role in the wake of Alyssa Naeher’s retirement at the end of 2024.

First call-up for Kennedy Wesley

San Diego Wave defender Kennedy Wesley has been called up to the USWNT for the first time in her career. The 24-year-old center back has been excellent for the Wave throughout her two years in the NWSL and has been constant on the U.S. youth national teams since 2016.

With defenders missing, Hayes has looked to Wesley as a new option in the heart of the back line. Two of Hayes’s top choice center backs, Tierna Davidson and Alana Cook, are both recovering from long-term ACL injuries sustained in 2025. Naomi Girma, who has yet to feature for Chelsea this season, is also still unavailable due to ongoing calf issues.

Wesley is the latest in a long line of debutants who have entered the USWNT pool in 2025. Since becoming head coach in June 2024, Hayes has given 24 players their first cap for the senior national team. On the October roster, Jordyn Bugg, Lilly Reale and Sam Meza all received just their second call-ups after making their debuts in July.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as USWNT Roster Takeaways: Trinity Rodman and Jaedyn Shaw Make Triumphant Return.