USWNT at FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: Stats and records
Find out what World Cup records the US women's soccer team currently holds and which they could break at the 2023 World Cup, including the much-anticipated three-peat.
Football
When the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) begin their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup title defence campaign in Australia and New Zealand they will do so backed by a tournament record like no other.
From holding the record for most World Cup titles won, to owning the biggest winning margin in a tournament game, since the very first Women’s World Cup in 1991, the USA has left an indelible mark on football’s global showpiece event.
Ahead of their first game against Vietnam on 22 July, discover the Women's World Cup records USWNT currently holds and what history still beckons for Vlatko Andonovski and his USA side.
Women’s World Cup records currently owned by USWNT
Most FIFA Women’s World Cup wins
Since the inaugural Women’s World Cup was held in 1991, the USA has reached the podium in all eight editions, lifting the trophy four times (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019), making them the most successful team at the event.
Such has been their dominance, the USWNT they have never finished the tournament outside of the top three which is a feat they own thanks to their impressive win rate at the event. To date, the USA has won 40 of its 50 World Cup fixtures, losing just four times.
And if it wasn’t enough to own these records as a team, the US can proudly boast of having the player with the most individual wins at a Women’s World Cup. That is a record that currently belongs to Kristine Lilly, who has won 24 games while competing in the tournament.
Biggest Women’s World Cup win margin
When it comes to starting World Cup campaigns it doesn’t get better than when the USWNT opened the 2019 tournament against Thailand.
Declaring their intention to defend their title from 2015, the US defeated their Thai opponents 13-0 to claim the largest margin of victory ever at a Women’s World Cup.
Attacking star Alex Morgan netted five goals in the game to tie the record for most goals by a player in a single Women’s World Cup match, a record she shares with another former UWSNT player, Michelle Akers.
Michelle Akers holds the record for the most number of goals scored during a single Women's World Cup.
Most goals in a single tournament
One of the USA’s longest-standing World Cup records belongs to the legendary Olympic gold medallist Akers, who holds the record for most goals scored in a single tournament, netting 10 goals in 1991.
No player has yet surpassed the American in the seven editions of the tournament that have followed since.
Most goals scored in a World Cup by country
It will come as no surprise that the only country to play in the maximum number of matches possible in every World Cup has also netted the most number of goals.
USWNT has scored 138 goals at a World Cup, ahead of second-best Germany with 121 and Norway with 93.
KASHIMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 05: Megan Rapinoe #15 of Team United States celebrates their side's victory after the Women's Bronze Medal match between United States and Australia on day thirteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kashima Stadium on August 05, 2021 in Kashima, Japan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Which records could USWNT break at the 2023 Women’s World Cup?
Can the USA three-peat at the 2023 World Cup?
One record sure to be the target of USWNT when they start their tournament down under will be to become the first team – men's or women’s - to win the World Cup three consecutive times.
Other countries in the past have come close to such a summit, but none have ever succeeded.
In 1950, Italy’s men tried but fell in the group stages. Pele’s Brazil then looked poised to do it before also exiting in the group stage in England in 1966. Then in 2011, Germany’s women were on track to do what had never been done until they were halted by Japan in the quarter-finals.
If football history tells us anything it’s that a World Cup three-peat has been an insurmountable task until now but the USWNT, with such a rich World Cup pedigree to its name, could be the first team to do it.
Could Megan Rapinoe become the oldest goalscorer in a Women’s World Cup?
One record that could be broken at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is for the oldest goalscorer.
As it stands, Brazilian legend Formiga currently owns that slice of history, last netting a goal at the event aged 37 years and 98 days old.
Among those that could break that record is 38-year-old Megan Rapinoe, who was selected for her fourth Team USA World Cup appearance this year.
However, she will have some competition for the honour. 40-year-old Canadian Olympic gold medallist Christine Sinclair and 37-year-old Brazilian Marta could also claim it if they score.
Could Megan Rapine become the first player to win the Golden Ball more than once?
The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup was a significant tournament for USWNT’s Rapinoe.
As well as walking away with the Golden Boot for top scorer, courtesy of her six goals and three assists, the then co-captain also took home the honour of the Golden Ball – FIFA's award recognising the player of the tournament.
In collecting the gong, Rapinoe become the third American to win the prize after Carin Jennings in 1991 and Carli Lloyd in 2015.
Having made the squad for Australia and New Zealand, Rapinoe now could carve out even more US history. If she were to win the Golden Ball again, she would become the first-ever women’s player to ever be given the award twice.