Three days to go: Will the USA seal an historic three-peat? 🇺🇸 | OneFootball

No country has ever won three World Cups in a row. Not at the men’s tournament, nor the women’s.

Can the USWNT make history in Australia and New Zealand?

See all of our Women’s World Cup preview content right here.

Success runs deep

Women’s soccer in the United States has a deep, unparalleled relationship with success.

With four titles from FIFA’s eight tournaments, history shows the Americans are rightfully the top-ranked side in the world. Incredibly, they have maintained that position since 2014, while their lowest-ever ranking is second.

The USWNT have reached the semifinals in all eight campaigns and never finished lower than third.

Some of the biggest names in the game’s history — the likes of Abby Wambach, Brandi Chastain, Carli Lloyd, Kristine Lilly, Hope Solo in the past, the likes of Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe to this day — have represented the Stars and Stripes on the biggest stage, and each generation passed the baton, and the high demands, to the next.

Morgan and Rapinoe played star roles in the 2015 and 2019 victories and are on board for a third successive victory in 2023 alongside a fresher set of team-mates ready to make their mark; in total 13 of the 23-strong squad are at a first World Cup finals this summer.

The Americans thrive under pressure, too and in this summer’s campaign all eyes will be on the heavyweights to make history. In the men’s game, Brazil and Italy had opportunities to three-peat, but both failed.

Heading into the tournament, their hunger remains as prominent as ever.

“Would I be happy with anything short of a third straight title? No. Absolutely not,” manager Vlatkoa Andonovski has declared.

Whether or not you support the USA, one thing is undeniable: they have set the standard for women’s football. Everyone aspires to scale the heights the Americans have already conquered. If they do make history comeAugust, nobody should be too surprised.

But the gap is closing

Maybe, though, they won’t?

History paints an illustrious picture of the USWNT but they enter Australia and New Zealand in a significant transition period. Meanwhile, the rest of the world has had four years to catch up.

How the Americans played and embraced the game has elevated women’s football globally but other countries have improved tenfold. This sets up 2023 to be the tightest, most demanding tournaments in Women’s World Cup history, just as Euro 2022 was last summer.

The tournament favourites are missing multiple big-name players we’re used to, seeing as the generation from 2010-2020 nears the end of their careers. The veteran experience of Rapinoe (38) and Morgan (34) is vital but it will be down to the less experienced members of the squad for the most part, especially with injuries hitting hard; captain Becky Sauerbrunn, Mallory Swanson, Tobin Heath, Sam Mewis, Christen Press and Catarina Macario all miss out.

And they have countries like Germany , Sweden, Euro 2022 winners England, France and Spain breathing down their necks. The likes of 1995-winners Norway, South American champions Brazil and Olympic gold medalists Canada will also fancy their chances.

He may have stated huge ambition but Andonovski has also admitted he’s well aware of the target on the USWNT’s back.

“We are expecting the level of play at this World Cup to be the best it’s ever been, and all the teams must keep up with that growth.

“We are proud to have been one of the teams leading the way for women’s international soccer and I know the tournament will once again show the world how great these players are across all 32 teams.

“Our players understand the challenges and the competitive environment we are heading into, and they love it. We have a roster with depth and versatility and that will help us take on all the challenges that will be coming our way.”

There was a 16-year gap between the USA’s second and third World Cup wins during a monumental shift in women’s football. Could another relative drought be about to begin?

See the rest of our Women’s World Cup preview content right here.