USWNT to take on Spain in first of two head-to-head friendlies: everything to know ahead of Saturday's contest

The Women's World Cup winners are heading across the pond.

In what will be the first of a two-match series against the world's top women's national team, the USWNT will head to the nation's capital to welcome Spain. The series will act as an opportunity for the USWNT to prepare for their CONCACAF W Championship campaign in November; the quarterfinal round of the tournament also acts as part of qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

The following preview acts to set up the action in the first of the two head-to-head matches.

The basics

The match is set to take place on Saturday, October 10, at Audi Field, which is home to D.C. United of MLS, the NWSL's Washington Spirit, and the UFL's D.C. Defenders. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

The match will be broadcast in English on TBS, HBO Max, and Westwood One Sports. Spanish-language broadcasting will be available through Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock.

Historical head-to-head matchups

This will act as the fifth head-to-head encounter between the two continental leaders.

Three of the four matchups between these two sides went the way of the USWNT. One of those encounters saw the USWNT claim a 2-1 win in 2019 Women's World Cup action; that victory came in the last 16 and helped to spur the United States to a second consecutive title. That said, the most recent matchup between these two nations went the way of Spain by a 2-0 scoreline.

What to expect this time around

As stated above, this series is going to largely be about starting to get ready for the CONCACAF W Championship and Women's World Cup qualifying. Such is especially true when considering that the USWNT's performance at the 2023 tournament was far from stellar. After winning in 2015 and 2019, the USWNT lost to Sweden on penalties in the last 16 of the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Since that loss, the USWNT has rebounded big time, winning gold at the 2024 Olympics, securing the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup title, and winning two of the three editions of the SheBelieves Cup that have taken place since the 2023 tournament.

There's no reason to believe that the USWNT isn't prepared to secure another berth at the Women's World Cup. They'll more than likely end up qualifying for the 2027 tournament through the CONCACAF W Championship. But how the USWNT could fare beyond that point and into the 2027 Women's World Cup could hinge on their performance against Spain, both on Saturday and on Tuesday.

USWNT goals against Spain

In terms of what kind of result fans should expect on Saturday, it's fair to assume that a draw or win will suffice for the opener. Again, World Cup qualifying is the next big event on the USWNT's calendar, and this opener should be seen as an opportunity to both gain competitive experience against a top-tier opponent and to prepare for qualifying.

As long as the USWNT gets a result of any kind and looks somewhat competitive against the world's top team, fans can walk away from Saturday's contest feeling optimistic about the team's outlook ahead of Tuesday's rematch.

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